If I put a plastic sheet over my table linens, would that be considered really bad protocol?

I have a dinning room table that expands to 102 inches when the leaves are added. That length also means I have to spend a lot of money on a single table cloth! I think they call that ';banquet size.';





With fine linens, like everything else, costing so much these days, I really don't want Uncle Jim's red wine or Aunt Sara's coffee to totally ruin the table cloth if they spill. Not to mention, spills always seem to happen outside of a place mat.





So is it really that uncool to put a non-shiny thin plastic...... something-or-other over the table cloth?If I put a plastic sheet over my table linens, would that be considered really bad protocol?
quite being cheap and by a table clothIf I put a plastic sheet over my table linens, would that be considered really bad protocol?
Personally, I think putting a thin plastic over the top of a linen cloth defeats the purpose of having a nice linen cloth on there...you have the fine linen to enjoy it and feel it. Therefore, I say invest in some club soda and tide and hope for the best. Enjoy the linen as it is meant to be enjoyed, felt, and viewed.
Why don't you just take the fine linen off the table, and buy a more inexpensive fabric at a shop, hem it, and use that. We have party cloths lol. So when someone drops some sauce, or drips that red wine, NO PROB!
just put it on when you have company over to eat. and take it off otherwise so it won't look tacky. thats how we are with the covers for our couch.
yes it is, unless you plan on serving your guest using paper plates
Go for it. The table linen is just decor, so protect it.
I'm not gonna lie, if I went to a dinner party and someone did that I would find it just a bit tacky. Just my honest reaction.
Hmph.. I guess if there is any way possible to make it not look tacky?? yeah.. BUT ?? Even if I suggested for you to get two smaller cheaper table cloths and hide the ';seam'; with a runner.. you would still be unprotected.


Try to see if you can make it look classy and not tacky otherwise. ... If you don't care what people truly think on such a superficial level I wouldn't worry about it. I know I probably wouldn't even notice or think twice about it it didn't stand out. Maybe pin it? Good luck.





OOOOHhhh I really like Lea T's answer. Get some pretty fabric.. hem it to size and use it for the party, but don't use it in regular decor. Then if something happens to it during the pary.. it won't be like a slap across the face if you buy a new one and it gets a mess all over it.
I went to Hancock's Fabric and dug through the tables in the back with sales items and end-of-the-bolt cloth. I found a BEAUTIFUL pale green cloth with bamboo images in gold thread. Yards and yards for only $3.00 per yard. It is the most beautiful table cloth and is washable. I have a long table runner that's made from bamboo sticks, and a pretty oriental centerpiece on white porcelain.





Don't put plastic on a fine piece of linen. Defeats the purpose. If you are having a buffet with clumsy little kids running around, then ok. But not for a ';formal'; sit down dinner.