How to Fold Table Napkins

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methods

1Making a Standing Fan Fold

2Making a Silverware Pocket

3Making a Pyramid Fold

4Making a Rose Fold

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Questions & Answers

Tips and Warnings

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Article Summary

Folded decorative napkins can dress up a casual dinner and make the table settings at formal dinners more unique. You can use any size napkin to create these folds, as long as they are square in shape. You can even customize your folds by using different colored napkins for different occasions. Use these techniques to create a fan, silverware pocket, pyramid or rose fold for your next festive dinner.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making a Standing Fan Fold

1. 
   1
   Collect your materials. To make a fan fold, you will need a pressed square napkin, a flat surface to work on, and either a glass or plate. You can either place the finished fan fold on a dinner plate, or in an empty glass.

   • You can use either cloth or paper napkins, though cloth will look more elegant and refined. Cloth napkins are also reusable so you can continue to use them for other special occasions.
2. 
   2
   Set a pressed square napkin onto a dinner table. The bigger the napkin, the larger your fan will be. Smooth the napkin out by hand so there aren’t any wrinkles.
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3. 
   3
   Fold the napkin in half horizontally. The napkin should now be a rectangle.

   • Orient the open half where the two edges meet towards you.
4. 
   4
   Fold the napkin 2 inches in from the side. Starting on one end, take approximately two inches of fabric and fold it in towards the center. You will continue folding the napkin like an accordion, taking two inches of fabric and folding it towards the center of the napkin.

   • Stop folding when you have approximately four inches of unfolded napkin left.
5. 
   5
   Grasp the fan on either edge. Now, fold the napkin in half horizontally bringing the two bottom edges of the fan together. Your fan should now be folded in half with the extra four inches of unfolded napkin hanging on the inside fold of the fan.

   • If the unfolded napkin is on the outside of the fan, unfold the fan and refold it the opposite way.
6. 
   6
   Grasp the unfolded corners of the napkin. Take the unfolded corners that are part of the four inches of unfolded napkin section. Tuck the top corners unfolded napkin section into where the two halves of the fan meet. This will make a triangular edge along the unfolded section.

   • Make sure to tuck it securely to make a sturdy base.
7. 
   7
   Set the base of the fan on the plate. Let the napkin fan out into a semi-circle. The base that you’ve created from folding the unfolded corners of the napkin will act as a base to keep your napkin fan standing.

   • Be aware that this fan is delicate. The fan may fall and unfold if you try to move the dinner plate that it is resting on.
8. 
   8
   Modify the fan, if desired. You can use the same basic technique of the standing fold to create a fan that can be placed inside of a glass. Rather than leaving four unfolded inches, fold the entire napkin like an accordion.

   • Now that the napkin is fully folded, take one end of the fan and fold approximately one inch over. Allow the fan to open up.
   • Place the folded end of the fan into your glass and spread the rest of the fan out. This technique is called the goblet fan.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making a Silverware Pocket

1. 
   1
   Collect your materials. For this fold, you will need a square napkin, a level surface to work on, and silverware. You can use either a paper or cloth napkin for this fold, though cloth will look more impressive.

   • This fold works best with a napkin that has been lightly starched. Starch helps the napkin hold creases and folds. However, be careful not to overuse starch since it makes the napkin unpleasant to use while eating.
2. 
   2
   Set your lightly starched square napkin onto a level surface. Smooth out any noticeable wrinkles with your hands before you begin.
3. 
   3
   Fold the napkin in half. Smooth the fold to crease the napkin. The crease will help the silverware pocket retain its shape.

   • Your napkin should be in a rectangular shape with the open ends oriented towards you.
4. 
   4
   Fold the napkin horizontally. Now your napkin should be a quarter of its original size since it has been folded in half twice.

   • The napkin should be oriented so that the open corner is facing to the left.
5. 
   5
   Take the top layer and fold it down. You will take the top left corner of the square and fold it down diagonally to the bottom right corner.

   • Make sure you only take the top layer of the square and fold it.
   • Press down on the fold to make a crease.
6. 
   6
   Flip the napkin over. The folded triangle will now be on the bottom and the full square will be on top.

   • The open corner of the square should now be on the top right hand side.
7. 
   7
   Fold the right side over. Take the right side of the square and fold it over towards the middle. You will fold approximately one third of the napkin towards the center so the right edge of the napkin is now in the center of the rectangle. You will see a small triangle appear on the right side now that you’ve brought the triangle fold to the front.

   • Press down on the fold to make a crease.
8. 
   8
   Fold the left side over. Now, you will repeat a similar action for the left side. Take the left side and fold it approximately one third of the way over. You will fit the edge of the bottom left side into the small triangle fold that was on the bottom of the right side.

   • Press down on the folds you’ve made to crease them.
9. 
   9
   Flip the napkin over. You will now see a pocket that your silverware can fit into. Press down on the folds again to make sure that they are secure.
10. 
    10
    Add your silverware. Now that your fold is finished, you can arrange your silverware inside of the fold.

    • This fold is great for dinner parties since the folded pocket is an attractive way to hold your guests’ silverware.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making a Pyramid Fold

1. 
   1
   Collect your materials. For the pyramid fold you will need a square napkin, a flat surface to work on, and a plate to place your finished pyramid on.
2. 
   2
   Set a square napkin onto your table. Adjust the corners so that it is a diamond shape facing you, rather than in a square.

   • Make sure to smooth out noticeable wrinkles by hand before you start.
3. 
   3
   Fold the napkin in half. Here, you will bring the bottom point of the diamond to meet the top point. You will now have a napkin that looks like a triangle.

   • Press down on the fold to crease it.
4. 
   4
   Bring the left corner in to meet the top point. Take the left corner and fold it in and up to meet the top corner of the triangle.

   • You will now have a napkin that has a triangle with three equal length sides on the left half and a long triangle on the right side.
5. 
   5
   Bring the right corner in to meet the top point. You will repeat the action that you just used with the left side on the right side. Pulling the right corner up and in to meet the top corner of the triangle, you will now have two sides that are identical.

   • Your napkin will now be back in a diamond shape with the open sides facing away from you.
6. 
   6
   Flip the napkin over. Flip the napkin over so you no longer see the folds. Fold the bottom point of the diamond to the top point.

   • Your napkin will now look like a triangle. You will see a fold going down the center of the triangle. Press on these folds to crease them and keep them smooth.
7. 
   7
   Gently pull the center fold up. Take the fold going down the center of the triangle and pull it up. The edges of the triangle should drop to the bottom, creating a base.
8. 
   8
   Pinch the outer triangle points together. This will straighten the pyramid and keep your folds secure. Now that you have your pyramid, you can set the finished product on your plate.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Making a Rose Fold

1. 
   1
   Collect your materials. In order to make a rose fold, you will need a square napkin, a level surface to work on, and a glass with a round bottom.

   • There are multiple variations of the rose fold that vary in complexity. This is a basic rose fold that can be used for decorative purposes. The rose fold also looks great with paper napkins to display with cocktails.
2. 
   2
   Put your napkin on a level surface. Be sure to smooth out any visible wrinkles and orient the napkin as a square.
3. 
   3
   Fold each corner to the center. Take each corner, one at a time, and fold it to the center of the square. Each corner will now become a smaller triangle with a point in the middle.

   • Repeat until all four corners are folded. Your napkin should now be oriented like a diamond.
   • Turn the napkin over. Make sure the folds remain intact while you flip the napkin.
4. 
   4
   Fold each corner to the center again. Now, you will repeat the same folding process with each corner. As you fold each corner towards the center, you will see two small triangles appear.
5. 
   5
   Place a glass on the center of the napkin. The glass needs to be large enough to cover each of the four tips. The glass will keep the corners in place as you move to the next steps of the process.

   • Press down on the glass to hold it in place with your non-dominant hand.
6. 
   6
   Reach underneath one corner. Pull the fold out gently until the tip is approximately 1/4 inch further out than the top corner..

   • By pulling the tips of the fold out, you’ll create the petal shapes of the rose.
   • Made sure you are still holding onto the glass with your non-dominant hand so the rest of the corners stay secure.
7. 
   7
   Repeat with each corner. Repeat the process of pulling the tip out with each of the remaining corners.

   • Remember to maintain the pressure on the glass so the rest of the napkin doesn’t unfold.
8. 
   8
   Remove the glass. Once each corner has been pulled out to make the petal shape, you can remove the glass. Now that the rose fold is finished, you can place it on a dinner plate to display. You can use this fold to display smaller bowls or plates that are placed on top of the inner corners.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  How do I fold an envelope using a napkin?

  

  Selena

  Community Answer

  First, fold the two top corners to the middle. Then, fold the bottom to the middle. Last, fold the bottom to the bottom and the top to the middle as well.

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Tips

• Choose napkins that are in colors that match or compliment the rest of your table settings.
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• Try to use cotton napkins. Other fabrics can work in a pinch, but cotton tends to give you the best results.
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Warnings

• Old cloth napkins can lose their square shape. You can use older napkins, but be aware that the folds may not be as perfect.
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• Do not over starch your napkins unless they are only for display purposes.
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