
Two images in a recent Remodelista post illustrate an essential principal that just might let you off-the-hook over the holidays: linen table cloths don’t need to be ironed to be beautiful, nor do they even have to be hemmed. We offer proof below, in the lovely tables set ‘au natural’.
But if prefer an ironed look but are short on time and energy (and don’t need more stress), here’s a way of making linen LOOK pressed without having to iron it; we heard about it from a reader named Joan who learned it from her sister-in-law:
I take napkins from the washer and tumble them in the dryer no more than 10-12 min. Kathleen says this “relaxes” the cloth. They should still be uniformly damp. As I fold them, with my hands I press down and smooth the fabric. They dry looking as though they’ve been ironed! It’s a small miracle every time. (I press on the top of my dryer; the smooth metal enhances that freshly ironed look.)

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Top two photos via Aya Brackett
Related posts: diy: oversized ripped linen napkins
unhemmed (ripped) linen with yarn stitching
dishtowel as….
the joys of unorthodox tableclothes
I’ve gone with this unpressed look with curtains, too. Got some cheapie linen-look curtains from Ikea, washed and dried and let them puddle on the floor. unhemmed. They look good.