Iron a coffee filter & capture the essence of spring with this DIY

With warmer weather and blooming flowers comes the option for hosting a garden party for family and friends. Although the food and beverage details are important, setting the overall aesthetic is essential. For example, tablecloths upgrade the look of a dessert table. Fortunately, there’s no need to shop for that perfect table covering when this DIY project can achieve the same thing in a short time.

Combining a length of floral fabric with a lining of unbleached coffee filters is sure to yield eye-catching results. Once the coffee filters are folded in half and pressed flat, hot glue them to the edges of a length of fabric to create a texturized lining that’s equally delicate and durable. The unbleached coffee filter works as a great natural base for a floral design, and the lightweight nature of this project makes it easy to move between tables as needed.

-Unbleached coffee filters, as many as are needed to go around the table
-Iron
-Ironing board
-Table
-Length of floral fabric, large enough to extend over the top of the entire table
-Hot glue gun
-Hot glue sticks

1. Smooth an unbleached coffee filter flat on a work table.

2. Fold the coffee filter in half so the ruffled edges meet evenly.

3. Place the folded coffee filter on an ironing board, and iron it on a low setting until the filter is smooth and flat.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for as many coffee filters as needed to go around the table that’s being covered.

5. Cover the table completely with a length of floral fabric, letting approximately 1 inch of excess fabric to hang over each side.

6. Apply a line of hot glue at the table’s edge on top of the fabric.

7. Press the long straight edge of one of the coffee filters to the glue to secure it in place, leaving the ruffled edges to hang down.

8. Continue gluing coffee filters side by side around the entire perimeter of the table, allowing the edges to overlap at least 1 inch.