Mom Tips: How to protect your Dining Table and Chairs from Kids
It finally happened! After 8 years of marriage, I finally got a real and nice dining table and chair set! (This was 2 years ago mind you). It was purchased second hand, but that didn’t matter. It was a real wooden table with real wooden chairs! No more fold up card table for us! And it was stunning! A stunning cherry wood with gold trim! And beautiful matching chairs with fabric covering. Oh, I was in love. And then we brought it home and my kids started on it! That’s it! Mom tips to the rescue! I’m going to show you how I salvaged and saved and now protect my beautiful dining table and chairs from my children!
Mom Tips to protect your Dining Table.
Now, what is the most common thing that happens to dining tables when you have kids? These are the things we want to protect against. Things like
- spills
- crayon
- markers
- Pen marks
- Scotch, packaging, duck tape residue (oh yes, I’ve scraped many a tape off our tables over the years)
- Nicks
- Cuts
- Scratches
- Playdough smeared into the cracks
- Burn marks
Oh, it can go on and on, but these are the most common. But we all have the same purpose in mind. We want to protect the beauty of our Dining table and chairs. We don’t want all that money we spent to go to waste in the first month of use!
Now I have tried various table cloths. But it was always the same. They were fabric. So when the table got dirty I have to do another load of laundry. Laundry! I hate laundry. Plus kids spill food, and it stains the table cloth. It was getting expensive to keep buying new fabric table cloths at $10-20 a piece for the size we needed.
So then I used the inexpensive table clothes that are a plastic type on one side, but a fuzzy flannel fabric on the back. These worked for a few days. But the kids still started to draw on them. The plastic was thin and cut easily. The kids just hit the fork on the table and they split open! Plus it is hard to find them when you need a replacement, and you often need to replace them.
Finally, I noticed these super cute Vinyl plastic rolls in the craft section of Walmart. They are thick plastic that makes wiping up the table super easy. Plus they have clear, or patterned designs so I can make my table look elegant. And the Vinyl is extra thick so I knew the kids wouldn’t be cutting through it as easily. Not to mention they were inexpensive. Just $2-3 per yard! And I only needed 2 yards for my table. How is that for easy Mom tips to protect your table?
So I got my first 2 yards and laid it on my table. It easily formed to my table and I have had the same vinyl covering table cloth for the last 2 years! The kids have not been able to cut through it with their silverware. And if they draw on it, I can easily clean it off.
It’s had paint spilled, food smeared, magic markers, pen, and more! And with a little cleaner, baking soda, and a wet rag I’ve been able to get it all off! And the Vinyl Table covering is still going.
Not to mention that thanks to its thickness, the Vinyl has protected my table from all this mess, scratches, nicks and more. Now my table still looks amazing underneath and I have an inexpensive yet still elegant table covering!
I’m sure you can find these same Vinyl coverings at many craft locations but the best prices I’ve found so far is from the Walmart craft section.
Update: So I have heard several of you say that you have not been able to find the Vinyl plastic at your local Walmart. Apparently, with Walmart downsizing their craft section, many of them don’t carry these any longer.
So I have been searching for an alternative for those that have been unable to find the Vinyl coverings locally in their stores and I think I have finally found an alternative!
I found a few different Vinyl Tablecloths from Walmart online that is very similar or the same vinyl plastic that is already fashioned into a tablecloth that will work for the same purpose!
Ivory Lace Tablecloth
White Vinyl Lace Tablecloth
Reversible Vinyl Lace Tablecloth
Mom Tips to protect your Dining Room Chairs.
Now, let’s think about all the ways your kids can destroy your chairs. It’s called being a kid. Have you any idea how many food items I have cleaned off our chairs? We have Stains, spills, liquid and spaghetti smeared into the fabric. Seriously! Fabric for chairs? Who thought that was a brilliant idea? Obviously, they didn’t have kids.
The most common phrase from the husband when things like this happen?
“And this is why we can’t have nice things.”
We have kids! We keep forgetting that they destroy anything valuable in our home. Our chairs are looking horrible! Not to mention the cat only adds to the problem. He likes to sneak up there and sleep on the chairs. Which leaves his cat hair all over the fabric. It is a nightmare to vacuum off!
So I got some brilliant ViveVita Everyday Elegance chair covers. They complement the elegance of the table, chairs and vinyl table covering. Yet they are very functional in protecting your chairs!
The Everyday Elegance Chair covers are a parent invented innovative product! They were made by parents who were tired of seeing their dining chairs being destroyed by their children and pets. And let me tell you, they are brilliant and I will never let my chairs go without one of these chair covers again!
The EveryDay Elegance chair covers differ from any other chair cover products and easily became my #1 choice because they are:
- Washable
- Waterproof
- Easy to install- no ties. All Velcro
- Stylish design that compliments the elegance of the dining area
- Comfortable to sit on
- No sticky plastic
- A variety of colors!
- Easily altered to fit any chair!
They are super easy to install. I had all my chairs covered in less than 5 minutes. It’s that easy! The ideal chair has an open slot at the back for the back flap to fold through. But that doesn’t mean if you don’t have the right chair that you can’t still use them. I just simply folded that flap underneath and still attached the chair cover in place. It still works perfectly!
These are absolutely amazing. Now when my daughter spills her drink on the chair, it just pools at the top instead of soaking into the chair! And they are super easy to wash. I just wash them on gentle cycle with a little detergent. And then hang them to dry. They dry really quickly too!
If you are a cloth diapering mom, you will recognize the PUL lining underneath that keeps these chair covers waterproof. So you simply want to take the same attention to them as you would your cloth diaper covers. But super easy and they really help keep your chairs clean!
You can learn more about the ViveVita Everyday Elegance chairs from the ViveVita website. You can purchase them on Amazon. They are sold in 2 packs and come in Ebony Black, Creamy Brown, Richly Red, Sage Green and Linen White.
Now I can’t give you a roll of the Vinyl covering, but I can give you a mom tip you can appreciate. I am able to give away 4 Everyday Elegance chair covers from ViveVita to you to get you started protecting your own table and chairs! Just enter our giveaway between 3/21/2013-4/5/2013! The giveaway will be open to US residents only! And a quick hint; the first entry is to comment on this post, so be sure to leave a comment before heading over there so you don’t have to return. (Saying, “thanks for the giveaway” is not a valid comment entry for the giveaway)
I’ve been using the vinyl table cover for the last 2 years and just recently added the Everyday Elegant Chair covers for the last month. I have to say I’m much happier! I know my dining table and chairs are protected from my kids and they are able to retain their beauty! Plus it also makes clean up a lot easier. I have to say these are the best Mom Tips I have picked up from my fellow moms ever!
How do you protect your Dining table and Chairs from kids?
What are your Mom tips?
Nice! I need to get those chair covers! Our chairs look awful! These are great! Thanks for sharing!!!
Great tips! I have all wooden chairs so no cushions or we’d be a mess. But the table oh boy my table is in need of makeover soon =) Thanks for sharing.
I have wooden chairs with no cushion but I have a wood table that could use some help! I LOVE the look you have there! I didn’t even know these exist! I am going to check it out and find a design I like to put on my table! 🙂
Super cute table cover. We moved our dining table to the kitchen so we can enjoy it. And, the chairs? Well, we’ll just recover them one day!
Great tips! I have two little ones and I know for sure that I will use your ideas very soon. Thank you so much for sharing!
These look amazing on the chairs. I have two of the Everyday Elegance covers and love them. I sell them for Moms Flourish as an independent consultant and they work well for families with kids.
These are great solutions! Ugh, I’m with you, my kids have done a work on my table. I wish I’d thought of this as a cover, it’s so clever! I’ll have to check on those chair covers as well, sometimes I think they take a worse beating that the table. Thanks for sharing!
What great ideas! This was the reason why we never got an expensive table. We have had a metal conference table for over 20 years that we bought used. It has really stood the test of time, and still looks great. Yet, one of these days, I want to upgrade, and I want to protect that new table even without little kids around – there might be grandchildren for all I know. Pinned!
I have to admit, I wasn’t convinced when I first started reading, but the pictures look great! I would totally try this now! Thanks!
Dawn
Great tips! Kids KILL dining room table and chairs! 🙂
Great idea.
We didn’t have to worry about our table and chairs when my son was little because I didn’t have a nice set like I do now.
Great tips! I have a great table covering very similar to that, but I’ll have to check out Walmart’s selection to see if I can upgrade to one that looks as nice as yours.
We don’t even have a dining room, much less tables and chairs. Great job!
I so need to get those chair covers. My chairs look terrible.
OMG!!!! I would have never thought about doing this! I have actually gone through 2 kitchen tables of the past 7 years!! Thank you for sharing!
We just moved and my lil boy is working on our built in kitchen table already and I never could keep a tablecloth on bc he is constantly running his trucks on the table so I love these ideas. Thanks 🙂
I love your table! I want a new one but am afraid that the kids will ruin it. When I get one I am going to try the vinyl! That was such a smart idea! Love the chair covers too!
ur chairs look bas as mine i like these love the table cloth
I am going to tell my mom about the vinyl table cover RIGHT AWAY. She always keeps her ornate cherry wood table covered with two table cloths to keep it from being damaged. I like to see the wood from my table, but it has some dings in it because of that. I need to repair those and put a clear cover on it. One tip I learned from my Mom is to get a piece of table glass or that clear thick plastic cut the same size as your table and place it atop the table. That way, you can clean it the same way you would a glass top, but you will still see the wood.
Great tips! I can’t even begin to tell you how ruined our furniture gets because of kids!
HOLY GOODNESS! My husband and I were JUST talking about reupholstering our dining room table chairs. They’re HORRID. These chair covers would be a much better solution to going through with a few reupholstering projects in the next few years. I can’t wait until our kids are a tad older.
I’ve never seen/heard about the vinyl fabric, I’m going to look into it this weekend!!! We just bought a new table less than a year ago, my dream table, and with 3 kids I should have out that purchase on hold!!! And of course we got the chairs with fabric seats…beige fabric seats!!!! For a few months we kept the plastic on the seats that they came with but I was tired of the look and the constant rustling noise…so I took them off…and now I regret it!!!! Thanks for this tip and I can’t wait to see what kind of fabric will look great in my dining room 🙂
What a fabulous solution! We currently just use a cloth table cover and place mats (plastic for the kids, cloth for us).
We don’t have a dining room table, but we need to protect our kitchen table! We spent way too much money on it and it’s covered in scratches from the kids… nice ideas here!
wonderful ideas, we don’t have kids but do use table cloth… yours is beautiful!
Great way to protect furniture, thanks for sharing! Never thought to have covers and such on them!
I protect our chairs with chair rugs (I think that’s what you call them). But I like your ideas better! Especially the vinyl for the table!
What a great idea! We just bought a new kitchen table and our toddler is still so messy! These are exactly what we need to protect our new table!
This is such a great idea! And they sound so easy to take care of too!
I love your table. It is so beautiful With that said thank you so much for sharing these tips and great tips they are. I am definitely going to go to Walmart to get some of the fabric for my table. Thanks again.
Ahh… Foreshadowing what I have to look forward to. That picture of the damage to your chair is frightening. The covers are a great idea, though.
I have re apolstered many kitchen chairs in the day! I am now using my Outside benches for the round kitchen table cause they are more sturdy and I can always scrub them down and repaint them! Our Table is still fine tho.
My nieces & nephews have destroyed our dining set also. I have another set that I inherited that I wont use due to pure fear of that being destroyed also.
i don’t have anything protecting ours right now, these would be so great for our chairs!!
Neat tips, also can use pillow cases over the back when your kids are little to help keep them clean and when company comes pulloff pillow cases and viola, neat. Never thought of the vinyl covering. But the importnt thing here is enjoy your kids,k furniture is furniture and kids are forever.
I covered my table cloth with the same thick vinyl to protect the table & table cloth from my son’s constant spills. While at Walmart I’ve also noticed the same type of plactic in a package to be used as a drop cloth & this works fine too.
I am not a mom yet but, I guess a tip I would say is to get a nice cloth and cover it with a nice clear inexpensive covering and put it together and that is washable and try if you can to keep crayons away from the nice table and chair set. I hope that makes sense.
My chairs are a mess. I need to get covers. I am so embarrassed by our chairs : )
hi great ideas but how to keep the vinyl cover from staying on the table. Mine keeps slipping and sliding!! Its get very annoying to keep it clean whens its slipping when you try cleaning. I’ve tried using liners you put under carpets!! but u can see it thru the vinyl and its not pretty plus it leaves the lil square marks of the liner on the table after using it for a while !!! Please advice . Thank you!
Have you tried flipping the vinyl over?
I don’t know. mine just sticks to my table. Like crazy. I laid it on and after the first day, it conformed to my table and now sticks to it on it’s own. It doesn’t slide very much.
Maybe try wiping the table underneath with a damp cloth then laying the vinyl on top before it dries completely. It might help it stick a little bit.
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I like that the chair covers are washable. When you have kids, keeping things in good condition is difficult. Thanks for the ideas, I will keep them in mind when I get my new wood table.
I just tried this tablecloth solution from Walmart and it’s working SO well!! Thanks for getting this out there. I would have never noticed these rolls of vinyl without seeing this!
so, does the tablecloth protect against writing imprints???
It depends on how heavy the hand is that is writing. It won’t protect against heavy impressions. It can only resist so much. But for the most part, it does protect against scratches/indents in the wood from basic use. But if my daughter takes her fork and bangs it heavily on the table (prongs down) it will dent the wood.
ok. thats what im trying to look for – a way to protect our “new” used table from my son’s heavy handed writing. 😛 maybe the old table we had wasnt so bad LOL
I feel nervous that the vinyl would stick to the table to in such a way that it would damage the table top when I remove it? Like peel off a top layer of the finish?
The vinyl isn’t the same kind of sticky vinyl that people stick on walls. It is more of a plastic tablecloth. It doesn’t stick much except more by friction. My parent’s table has had one on it for over 17 years and it hasn’t peeled off the finish. It’s actually protected it from the grandkids scratching the finish off the table.
Do you know if I can buy this online? Our Walmart didn’t carry it.
Thanks!
Hi Whittney! That is an excellent question. I have gone on a search and have not been able to find the Vinyl coverings on walmart.com. If you have a local Joanns or Hobby Lobby they *MIGHT* have some, but again, it is a gamble. I have seen them as some but not others. But I was able to find a few alternatives, that I added to the article above. Hopefully, that might help.
Great tips and information, particularly the chair covers! Thanks for the article!
Amazing! Such easy and clever ideas. I like this simple idea. So pretty really.
Having a craft at my daughters party. These are perfect… I will going to Walmart later today to check it out! :0)