Give your old card table a new look by covering it with beautiful fabric.

Tools and Materials
Card table
Ruler or measuring tape
Heavy-duty staple gun and heavy-duty staples
Tack hammer
Scissors
Paint and paintbrush (optional)
Nails (optional)
A piece of thin muslin a few inches larger than the table
A piece of decorative fabric a few inches larger than the table

Covered Card Table How-To
1. Take off any moldings and strip any old fabric from table.

2. Cut a layer of thin muslin a few inches larger than the table all around. (This will soften the table very slightly to preserve the nicer fabric.)

3. Cut a piece of decorative fabric, also a few inches larger than the table all around. We used a Fortuny fabric called Shiraz, which is a Persian design.

4. With decorative fabric layered on top of the muslin piece, start stapling fabric to the table, starting in the middle of one side.

5. Staple along each side, one side at a time, straightening fabric with each staple.

6. Tap staples into card table with tack hammer.

7. Fold fabric at corner and secure with staples. Pull back and cut away excess fabric.

8. Repaint molding, if desired, and reattach molding to sides of table with nails.

Resources
Martha used fabric provided by Fortuny. Special thanks to Piatnik for giving playing cards to everyone in our studio audience.