This a kind of combo tablecloth/drop cloth. Made to fit the table exactly.
I forgot to take pictures and I worry my explanation is overly confusing but here it is anyway, a somewhat tutorial.
You Will Need
: Cloth/cotton/fabric
: Measuring tape
: Paper (something large - gift wrap and newspaper are fine choices)
: Fabric paint + brush
: Scissors
: Sewing machine
: Pins
Instead I drew a thing. My table looks vaguely like the sketch above. I'm going to show you how I patterned and measured using the table above.
This is super easy. Find a large sheet of paper (I suggest patterning paper/ butchers paper/ gift wrap/ or failing any of that tape together sheets of newspaper) Lay the table top down and trace. BOOM! Easy.
Once you have your pattern pin and cut out fabric (add a seem allowance, 1-1.5cm is enough)
Essentially it's a rectangle made up of all the parts marked red in the picture above By the purple parts.
Length= width(x2) + length(+10)
Width= Height of table
Basically it's a big rectangle that wraps around the sides and front of the table. You don't have to add the two 5cm bits that overlap the back of table. I just like them because they prevent the tablecloth from sliding off the table, they also don't have to be 5cm exactly just loop a bit round the back.
The dropcloth pattern may be very long and you may need to sew pieces of fabic together in order achieve that length.
Lay fabric out somewhere and paint a vintage table design. Use fabric paint, follow the directions, paint, dry, iron etc.
Piant smack bang in the middle of the dropcloth, and make sure your painted design isn't larger than the front length of your table (otherwise it will wrap round the sides)
I made a template to practice drawing giant tables. In the end I placed this template under the fabric and traced.
You might want to hem the bottom of the dropcloth, or you could strategically use the salveged edge of your fabric instead.
Pin and sew dropcloth to table top piece. You'll notice the dropcloth wraps all the way around the table.