Christmas Table Runner Tutorial: Jenny Doan's Wedge Template Project
There's something magical about a handmade holiday table — and nothing makes a dining room feel more festive than a quilted table runner with cheerful little Christmas trees marching down the center. In this beloved tutorial, Jenny Doan shows you how to use the Large Simple Wedge Tool to cut perfect tree shapes from a single layer cake, then piece them together into a stunning seasonal runner that comes together in an afternoon.
With over 845,000 views, this project has become a holiday quilting tradition for thousands of sewists. The wedge tool makes cutting a breeze — no templates, no fussy math — and you'll get enough pieces from one layer cake to make five or six runners. That's a whole lot of gift-giving covered!
What Is a Wedge Tree Table Runner?
A wedge tree table runner is a festive quilted runner featuring a row of stylized Christmas tree shapes created with a wedge-shaped quilting ruler. Each "tree" is a simple triangle cut from printed fabric, set against a neutral background, with a small rectangular trunk at the base. The trees alternate point-up and point-down to fit together seamlessly — like a row of little pines lining a snowy lane.
What makes this project special is the Large Simple Wedge Template. Unlike traditional wedge rulers that float in the middle of your fabric (and waste a lot of it), Missouri Star's wedge sits right along the edge, so you get two wedge cuts from each layer cake square with minimal waste. It's efficient, it's clever, and it produces perfectly symmetrical trees every time.
Jenny shows off the finished Christmas tree table runner — festive and fun!
What You'll Need
🎄 1 Layer Cake (10" precut squares) in Christmas prints — you'll get 5-6 runners from one pack! Shop layer cakes.
📐 Large (10") Simple Wedge Tool — the star of this project. Shop rulers & templates.
🤍 ⅛ to ¼ yard muslin or white fabric — for the background and tree trunk sashing.
✂️ Rotary cutter & cutting mat — for precise wedge cuts. Shop rotary cutters.
🧵 Thread — coordinating color for piecing. Shop thread.
🔥 Iron & ironing board — for pressing seams as you go.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cut Your Tree Wedges
Place your Large Simple Wedge Tool along the edge of a layer cake square (10" × 10"). The beauty of this ruler is that it sits right on the fabric's edge, so there's almost no waste. Cut along both sides of the wedge to create your first tree triangle.
Then flip the wedge tool and cut a second triangle from the same square. You'll get two wedge cuts per square, which means a full layer cake gives you plenty of trees for multiple runners.
Step 2: Arrange and Sew the Trees Together
This is where the fun begins! Lay out your wedge triangles in a row, alternating point-up and point-down. They'll nestle together naturally, like interlocking puzzle pieces. Mix up your Christmas prints for a scrappy, festive look.
Once you're happy with the arrangement, sew the wedges together with a ¼" seam allowance. The edges line up beautifully, so this goes quickly — just lay them right sides together and sew straight down the edge.
Step 3: Press and Straighten the Edges
After sewing your trees together, press all seams to one side. Then use your wedge tool to straighten the top and bottom edges of the runner. Align the center stitch line of a seam with the center line on the wedge, then cut along the ruler's edge to create a clean, straight border.
This step transforms your zigzag row of triangles into a neat, rectangular runner body. Take your time here — accurate trimming makes the border attachment much easier.
Jenny demonstrates how the wedge trees line up perfectly for easy sewing.
Step 4: Create the Tree Trunk Borders
Each tree needs a little trunk! From the leftover wedge scraps, cut small rectangles measuring 1½" × 3½". These become the tree trunks in your border strips.
For the border, cut background (muslin) rectangles that measure 3½" × 6½". Sew a trunk piece to a background piece to create one border unit. You'll make one of these for each tree along your runner.
Step 5: Attach the Borders
Sew your border units together in a row, centering each trunk under its corresponding tree. To line them up perfectly, fold each tree in half to find its center point, then match that center with the trunk on the border strip. A pin at the center point keeps everything aligned.
Attach the border row to the bottom of the runner body, right sides together, with a ¼" seam. Press the seam toward the border. Repeat for the other side if you'd like trunks on both edges — or keep it simple with just one border row.
Step 6: Add the End Pieces and Finish
For clean ends on your runner, you'll add a half-block at each end. Cut a background piece that's 3¼" wide (half the width of the muslin border) and sew it to each short end. This gives your runner straight, finished edges instead of pointed ends.
Once pieced, layer your runner top with batting and backing, quilt as desired, and bind the edges. A simple straight-line quilting pattern following the tree shapes looks wonderful, or try free-motion stippling in the background for texture.
Pro Tips for a Perfect Holiday Runner
🎁 Make them in batches. One layer cake yields enough wedges for 5-6 runners. Cut all your trees at once, then assemble runners as gifts — everyone on your holiday list will get a handmade treasure.
🎄 Play with scale. The Large Wedge uses 10" squares, but Missouri Star also makes smaller wedge tools. Mix sizes for tall and short trees in the same runner for a whimsical forest effect.
❄️ Try it year-round. This pattern isn't just for Christmas! Use spring florals for an Easter runner, patriotic fabrics for the Fourth of July, or fall prints for a Thanksgiving table.
🧵 Starch your fabric first. Layer cake squares can be a little floppy. A light spray of starch before cutting makes them easier to handle and gives you crisper wedge cuts.
The finished table runner adds instant holiday charm to any dining table.
Ready to Make Your Own?
This Christmas Table Runner is one of those perfect projects that looks impressive but goes together in a flash. The wedge tool does all the hard work, and the alternating tree design means you don't even have to worry about matching points. Jenny calls it "one of the funnest projects" — and once you make your first one, you'll see why quilters keep coming back to this pattern year after year.