I Used This ’90s Craft Store Staple to Give My Dining Room a Glow-Up

Forget straight edges and seamless lines for spring and summer: Whimsical wavy borders and squiggle piping and trim are in — big time! I’ve recently been admiring some linens from West Elm that feature some wavy trim details, plus, I love how some DIYers I’ve seen online have added wavy details to pieces of their own with ricrac ribbon. (Very elementary school, elevated!)

Recipe writer and DIYer Elyn Ryn (@houseofelynryn) created her own placemats for her Valentine’s tablescape, and they look straight out of a retail store. She used jumbo-sized red ricrac, fabric glue, and light pink placemats, and lined up her ricrac with the edge of the fabric.

Blogger Michelle of @thistlekeylane did a similar project, but used two colors (and sizes) of ricrac to make some adorable cloth napkins. 

And DIYer Shahla Sandova (@treehousethreads) did a similar project with hot glue and oversized lavender ricrac. She brought her ricrac all the way beyond the edge of a table runner so that the edges of her final product are wavy.

I recently decided to whip out the ’90s craft supply staple for my own linens, because I rediscovered a forgotten burlap table runner that was tucked into the back of my cupboard. It’s the kind of basic farmhouse staple that reigned supreme years ago, but lately it’s been feeling more dated than charming. Instead of donating it, I decided to see if I could transform it into something similar to my inspo objects above. 

Using basic white ric rac trim, I was able to recreate the look of some of the trendy textiles I’ve seen and breathe new life into my sad burlap runner while sticking to a tight budget. The change was subtle yet striking; it transformed it from a farmhouse cliché into a cute and contemporary accent that better complements my current style.

The project truly couldn’t have been simpler: I used fabric glue to adhere a double row of wavy ric rac trim along the edges of the runner. With absolutely no sewing or complicated steps, the runner went from dated to delightful in under 30 minutes. Despite being one of the simplest and most straightforward home projects I’ve ever attempted, adding the wavy trim didn’t just update my runner; it completely changed its personality and proved to me that you don’t always need elaborate projects to make an impact. 

Could your plain throw pillows or placemats use a wavy border? What about your basic IKEA curtains? A “ric rac refresh” might be the budget-friendly and low-effort way to give your lackluster textiles new life.