Table Napkin Folding Tutorial

Folding your fabric table napkins allows you to express your creativity. You can use your napkins to enhance your decoration and add elegance to your table settings. You can create simple or intricate designs for your dining table. Napkin folding has its roots in the art of paper folding -- origami. However, fabric folding is actually less difficult than paper folding because you can erase mistakes with a warm iron and start over.

Choosing Napkins

The size of your napkins and the stiffness of the fabric will determine which napkin patterns you can use successfully. Although damask napkins are beautiful and elegant, the softness of this fabric will make it difficult to complete some patterns that stand upright. Linen napkins are somewhat stiffer. They may take more time to fold properly, but they work well with many designs. Twelve-inch square napkins and larger will give you more folding options than smaller napkins and they will be easier to work with.

Select Design

You can place folded napkins on dinner plates, in drinking glasses or directly on the table. Therefore, before you start folding, decide how you want to use your finished creation. The simplest designs (with a few folds) work best as silverware holders. Designs for the table and the plate usually require more folds and will stand alone on a plate or beside your place setting. You can make folded napkins for placement in glasses by crimping, rolling or pleating the fabric.

Practice Simple Folds

To start, try folding a simple pattern like the fan at NapkinFolding.net. You can stand it on a plate, place it in a goblet or put it in a napkin ring. Fold your napkin in half. Then make accordion style pleats from the bottom edge. Leave the top third of the napkin unpleated. Keep the pleated section on the outside facing you. Then fold the entire napkin in half, so that the two sides of the pleated section meet each other. Fold the top third down diagonally and tuck it under the under the pleats. Open your pleats to form a fan. Put your napkin fan on a plate or into a napkin ring, depending on your preference.

Use the videos at Napkin Folding to practice patterns that are more complicated. Remember you can easily start over if your design does not quite match the pattern. Once you have learned a few basic folds, you can start designing your own folded napkins to delight your guests.