Grant Davidson figures the end-of-the-season table linens will cover his entertaining needs for several seasons. The Woodinville caterer and farmers market manager recently picked up several floral and grape-print vinyl tablecloths on sale at Linens-N-Things.

"They're completely washable and come in different sizes and shapes," Davidson said. "They look way classier than picnic vinyl cloths."

Paying $6.99 each, he covered an 8- and 10-foot table as well as a 54-inch round table for an engagement party in his back yard. The linens were on clearance.

The burgundy and mauve backgrounds blended well together. After the celebration, he wiped the tablecloths off and put them away for other occasions.

"They look like a wine print, which is perfect for us because we live in Woodinville," Davidson said. "People associate Woodinville with the wineries. We will be able to use them spring through fall because the colors look so rich."

While washable vinyl coverings won't work for every occasion, by shopping at such stores as Linens-N-Things, Bed Bath & Beyond, World Market and Tuesday Morning, you can still cover your dining-room table for a small investment.

Expect to spend between $30 and $50 for a tablecloth and eight matching napkins at such stores.

Where to go

Check out these stores with great buys on fall table linens:

Linens-N-Things: www.lnt.com/home

Bed Bath & Beyond: www.bedbathandbeyond.com

World Market: www.worldmarket.com

Tuesday Morning: www.tuesdaymorning.com

Remember to measure the length and width of your table before leaving home. Too long is better than too short.

If you find a tablecloth you adore that's too long, you can cut the excess and hem it. Or if you end up with too much overhang, either knot the corners or tie them with big ribbon bows in a complementary color. The tied corners make a perfect spot to tuck in flowers or artificial fruit such as a bunch of grapes.

Linens-N-Things has tablecloths in yummy fall colors of gold, tan, cream and spice in a variety of sizes for $29.99 or less. Matching napkins run around $3.99 for a set of four.

One line of tablecloths here has an acorn and oak leaf design perfect for autumn, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Matching place mats and napkin rings were also available.

A 70-inch round tablecloth costs $14.99, and a 60-inch-by-120-inch tablecloth is $24.99. Napkins are $9.99 for four.

Each of the stores had table linens in a variety of basic colors in different fabric choices and sizes.

It's a good idea to purchase more napkins than you think you'll need.

On the table, use a matching napkin to line your bread basket and layer another at an odd angle over a different colored napkin in the center of the table.

And don't forget your centerpiece — be it a flower arrangement, a glass bowl filled with a half-dozen lemons and limes, or a collection of candles.

At World Market, the fall tablecloth colors included tans, creams, a cinnamon/orange and an autumn-leaf red. Bed Bath & Beyond had similar colors and styles, including lovely gold and garnet tablecloths for less than $40.

At Tuesday Morning stores, which are similar to Nordstrom Rack for household items, a mixture of summer and fall season table linens are available.

One particular cream-colored tablecloth, large enough for a 60-inch round table, would have impressed the most proper of mother or mother-in-law for $29.99. Matching napkins for $4.99 for a set of four were on the same rack. Some of the stores also carried table runners in the same fabrics and prints.

If you want to show off your dining table, another charming look for dinner parties is to place a table runner down the middle and use matching place mats.

Most of today's tablecloths and napkins can go directly into the washer and dryer and back onto your table, bypassing the ironing board.

But if you happen to fall in love with a linen cloth that needs ironing and you can't even remember where the iron is, much less how to use it, there's another solution. Any dry cleaners and laundry that does men's shirts will do tablecloths.

Don't be intimidated by table coverings. They're just the backdrop for your dinner, not the main course.