These Easy Napkin Folding Ideas Will Instantly Impress Your Guests
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From dinner parties to holiday gatherings, your dining room design is crucial for entertaining friends and family. Your tablescape, like your centerpieces, table settings and choice of glassware, will set the tone and strike up conversation among guests. If you're looking to take your hosting skills to the next level, consider one of these fancy napkin folding ideas that are surprisingly simple to recreate.
No matter the occasion or your personal style, you'll find a cloth or paper napkin folding design easy enough to recreate. We've included elegant techniques for holidays to upgrade your Thanksgiving place settings, Christmas tablescape (hint: a Christmas tree napkin) or Easter brunch setup. Although, most of these clever ideas are incredibly versatile — all you have to do is swap for a festive or seasonal napkin. Our of our favorites include a simple pocket napkin to hold cutlery, an adorable envelope napkin to share sweet notes and a classic bow knot that works for any season.
Before you decide that the art of napkin folding is too intimidating, scroll through this list of beginner-friendly tutorials — which include step-by-step instructions and easy-to-follow videos. Once you've settled on an idea, you'll be impressed by how quickly you learn these folding ideas, many of which only take a few minutes to complete.
Envelope Napkin
Whether you fold a personalized card or a tiny letter inside, this simple envelope is a great way to address your guests. After you make a few simple folds, place a gem or pretty button on top for a touch of glam.
Get the tutorial from @Hauz.and.Co »
Christmas Tree Napkin
Fold a cloth napkin into the shape of a Christmas tree, then top it with miniature ball ornaments. Get creative with colors or stick with a green napkin to keep it realistic. Hint: Use a fringe napkin for added texture and try to lay the pieces of fringe in spots where it resembles pine sprigs.
Bow Knot Napkin
Go for a timeless look with a simple bow knot napkin, versatile enough for any occasion. Once you learn this easy technique, you can use it time and time again — just swap the napkins to pair with the current season or holiday.
Get the tutorial from @Kyla.Malkani »
Bunny Ears Napkin
Whether it's Easter brunch or dinner, these adorable bunny ear napkins bring a whimsical touch to any table setting — especially when you use a vibrant or patterned cloth. Follow these steps to recreate:
Fold a cloth napkin in half to make a triangle, then roll it into a long strip and fold it in half again.
Thread a 6" pipe cleaner through a bead and secure it around the napkin.
Insert three 3" pipe cleaners through the beads to resemble whiskers.
RELATED: DIY Easter Decoration Ideas to Bring Spring Into Your Home
Eight-Pointed Star Napkin
This clever star shape adds elegance to any occasion, no matter what color scheme you choose. Go bright with a festive red or green, or keep it calm with a pastel pink or warm orange. Start with a standard 20" cloth napkin, fold it in half and then press it with an iron to create a crease. Continue folding and pressing until you've created a trapezoid shape. Tip: Use paper clips to keep the sides together as you go.
Candy Popper Napkin
Adults and children will love this exciting napkin folded to look like a candy popper. You could fit flatware inside, but for a fun surprise, sneak in a piece of candy, block of chocolate or breath mint.
Get the tutorial from @Hauz.and.Co »
Simple Pocket Napkin
Here's an easy, elegant pocket napkin to house silverware or in this case, a simple tulip stem. From holidays to dinner parties, this pretty napkin fold is incredibly versatile and should work for any cloth napkins you have.
Get the tutorial from @Kyla.Malkani »
Candy Cane Bow Napkin
There's more than one way to tie a festive bow. For this simple and stylish place setting idea, fold a red and white striped napkin into a neat bow — just as you would your shoelaces. Carefully tie a red ribbon in the center to secure it.
RELATED: DIY Christmas Decoration Ideas to Craft an Elegant Holiday Home
Turkey Napkin
For your best Thanksgiving table yet, pull out this trick from Jenny W. Chan — the brains behind the YouTube channel Origami Tree. Note: You'll need two cloth napkins to make a bird for each place setting — but they'll both come in handy when it's time to spoon on the gravy!
Bat Napkin
We would never forget about Halloween! These spooky bat napkins are really easy to fold. Just be sure to press over your final creation with an iron to keep it secure.
See the original post on Youtube
Watermelon Napkin
Fun, functional and fast to make, your picnic isn't complete without it. Red and green disposable napkins are the way to go. Once you layer the colors on top of each other, fold the two serviettes into a triangle shape. Don't forget to draw on little seeds with a black marker.
Daffodil Napkin Bouquet
Fold your napkin to act as a vase, then cut a paper flower to fit inside for a pretty place setting. For a bit more dimension, use a napkin with a fringe border.
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built »
Elf Hat Napkin
Whether you go with a green, red or blue napkin, you can recreate this funny elf hat napkin in less than one minute. Start by folding your napkin in half, then roll it. Fold up the bottom to form the brim of the hat, and you're finished!
Atrium Lily Napkin
Take your party to the next level with this deceptively easy technique. You'll definitely want to use square cloth napkins so the shape holds better. To construct the atrium, create three layers by folding the points you've made into one another. It's so much easier than it looks!
See the original post on Youtube
Leaf Napkin
Turn an average paper napkin (we suggest a shade of red or orange) into beautiful fall foliage. Start by folding your napkin in half, then accordion fold the entire thing. Connect the two longest points while pinching the connected center together, and you'll soon reveal the leaf shape.
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built »
Fish Napkin
There won't be any fighting at the dinner table when these guys make a splash. After just a minute or two of folding, you'll have the most adorable little fish. Add a touch of fun by using polka dot paper napkins.
Bunny Napkin
Here's a playful idea for your Easter day table. Start by laying the napkin upside down, with one point toward you. After a series of folds and flips, adjust the ears to your liking.
Furoshiki Table Gift
Impress your guests by recreating this Japanese wrapping technique. Rotate a cloth napkin diagonally, and place a small rectangular gift in the center. Fold the top and bottom corners snuggly around the gift. Gather the excess fabric and tie two knots. Dress up the present with a sprig of greenery, candy cane or personalized card.
The Good Fortune Napkin
You may not typically host a dinner party for Valentine's Day, but these cute fortune napkins might inspire you. Once you're finished folding, print sweet messages onto small slips of paper to act as good fortunes.
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built »
Flower Napkin
Think outside the vase with this special twist. Take a cloth napkin in the color of your choice, and fold it into a square. Then, flip it over and fold in the corners. Finally, pull out the bottom edges and you've got yourself a lovely flower.
Rose Napkin
Give your table just a touch of romance with a lovely rose that's sure to wow. For this look, take a red washable serviette and fashion it into a long, thin roll. Next, hold the left corner down to make a right angle. Then, start twisting the cloth into a rose. Finally, flip it over and tuck the loose ends into place.
Double Star Napkin
Get twice the glam with a bright "double star" at every setting. To create this look, you'll need square napkins in the color of your choice. After a couple of quick folds, firmly pull down the sections between the folds until they each form a V-shape. You'll repeat this step on the other side. Once you achieve your desired shape, allow the napkin to unfold into this beauty.
Crown Napkin
The crown design is a classic that should be done at least once during the holidays. A classic red napkin will work wonders. Once you're done folding the cloth, curl the left and right sides so they meet in the middle and tuck one into the other. Then, you'll fold down the sides to reveal the most regal crown.
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