https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/festive-table-runner • Posted by Hannah W.
First I hemmed all the edges of the jute a little bit for a cleaner look. If you decide to hem yours too, be careful: pins are really good at hiding in this kind of fabric! Using washi tape (although any kind of opaque tape will work), I made a criss-cross pattern across the whole piece of fabric to help guide where the polka dots would go. I dipped the eraser end of the pencil into the white paint and made my dots according to the tape pattern. Pro tip (which of course I forgot to do at first): Make sure there's paper underneath your fabric when adding the polka dots! Otherwise the paint can bleed through. Luckily, Kristie's pretty quick with a sponge. Let the paint dry completely. I left mine out overnight. To add the tassels: Cut a horizontal slit (about 1/2" wide) in the middle of one end of the runner, just above the hem. Fold five strands of your first color of embroidery thread in half, looping the fold around your fingerm and thread the loop through the slit front to back. Pull the loop down enough so you can tuck the other end of the thread through it, and then pull tight. Continue until all five colors have been added to each end. Trim the ends of the thread so that they're all even (mine ended up being about 2 1/2" long). I used a hair straightener to quickly flatten each tassel for a more uniform look.