Seasonal and holiday table runners! They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, patterns, for all occasions. I suppose I own about 25 of them. They've come from everywhere—rural flea markets, eBay, Etsy, Amazon, European and American urban markets. Like any great collectible, if you keep your eyes open, you'll see them everywhere!
Here's my "spring" runner, with the table laid for a Mardi Gras food party in New York City. The tablecloth can be a fun accent to pick out to accompany your favorite runners.
This is a runner I use at Easter. It came from Contessa's French Linens at Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia.
Here's a really attractive one I use for fall events.
And of course, you need a properly eerie one for Halloween. This one came from Amazon.
Here's the witchy-bat runner on my table in New Orleans! OOOOH, EEEEK.
This is a beautiful look for Christmas. I don't own this one but it is similar to a set of ornamental Christmas mats I inherited from my mother-in-law.
Here's another not actually in my collection but I think very elegant for fall and Thanksgiving.
I have a pale yellow runner that is very simple but is a great background for the purple, green, and gold decorations of Mardi Gras. I have a Chinese New Year runner that I really love. I came across this one in the photo below when I was researching this article and it actually matches the fabric in my New Orleans bedroom, so I ordered it! I would use something like this one for Christmas as well, or even Valentine's Day. It has a sophisticated quality I think looks more romantic than say, a pattern with a bunch of pink hearts all over it.
Then I have what I call my "in between holidays" or "everyday" runners. Here's one I found that I actually use on a bathroom guest table. It beautifully suits the room and makes everything seem just a bit more fancy and welcoming.
Of all my "everyday" runners, this is probably my favorite. It goes with all the rest of the colors in my New Orleans house and just looks smart and sophisticated in between all the other holiday times.
Well that's all for now. Happy hunting for your own collection! I hope you'll enjoy the table runner "aesthetic" as much as I do!