Wind Threatening Your Weekend Garden Party? I Found a Decorative Detail That'll Keep Your Tablecloth (and Plans) Firmly in Place

Once purely functional, there are now plenty of brands making tablecloth weights surprisingly pretty

H&M Seashell Tablecloth Weight
(Image credit: H&M Home)

What's more annoying: wind or rain? I asked a friend this the other day, as we walked down a blustering street trying to simultaneously keep our coats wrapped around us and our hair somewhat in place. Needless to say, we both agreed on wind. It's especially bad at this time of the year, when blue skies beg you to get outside and into the sunshine. So, if you've got garden party plans this weekend that you're starting to reconsider — don't.

There's a little table setting trick that keeps your tablecloth in place: tablecloth weights. Put simply, they're small weights you can clip to the corners of your tablecloth to help hold it down and prevent wind from knocking anything over. And while, in the past, these have been the sort of thing you want to hide, lately, I've seen homeware brands dropping designs that feel like they'd add to the look of your table instead.

I particularly like H&M Home's silver seashell design, but Anthropologie's whimsical radish-shaped tablecloth weights would appeal to anyone who likes a more playful setting. Regardless, I've found a few other options

If your outdoor area is particularly exposed and gets hit with wind a lot, it might also be worth considering a privacy screen that will not only block out nosy neighbors, but stop unruly weather and wind from interrupting your social plans.

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Emma Breislin
Interiors Editor

Emma is the Interiors Editor at Livingetc. She formerly worked on Homes To Love, writing about all things design for some of Australia’s top interior publications, including Australian House & Garden and Belle. Before that, she produced content for CULTIVER, where she found an appreciation for filling your home with high-quality, beautiful things. At Livingetc, Emma explores the big design questions — from styling to colors, interior trends, and home tours. She’s travelled to Copenhagen for 3daysofdesign, to Paris for Déco Off and Maison&Objet, and has attended design events in London, including WOW!house and Clerkenwell Design Week. Outside of work, you’ll find her elbow-deep at an antique store, moving her sofa for the 70th time, or mentally renovating every room she walks into.