Holiday Handmade Gift Exchange: Burlap Chevron Stripe Table Runner

This year, Southern Color is participating in the Holiday Handmade Gift Exchange with Craftaholics.  You get paired up with another blogger or blog reader and become pen pals.  Once you've learned a little about each other, you make a handmade gift for them :)

I was paired up with Rachel.  From what I learned, she likes shabby chic decor with a hint of whimsy.  I wanted to make her something she could use throughout the holidays but also year round.  Since chevron stripes are so popular, I figured a burlap chevron stripe table runner would be perfect!

What you'll need:

Burlap (cut 15 inches by 72 inches)

Painters tape

White Acrylic Paint

Foam Brush and Roller

You can customize the size of your runner based on the length of your table.  Martha Stewart says your table runner should have an overhang of 12 inches.

Cut to size leaving room for seam allowance.  Fold over all edges 1/2 inch and iron.  Then run a seam around the edge.  This will give your runner a clean look and will prevent the burlap from unraveling.

Now it's time to create the chevron stripe.  You can use Julia's method here. 

I created a template using Julia's method.  Use painter's tape to outline the template. My template and tape were 2 inches wide, you can make this as wide or thin as you want.

Since I am going for a shabby chic look, I choose to do a white wash.  Mix 3 parts white acrylic paint to 1 part water. 

Paint on using a foam brush for the edges and a roller for the other areas.

When painting against the edges, use your foam brush and paint away from the tape.  If you paint into the tape, you could push unwanted paint under the tape.

Allow to dry - about 2 hours depending on how thick the paint is.

And there you go- a fun & festive burlap & chevron stipe table runner!

Decorate for the holidays with garland and candles.  Or mix with Christmas pattern placemats.  The options are endless!

Stop by Craftaholics to view the linky party!