DIY Monogrammed Burlap Runner
Learn how to make this simple burlap table runner that becomes something spectacular with a DIY monogram print.
I love Thanksgiving. Maybe it’s because my birthday is always so near, or maybe it’s because I dig the food, but I’ve always been a fan of the third Thursday of every November. This is the first year I won’t be spending it with my sister and her family, and I’m really sad about that. The distance is too far for us to cover with animals, and Rob only has so many days off.
DIY Monogrammed Burlap Runner
Luckily as a college instructor, he has a ton of time off in December and January, though, so Christmas will be all sorts of on! I get to spend Thanksgiving with my parents for the first time in years and years, though, and that will be lovely.
I’ve never been too keen on Thanksgiving decorating because we haven’t spent one at my house since my oldest nephew was in diapers, and he’s in the fifth grade now! But I’m finding that I enjoy the seasonal decor even if just Rob and I are around to enjoy it! Being new to the area, perhaps I want to show off to any potential friends as well 🙂
Supplies Needed for Monogrammed Burlap Table Runner
- Burlap table runner
- Heat transfer vinyl or Sharpie (see tutorial for more details)
- Monogram font (see info below)
- Iron and liquid spray starch
or 
(see tutorial for more details)
and 
How to Make a Monogrammed Burlap Runner
This is my burlap runner. It looks fabulous at first glance, but the weave is loose. This is fine, except I wanted to draw my monogram onto my runner, and the distance between the gaps made it impossible.
I first saw a runner at Walmart for around $13, but I found this one for $6 at Amazon. I bought the cheaper one, where I ran into problems. If you have a Silhouette or other cutting machine, you can work around this, but if you don’t, you’ll need to find a good-quality burlap runner.
You’ll also need to find a monogram font that looks good with your particular letter. I used Zallman Caps for my A, but there are quite a few free monogram fonts at daFont that you might like better.
My original plan was to trace the letter through the burlap using a glass pane and a light beneath it. That would have been genius, too! It’s really that simple to do yourself, but if you’re going the vinyl route like I had to…
Reverse your letters and cut them from vinyl. Weed the excess vinyl.
Place appropriately on the runner, sticky side of the clear sheet down. The letter should appear the “right” way. It’s not such a big deal for an “A” but it would be for, say, an “R”.
Apply strong pressure downward to heat and set the vinyl to the burlap. I went too heavy with the heat on my first go, and the vinyl just melted right on top like it had caught fire and shrank away. It was crazy!
Start with the heat in the middle of your iron and see how that goes. You can increase the heat if you need to, but on a cotton setting like I would do with tees, this stuff didn’t pan out at all! In my second attempt, I still had the heat too high and the vinyl dimpled, but it’s only noticeable from a close-up.
I used a 72″ runner for my circle table, and I love it. In the middle of the table, I’ve got my Pioneer Woman pitcher, salt and pepper shakers, and a gorgeous bouquet my Rob brought home to get me out of a nasty snit!
We both like it well enough for everyday use, but it will also be pretty when I start my Thanksgiving centerpiece!
A crafter since her earliest years, Allison spends a little time every day making something. She crafts, sews, paints, glues things onto other things, and is a firm believer that a life spent creating is a life worth living. Visit Allison’s blog, Dream {a Little} BIGGER.