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Home » Decorating

5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

Modified: Jun 9, 2025 by Vanessa Beaty · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

This year, I’ve had an increase in the number of parties I’ve been throwing at my house because a few of my relatives have moved into the area. I love throwing parties, so no complaints—but it does mean that I’ve had to be extra creative to keep the place settings fun and interesting.

5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Jump to:
  • Materials:
  • Directions:
  • 1. Fish Napkin
  • 2. Butterfly Napkin
  • 3. Fan Napkin
  • 4. Dress Napkin
  • 5. Shirt Napkin

Recently, I shared a cool video on how you can make DIY napkin holders using popsicle sticks. I’ve been using those and have gotten quite a few compliments, but I wanted to try to do something creative with napkin folding, so I embarked on a search for fast and easy ideas (I’ve shared some in the past, but mostly Easter-related, like this one). And you know what? I found a few super awesome ones—five to be exact. Check them out in my new video below!

Materials:

  • Napkins to fold
  • Pipe cleaner
  • Optional embellishments
  • Hot glue and glue gun (for the embellishments)

Directions:

1. Fish Napkin

1. Fold a napkin in half twice, once in either direction, so that you have four squares when you unfold it.

2. Fold it in half diagonally.

Fish Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

3. Fold a small section of the base upward.

Fish Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Fish Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

4. Turn it over. After you do, fold both sides down toward the center.

Fish Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Fish Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

5. Turn it over.

6. Hot glue a bead to serve as the eye, and add any other embellishments you want.

Fish Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Fish Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

2. Butterfly Napkin

1. Get two matching napkins.

Butterfly Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

2. Scrunch one of them up so that it is pinched together in the center and fans out at the edges.

Butterfly Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Butterfly Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

3. Do the same with the second napkin. Adjust the four corners so that they are fanned out nicely.

Butterfly Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Butterfly Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

4. Use a pipe cleaner to tie the two sections together. Roll the ends of the pipe cleaner up in such a way that they look like antenna, and you have a cute butterfly.

Butterfly Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

3. Fan Napkin

1. Fold a napkin in half twice, once horizontally and once vertically. Unfold it again.

Fan Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

2. Fold it back and forth, starting at one side and going all the way across to the opposite side.

Fan Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Fan Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

3. Once you have completed step 2 and you have a thin strip, fold that in half.

Fan Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

4. Spread the fan open and use a pipe cleaner or a napkin ring to secure it.

Fan Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Fan Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

4. Dress Napkin

1. Get two matching napkins to work with.

2. Scrunch up one of them by folding back and forth, and secure the end using a pipe cleaner to hold it in shape as a fan.

Dress Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Dress Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

3. Take the other napkin and fold it in half diagonally to make a triangle.

Dress Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

4. Turn it over and fold up the base just a tad, like you did when you made the fish napkin.

Dress Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Dress Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

5. Cut a small triangle out of the base.

Dress Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

6. Fold both sides downward. This is the top of the dress. You have just made the neckline in step 5 and the sleeves in this step.

Dress Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

7. Attach the top of the dress to the bottom and add some embellishment in the center if you want.

Dress Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Dress Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

5. Shirt Napkin

1. Fold a napkin in half horizontally and vertically and then unfold it.

Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

2. Fold the bottom half up to the middle.

Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

3. Do the same with the top half.

Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

4. Fold it in half.

5. Fold the top edge downward about halfway.

Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

6. Turn it lengthwise and then fold the very top edge downward just a tad.

Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes
Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

7. Turn it over and fold in the top corners.

Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

8. Fold the bottom upward about halfway.

Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

9. Fold the bottom upward again almost to the top.

Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

10. Cut a small piece of paper to fit through the middle as the sleeves.

Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

11. Add any embellishments you’d like.

Shirt Napkin - 5 Creative and Mind-Blowing Napkin-Folding Tricks in Under 4 Minutes

There you go! Enjoy your fancy napkins!

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