How to Choose the Right Altar Cloth for You

You’re on a mission to find something to cover your altar (whatever that means to you), and you don’t know how to pick the right one. Sometimes we have too many choices, and other times we just don’t know what we want. I’ll share with you parts of a conversation I had with a friend the other day about choosing an altar cloth.

Consider the Size of Your Altar

The first thing we discussed is the size of the altar and how she wanted the cloth to fit. Are you using a table, your nightstand, a specially made altar, or some other piece of furniture that speaks to you? Do you want the cloth to completely cover the item, or do you want the altar to show on the sides?

Determine the Purpose of Your Altar

Next, we talked about how this altar will be used. Is it a place to honor your ancestors, a quiet place where you meditate, a space for spell and intention work, or perhaps a spot where you read cards or journal?

Choose a Design that Resonates

As an example, if you are adorning the table where you read cards, maybe you don’t want anything too busy. In that case, you might want something mostly solid in color with a border around it. If the cloth is for a particular ancestor altar, like your grandmother, choose something that reminds you of something she really enjoyed. My grandmother loved cardinals, so I might choose something with cardinals.

Think Outside the Box

What if everything you see just isn’t the one? You still have options. Nothing says you have to buy an “altar cloth.” Look at patterns of handkerchiefs, tablecloths, sheets, or fabric at a craft store. Sometimes the right answer is seeing outside the box. Maybe you’ve looked on Etsy and found something that sparks an idea. There are no wrong answers when choosing an altar cloth. You find or use something that speaks to you.

My friend and I ended up talking about going to a craft store to find fabric she liked. She enjoys sewing and liked the idea of infusing her energy into the making of her cloth. I’m excited to see what she makes—maybe it could be the start of a side hustle for her. You never know.

DIY and Creative Options

Ok, happy ending for my friend, but maybe you don’t sew. That’s okay. You might have a friend willing to sew for you, or you can get even more creative and create an altar cloth without sewing. You can use a solid-colored sheet and fabric pens to decorate it, then cut it and put a hem in it with heat-activated tape. Seriously, just let your imagination run with a project like this, and you will end up with the right altar cloth for you.

Final Thoughts

I know I wandered a bit with this blog, but it gets us to the answer of how to choose the right altar cloth for you. It is the one that speaks to you, makes you happy to look at, and allows you the space to do whatever you want with it. If you don’t see it in a store or online, maybe the answer is to allow your creativity to run free.

As always, thank you for allowing me the space to serve.

Namaste, Michele