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Make your own festive Christmas table runner pattern

Add some festive style to your Christmas table with this stellar Christmas table runner pattern!

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Jessica Entwistle

Published: September 17, 2021 at 6:57 am

A Christmas table runner is so effective as a decorative finishing touch. Whether you use it for your dining table or your coffee table, it's a great way to add colour and interest to any room while protecting your surfaces.

This Christmas table runner pattern is a classic design that can be reused year after year – it's sure to become a firm family favourite! Why not use up some festive fat quarters to make an array of festive stars?

If you're worried about getting marks on your Christmas table runner, you could opt for a darker colour such as a deep blue to hide any stains. You could also draw your own shapes, instead of stars – try snowflakes or holly – and make this project your own.

This easy Christmas table runner pattern was created by Jess Entwistle for Simply Sewing Magazine. Simply Sewing is a brilliant magazine for sewers of all abilities and it's packed with original patterns and sewing expertise. Jess is a regular designer for Simply Sewing and Love Patchwork and Quilting magazines.

Looking for more Christmas projects to make? Try our how to make a Christmas stocking project, free Christmas knitting patterns and our crochet Christmas patterns.

If you're new to sewing, we've got lots of tips and advice for you to try! Take a look at our guide to the best sewing machines for beginners, learn how to use a sewing machine or learn the basics with our sewing for beginners guide. We've also found lots of brilliant sewing kits for beginners to help you get started.

Read on to learn how to make a Christmas table runner…

How to make a Christmas table runner

Notes

Download the Christmas table runner templates.
This pattern uses Cloud9's Jingle Mingle fabric, which is available from several stockists on Etsy, but you could substitute any festive fabric that you like!
You may need more fabric if you wish to fussy cut the stars. We used one layer of Thermolam as our wadding. Thermolam has good hot/cold insulation properties.

You will need:

Fabric A (plain fabric for the front of the runner) (50x150cm (20x59in))
Fabric B (backing and binding fabric) (90x170cm (36x67in))
Fabric B–F (for the patchwork stars) (40x40cm (16x16in) of each print)
Thermolam (60x160cm (24x63in))
Bondaweb (50x90cm (20x36in))
Paper for the templates
Erasable fabric marker
Matching thread
Basic sewing kit

Cutting out

Step 1

Download, print, and cut out the templates.

Step 2

Take the Bondaweb and the patchwork fabrics B–F. Press Bondaweb onto the wrong side (WS) of the star appliqué fabric, then use the template to cut as many stars as you wish. We cut two stars of each size from each print – six stars for each fabric.

Step 3

From Fabric B cut:

Backing: one 60x160cm (23⁷⁄₈x63in)
Binding Strips: three 6x170cm (2³⁄₈x67in)

Adding the applique

Step 1

Take the 50x150cm (20x59in) runner front and place the Bondawebed stars on top to work out the design. When you’re happy with your layout, peel the paper backing from the back of the fabric and pin the stars on top of the plain front to hold them in place.

Step 2

Press each star onto the plain front fabric.

Christmas table runner step 1

Step 3

You can now topstitch around each individual star at this point to make sure they are extra secure and to decorate. Alternatively you can wait to topstitch around the stars until after you have created the quilt sandwich as we have.

Quilting the runner

Step 1

Take the backing fabric and place it right side (RS) down, place the Thermolam centrally on top, then the runner star front centrally on top. Baste as preferred. We added pins between the stars, and around the border edges to hold the quilt sandwich together.

Step 2

Quilt as desired – we topstitched around each individual star in a matching thread.

Christmas table runner step 2

Step 3

Staystitch 2–3mm (¹⁄₈in) inside the outside edge of the plain front fabric to hold the quilt sandwich together, then trim off the excess wadding and backing fabric.

Adding the binding

Step 1

Take the three binding strips and with right side (RS) of the fabric together, join them together either with diagonal seams or straight seams (we joined with straight seams).

Step 2

Press the seams open and fold the strip in half lengthways WS together, press.

Step 3

Sew the binding to the RS of the quilt with a 6mm (¼in) seam allowance, starting halfway down one side and starting sewing 20cm (8in) or so from the end of the binding.

Step 4

Create a neat mitre at each corner.

Christmas table runner step 3

Step 5

Stop sewing the binding when you get about 20cm (8in) or so from where you started. Join the two binding ends together as per when you joined the strips originally (we joined with a straight seam).

Finishing the binding

Step 1

Trim off excess binding ends and finish sewing the binding to the runner.

Step 2

Fold the binding over to the back of the runner and either slipstitch or machine sew all the way around to finish.

Christmas table runner step 4

You’ve finished making your Christmas table runner pattern! Enjoy using it over the festive season.

Christmas table runner pattern

Jessica Entwistle

Designer and Maker

Jess is a fabric crafts designer who’s work is regularly published in Simply Sewing and Love Patchwork & Quilting magazines. She shares her work on her website www.jellybgood.com. She inherited her love of fabric, colour and sewing from her mother and specializes in creating easy-to-sew, accessible designs with a fresh modern style, making her projects popular with magazine readers and crafters online alike. She’s got a thing for neon threads and a serious love of fabric. She runs her own craft business creating everything from hair slides and brooches to bunting and quilts. She has previously appeared as a guest designer on Sewing Quarter TV and shares her work on Instagram @jessjelllybgood