Good morning! I’d like to share a picnic tablecloth hack with you today. My kids get obsessed looking up life hacks. We have tried many different ways to peel boiled eggs and the youngest wants to use everything but Firestarters to start a fire. I’m not really sure if this picnic tablecloth hint is a hack, but the kids told me a hack is something that makes life easier.
This does make camping life easier. There are even a few options to using this picnic tablecloth hack. I love having options! When we go camping, especially to new campgrounds, I never know what the picnic tables will be like. I think they should all be the same, but there are obviously many different ways to build picnic tables. So, it is nice to have a few different ways to hook the tablecloth on.
I like having a tablecloth on the picnic table when we’re camping, even though we rarely eat outside. It’s much easier to eat inside. We don’t need to drag out the all the plates, silverware and cups or fight with the bugs or the wind. Many times, we will eat outside in the lawn chairs around the campfire, but we don’t often use the table for eating. I do like having a tablecloth on the picnic table, though.
A tablecloth makes the campsite look homey. It is not necessary, and I don’t always have one on, but the picnic tablecloth makes me smile. I like having the campsite picked up, tidy and nice looking.
We use the picnic table, just not for meals. I like to play games outside on the picnic table. Solitaire or Farkle (when I can find a partner) are fun. I also like to prep for cooking around the campfire at the table.
Keeping the tablecloth on the picnic table can be a challenge. A major challenge. It seems, it is always windy when we camp. I have lost so many silver metal clips that are supposed to hold the picnic tablecloth on. Setting logs on the picnic table ends just doesn’t look nice (though the logs work great to hold the rugs down in the wind.) I think the picnic tablecloth weights are adorable, but I’m too frugal to buy them.
Then, one Christmas, I received a few fun camping presents. The picnic tablecloth bungees were one of the presents. The table bungees really work great! They are a continuous circle of elastic, like a giant ponytail holder for the picnic tablecloth. After placing the tablecloth on the picnic table, I can easily stretch the elastic circles around each end of the table to hold on the tablecloth. They work great. Sometimes, depending on the size of the picnic table, the tablecloth looks bunched up, but I can fold, tuck and smooth it to look better.
The only problem I have, is when the picnic table legs/supports are close to the end of the table. Then, the elastic circle doesn’t slide in very far to hold the tablecloth. Thankfully, the husband found another solution and it is even frugal!
Bungee cords! The husband uses bungee cords to hang up electrical cords in the outside storage compartments. We also use them to hold the rolled up sleeping bags. Now, I use bungee cords on the picnic tablecloths too!
The bungee cords are wider than the camping table bungee circles, but they still look fine. The bungee cords are handy when the picnic table legs/supports are in the way of the circle cords. They are also great to put in the middle of the table when the wind is blowing. The bungee hooks can fasten under the table to hide them, but they are not too ugly looking when my ache-y arms don’t want to reach underneath.
Of course, I need to be able to find the camper table bungees and bungee cords to hold the picnic tablecloth on. So I have another camping hack: always, always wrap them around the folded tablecloth.
Don’t set them in a random kitchen drawer because it is handy.
Don’t even set them in the kitchen cupboard where the tablecloth lives. Especially, if it is deep, dark and almost taller than you can see into.
It is much easier to fold the tablecloth and wrap the cords around it every single time. There will be no need to search for black cords in dark cupboards or use logs as weights. The cords will always be around the tablecloth.
I hope this camping hack makes camping easier for you. If you eat, play games or just prep campfire recipes on the picnic table, the camp table bungees are a great way to hold your picnic tablecloth on. The bungee cords are also a great frugal option to stop the tablecloth from billowing in the breeze.
Happy Camping (or playing Solitaire outside)
Frugal Campasaurus