This article was co-authored by Tami Claytor and by wikiHow staff writer, Christopher M. Osborne, PhD. Tami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification.
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The humble napkin is a functional part of any table setting, but elegant napkin folds can make dinner feel more luxurious and classy for your guests. Whether you want to fold a simple rectangle, a standing triangle, a flower, a silverware pocket, or something more grand, we’ve provided a full list of easy napkin folding instructions. So go ahead and choose a unique napkin fold to make your dining experience memorable!
Things You Should Know
- Start with a clean square cloth napkin for the best folding results. Paper napkins will also work with many of the simpler folds described here.
- Soft cloth works best for flat folds, while stiff fabric is best for standing folds.
- Think about the mood your folded napkin can help to set. A floral fold can give a springtime vibe, while a standing pyramid can provide extra elegance.
Steps
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do you use a napkin ring?Tami ClaytorTami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification.
Etiquette CoachIt all depends on what type of design you want to create. If you're not looking for anything fancy, you can just roll the napkin, slide the ring over it, and place it on a plate. For something a little nicer, you can fold the napkin in half and pass the folded part through the ring so it fans out on one side. -
QuestionDo you have to use a square napkin?wikiHow Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff AnswerwikiHow Staff EditorStaff Answer -
QuestionDo you have to use a fabric napkin or can I just use a paper one?LemonstersCommunity AnswerBoth fabric and paper napkins work. As long as it's the right shape to fold, you should be good!
References
- ↑ https://www.almanac.com/how-fold-dinner-napkin-2-easy-napkin-folding-ideas
- ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/22-gobletfan/
- ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/20-napkinroll/
- ↑ https://www.countryliving.com/entertaining/news/g3115/napkin-folds/
- ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/craft-ideas/g4552/napkin-folding-videos/
- ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/08-diamond/
- ↑ https://www.countryliving.com/entertaining/news/g3115/napkin-folds/
- ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/05-candle/
- ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/13-sail/
About This Article
To fold a napkin so that you can put silverware in it, begin by laying the napkin flat in front of you. Fold it in half horizontally so that it looks like a rectangle, and then fold it over again, right end over left. Next, turn the napkin so that the open corner is facing the top-left. Bring that corner down diagonally to the bottom right, then flip the entire napkin over again. Finally, fold this square in thirds and flip it over to reveal the perfect pocket for your tableware. To learn other shapes to fold a napkin into, such as a pyramid or bishop's hat, keep reading the article!