# Tablecloth fabric calculator

A tablecloth is the table plus a drop on every side, hemmed all round — so a 90 by 180 cm table with a 25 cm drop finishes at 140 by 230 cm. What decides the fabric is whether that finished size fits across the roll: if it does not, widths have to be joined, and the seams must never fall down the centre of the cloth. Because nothing about a table has a top or a bottom, a plain fabric can usually be turned to run the other way, which often removes the join entirely.

Source: https://fabricmeasure.com/calculators/tablecloth-fabric-calculator/
Last updated: 2026-08-20 (method v1)
Published by FabricMeasure.

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## The formula

```
finished width  = table width + 2 x drop
finished length = table length + 2 x drop     (round: diameter + 2 x drop, both ways)

widths across = ceil so that
    W x fabric width - 2 x hem - (W-1) x 2 x seam >= finished width
cut length = finished length + 2 x hem
if patterned: cut length = ROUND UP to a whole number of pattern repeats
total = widths x cloths x cut length  (+ one repeat to place the first cut)
```

A tablecloth CAN USUALLY BE TURNED. Nothing about a table has a top or a bottom, so
on a plain cloth both orientations are legal and the cheaper one is taken. A nap or a
one-way print removes that option.

NEVER put a seam down the centre of a tablecloth. A full width down the middle with
equal part-widths either side puts the seams over the table edges instead.

## Defaults

- Drop: 25 cm (20-30 cm is the everyday dining figure)
- Hem per edge: 2 cm
- Seam allowance: 1.5 cm
- Cut increment: Nearest 10 cm

A round cloth is cut from a rectangle, so the corners fall off. How much depends on how the
diameter sits against the roll width: roughly a third when the cloth fits one width, and
roughly three fifths just after it needs a second. It is included in the figure.
That is included. No shrinkage allowance is added: pre-wash and measure first.

## Worked example

90 cm x 180 cm table, 25 cm drop, plain 140 cm fabric.

| Step | Working | Result |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Finished cloth | 90 cm × 180 cm table + 50 cm of drop each way | 140 cm × 230 cm |
| Widths across | 230 cm finished + 4 cm of hems, on 140 cm cloth | 2 widths |
| Cut length | 140 cm finished + 4 cm of hems | 144 cm |
| Fabric required | 2 cuts × 144 cm | 288 cm |

Orientation chosen: TURNED (running across the roll).
Buy: 2.9 m

## Common questions

### What size tablecloth do I need for my table?

Add twice the drop to each dimension. A 90 by 180 cm table with a 25 cm drop needs a cloth of 140 by 230 cm. For everyday dining a drop of 20 to 30 cm is normal — enough to cover a lap without ending up under the chairs. Floor-length drops are for occasional and banqueting tables.

### Where should the seam go if my table is wider than the fabric?

Never down the centre. A seam in the middle of a tablecloth lands exactly where everyone looks. Standard practice is a full width down the middle with equal part-widths joined either side, so the two seams sit symmetrically and fall over the edges of the table rather than across the top of it.

### Can I turn the fabric sideways to avoid joining widths?

On a plain, non-directional cloth, yes — and it often removes a join outright, because a tablecloth that is too wide for the roll one way round frequently fits the other way. A nap or a one-way print fixes the direction and takes the option away. The calculator tries both and reports the better one.

### How much fabric does a round tablecloth waste?

More than the figure usually quoted, and it depends on your table. "About a fifth" describes a circle cut from a square of its own size, which almost never happens, because the cloth comes off a roll of a fixed width. On 140 cm cloth a small round table that fits one width loses about a third; a table just wide enough to need two widths loses about three fifths. The calculator works out the figure for your table and it is already included in the length. Do not throw the corners away — on any normal table they are big enough for napkins or a matching runner.

### Should I allow for shrinkage on a tablecloth?

Yes, more than on most things, because a tablecloth is washed often and hot. Pre-wash the fabric before cutting and measure it afterwards, particularly on cotton and linen where 3 to 5 per cent is common. This calculator works from the measurements you enter and does not add a shrinkage allowance of its own.

## Related tools

- [Fabric yardage calculator](https://fabricmeasure.com/calculators/fabric-yardage-calculator/): Piece size, how many, roll width — the length to buy, and the strip you pay for but never cut.
- [Seam allowance calculator](https://fabricmeasure.com/calculators/seam-allowance-calculator/): Finished size to cut size — and what a different allowance does to the garment you end up with.
- [Pattern repeat calculator](https://fabricmeasure.com/calculators/pattern-repeat-calculator/): The cut length a repeat forces, what is trimmed from every piece, and what matching the design costs.
- [Fabric width chart](https://fabricmeasure.com/charts/fabric-width-chart/): Standard roll widths in both systems, and the gap between the label and the cloth.
- [Bias binding calculator](https://fabricmeasure.com/calculators/bias-binding-calculator/): Straight-grain strips or one continuous bias strip from a square, costed side by side.