The Tablecloth Size Calculator finds finished cloth dimensions from your table shape and desired drop, or checks a cloth you already own. Compare available sizes against both a minimum and an optional maximum drop before buying.
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Size a tablecloth by shape and drop
Calculate an exact cloth size from your table and desired drop, or check a cloth you already own. Floor-length mode uses the table height instead of assuming every table is 30 inches tall.
Exact tablecloth size
—Calculation breakdown
This calculator sizes a draped tablecloth from tabletop dimensions and edge drop. It does not add sewing hems, shrinkage, fabric pattern matching, corner tailoring or fitted-tablecloth construction allowances.
Compare Your Available Tablecloth Sizes
Choose Size a tablecloth above, then set the shape, table dimensions and desired minimum drop. Enter finished cloth sizes you own or can buy in the selected unit. Only matching table and cloth shapes are compared.
Use the same unit as the calculator. Both end and side drops must stay within your selected limits. Enter plain decimals with up to 12 decimal places.
Every qualifying size must meet the desired minimum and any optional maximum on both axes. The smallest qualifying cloth by area is highlighted. Check floor clearance separately. Oval results describe the principal axes; hems, shrinkage and corner drape are excluded.
How to use the Tablecloth Size Calculator
- Measure the tabletop in its intended configuration, including extension leaves. Select rectangle, round, square or oval. Enter length and width for rectangular or oval tables, diameter for round tables, or one side for a square.
- Choose inches or centimeters. Enter your desired overhang per side, or select Floor length — use table height and supply the actual height.
- Select Calculate tablecloth size for finished dimensions. To reuse one cloth, choose Check an existing cloth and enter its finished size.
- For several shopping options, return to Size a tablecloth and use Compare Your Available Tablecloth Sizes. Enter only sizes from your own inventory or supplier listing.
The Tablecloth Size Calculator treats opposite drops as equal when the cloth is centered. It keeps side and end drops separate when they differ. Measure the usable finished cloth; a nominal product name is not a substitute for its dimensions.
The tablecloth drop and finished-size formula
Finished cloth dimension = corresponding table dimension + 2 × desired drop. In reverse, drop = (cloth dimension − table dimension) ÷ 2. Apply the equation to both axes, or once to a round diameter or square side.
A 72 × 36-inch table with a 10-inch drop needs a 92 × 56-inch finished rectangular cloth: 72 + 20 by 36 + 20. The Tablecloth Size Calculator adds the overhang twice because fabric extends beyond both opposite edges.
Premier Table Linens' tablecloth measuring guide describes the same relationship. A calculated size is a dimensional requirement, not a promise that a retailer stocks it.
Tablecloth size chart: read the actual drop
These checked examples use length × width for paired dimensions. The Tablecloth Size Calculator lets you replace every measurement; six-foot and eight-foot table descriptions do not establish the width or height.
| Table | Finished cloth | End / side drop |
|---|---|---|
| 72 × 30 rectangle | 102 × 60 | 15 / 15 |
| 96 × 30 rectangle | 120 × 60 | 12 / 15 |
| 60 round | 90 round | 15 around the edge |
| 42 square | 60 square | 9 on each side |
| 72 × 42 oval | 92 × 62 oval | 10 / 10 at principal axes |
A 60 × 90-inch rectangular cloth is the same physical size as 90 × 60 inches, but its orientation matters. On a 72 × 36-inch table, the latter orientation gives a 9-inch end drop and a 12-inch side drop, not an average 10.5-inch fit.
Compare available cloths within your drop limits
In the Tablecloth Size Calculator comparison, enter up to 30 matching-shape finished sizes, one per line. Use length x width for rectangle or oval options and one diameter or side for round or square options. Use plain decimals with up to 12 decimal places.
The desired drop above is the minimum. Maximum acceptable drop is optional: set it when you want to exclude longer overhangs. Both axes must meet the lower and upper limits. The smallest qualifying size by area is highlighted; this does not compare prices or confirm stock.
For a 72 × 36-inch table, minimum 10 and maximum 14 inches, compare these choices:
- 90 x 60: drops 9 / 12 inches; short of the minimum at the ends.
- 96 x 60: drops 12 / 12 inches; meets both limits.
- 102 x 60: drops 15 / 12 inches; exceeds the maximum at the ends.
Changing source measurements clears old comparison results. Switching units also clears the available-size list and maximum-drop field so inch entries cannot silently become centimeter entries.
Floor-length tablecloths need the actual table height
For nominal floor length, target drop equals table height. A 72 × 36-inch table that is 29 inches tall needs 130 × 94 inches, not the 132 × 96 inches calculated for a 30-inch height.
The Tablecloth Size Calculator reports floor clearance = height − actual drop. On a 30-inch-high table, a 24-inch drop leaves 6 inches above the floor; a 32-inch drop extends 2 inches beyond the vertical height. Check side and end clearances separately.
To leave a chosen gap, subtract it from the measured height and enter that custom drop. For example, height 30 minus clearance 2 gives a 28-inch drop. A maximum of 28 also excludes longer available cloths. These measurements concern straight edge midpoints; corner folds can fall differently.
Tablecloth Size Calculator questions
What size tablecloth fits a 60-inch round table?
A 90-inch round cloth gives a 15-inch drop; a 120-inch cloth gives a 30-inch drop, reaching nominal floor height on a 30-inch-tall table. For a 10-inch drop, the calculated diameter is 80 inches. Check the supplier\'s finished measurements before ordering.
How much should a tablecloth hang over the edge?
Choose the drop for your seats, table use and preferred look. Crate & Barrel's sizing guide suggests 6–8 inches for casual settings and 15 inches for formal ones; these are retailer suggestions, not universal requirements. Test the length with a tape measure while seated.
Why does the Tablecloth Size Calculator show a negative drop?
The cloth is smaller than the tabletop in that direction. A −3-inch result means each opposite cloth edge stops 3 inches inside the table edge. It is a horizontal coverage shortfall, not a floor-clearance result.
Can I rotate an oval cloth or mix shapes?
Both rectangular and oval cloths are checked in two orientations, choosing the larger minimum drop. Oval results describe only the principal length and width axes, not uniform curved-edge drape. The Tablecloth Size Calculator does not model a square overlay on a round table, stretch covers or fitted corners.
Does this include sewing allowances or shrinkage?
No. Add hems, joining seams and pattern-matching allowance according to your construction method. Follow fabric care instructions rather than adding an arbitrary shrinkage percentage. Our calculation standards explain verification limits. For window panels, the Curtain Fullness Calculator handles gathering and construction separately.