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.
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:
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.
3. Fold a small section of the base upward.
4. Turn it over. After you do, fold both sides down toward the center.
5. Turn it over.
6. Hot glue a bead to serve as the eye, and add any other embellishments you want.
Butterfly Napkin
1. Get two matching napkins.
2. Scrunch one of them up so that it is pinched together in the center and fans out at the edges.
3. Do the same with the second napkin. Adjust the four corners so that they are fanned out nicely.
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.
Fan Napkin
1. Fold a napkin in half twice, once horizontally, and once vertically. Unfold it again.
2. Fold it back and forth starting at one side and going all the way across to the opposite side.
3. Once you have completed step 2 and you have a thin strip, fold that in half.
4. Spread the fan open and use a pipe cleaner or a napkin ring to secure it.
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.
3. Take the other napkin and fold it in half diagonally to make a triangle.
4. Turn it over and fold up the base just a tad, like you did when you made the fish napkin.
5. Cut a small triangle out of the base.
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.
7. Attach the top of the dress to the bottom and add some embellishment in the center if you want.
Shirt Napkin
1. Fold a napkin in half horizontally and vertically and then unfold it.
2. Fold the bottom half up to the middle.
3. Do the same with the top half.
4. Fold it in half.
5. Fold the top edge downward about halfway.
6. Turn it lengthwise and then fold the very top edge downward just a tad.
7. Turn it over, and fold in the top corners.
8. Fold the bottom upward about halfway.
9. Fold the bottom upward again almost to the top.
10. Cut a small piece of paper to fit through the middle as the sleeves.
11. Add any embellishments you’d like.
There you go! Enjoy your fancy napkins!