Useful tips
Watch the video if you are too lazy to read
Watch the video if you are too lazy to read
As a rule, the festive table is decorated with interesting dishes, beautiful glasses and cutlery, but all this is perfectly complemented by original folded napkins for guests.
Paper napkins can be folded in many different ways to make your table more elegant and make a great impression on everyone.
Here are the most interesting ways to fold paper napkins for any table and for any event:
Where did napkins come from?
In Rome there was a mention of this item of etiquette. One gentleman who loved to eat, when this happened, he would reach across the table for a napkin, but at that time it was just dough with a raw texture.
How this thing was used was to put the dough on the face, thereby causing food to stick to it, then bake it and eat it. Not very hygienic, of course, but according to the Romans, this was one of the optimal solutions of that time.
Later at dinners they brought something more similar to our napkins, these were fabric ones. When Rome fell, Europe thereby forgot to use this element; girls mainly wiped themselves with dresses or sleeves.
When such a phenomenon as the Renaissance occurred in the country of France, then along with this phenomenon, large napkins appeared, covering almost the entire table. The main drawback was the fact that it could only be wiped off together.
Over time, the napkin acquired more and more similar shapes to its contemporary. The term napkin etiquette appeared in France after 1699.
Festive table setting
Let's complicate the task a little and try to fold several pockets at an angle. This example will be needed if you are looking for how to beautifully fold napkins on a holiday table. For this:
- We position the square so that the open corner is on top. Pull its tip down. Smooth out the fold line. Return the corner to its place.
- Focusing on the ironed line, apply a triangle. After that, we roll it into a strip. We repeat the action one more time.
- After this, we need to fold another layer of napkin in a similar way. You should end up with two folded strips in the center of the paper.
- We turn the workpiece over so that the straight side is in front of us. We apply one and the second edge to the middle. Carefully iron the fold lines.
Turn the product over and you will see the resulting cutlery pockets.
Idea - 3
- Fold in two, again the same way;
- The sides of the rectangle are folded down;
- Turn it with the wrong side facing away from you, and twist a “bag” from the ends;
- The resulting parts are connected together.
Volumetric figures
An easy way to effectively set a table is to place table textiles in the form of three-dimensional figures.
Candle
Candle napkins are placed on a plateau, in wine glasses or in napkin holders.
- Fold the fabric into a triangular shape.
- Carefully wrap it in a roller.
- Do not roll it up completely, but leave a small tail and place it inside the “candle” to secure it.
Crown
Any table will look elegant with a design in the form of regal crowns.
- Bend the unfolded napkin into a triangle, positioning it so that its top points to the right.
- Fold the corners of this shape up and towards the center point to form a diamond.
- Turn the diamond over and fold half of it from bottom to top, folding the triangle.
- All that remains is to turn the corners back, fix them together, and the crown is ready.
Napkin - heart
A romantic dinner by candlelight or a Valentine's Day celebration wouldn't be complete without impromptu hearts.
- Fold the fabric in half twice, forming a narrow rectangle.
- Place the sides of the rectangle up.
- Consistently fold the corners of the horizontal side of the workpiece inward to form a schematic heart. If you make this figure from a fabric napkin, you can try to wrap the corners smoothly, then the heart will turn out more rounded.
- After putting the heart on a plate, you should add a small souvenir or a declaration of love to it.
Idea - 8
- Fold the material in the form of an accordion into 6 strips, with the top one looking at us
- The right corner at the top is laid inward, also with the other 2 corners at the bottom, and the 3 corners on the left are also laid.
- Part of the figure (3rd from the left) is bent to the right side, half of the already bent part is bent to the opposite left side
- The same actions as in the third are done, only on the right side. Then at the end it remains to raise the upper corners
How to fold paper and fabric napkins for table setting. Step by step for beginners
There are many options for setting the theme of the holiday through table textiles - from a festive anniversary or wedding to something that would be appropriate at a children's party.
An effective table design depends not least on the hostess’s ability to fold serving napkins in an unusual and tasteful way, use different color combinations of napkins and tablecloths, add elegant accessories in the form of rings or ribbons, artificial or fresh flowers, fold double napkins of different colors, place them on plates or glasses.
Idea - 9
- The napkin is folded as follows: in two, the fold is located at the top
- Corners that fold at the top to the middle part along the lines
- The sides of the napkin are aligned so that the corners with the sharp part are at the bottom
- Turning the figure over, bend the ends, this will be a support
- Bend inward and place the finished napkin
Schemes at the plate
Beautifully decorated napkins at the plate will help emphasize the importance of the event. They can be placed in a glass or on a dish. Envelopes for cutlery look solid, and fans and roses add romance. You can surprise your guests with an unusual folding pattern - under a ring. It's interesting and very elegant. And the scarf on the fork, although simple to make, looks playful and self-sufficient.
Fan and rose in a glass
To make a fan, you need to straighten the napkin and fold it into an accordion. The resulting workpiece is folded in half and placed in a glass. Simple and beautiful.
A flower in a glass looks very elegant. There are several options for making roses. The simplest one includes the following steps:
- unfold the napkin and fold it into a flat tube from the corner;
- the upper corner is folded and the tube is rolled into a bud;
- the “petals” of the resulting flower are slightly bent;
- you can wrap the flower with a green napkin, imitating rose leaves;
- the resulting composition is placed in a glass of a suitable size.
To make your holiday table more colorful, you need to make bright multi-colored roses. Instead of a glass, paper flowers can be placed in a wide, shallow bowl to form a bouquet. In this case, it is important to ensure that the flower buds are tightly twisted and do not fall apart.
Three fold patterns for a ring and a scarf for a fork
Rings are a good idea for decorating fabric napkins. In the first two cases, an elegant bow is made. To do this, the napkin is folded to form a strip. The edges are folded towards the middle, slightly overlapping each other. The resulting part is threaded into a ring, which serves as the middle of the bow. The edges are slightly stretched. The elegant bow is ready.
In the second option, a plain satin ribbon is used instead of a ring. They tighten her middle. Instead of rings and ribbon, you can use a durable foil strip. It securely fixes the workpiece, preventing the fabric figure from deforming.
In the third version of the fold - making a classic flower. A rhombus is made from a napkin. The free edges are slightly bent, forming petals. The lower part of the flower is threaded into the ring.
The simplest but most effective solution is a scarf on a fork. To make it, a cloth napkin is folded into a strip. The strip is folded in half. The fork is placed on top of the workpiece, the edges of which are wrapped around the cutlery and threaded through the resulting loop. Lightly tighten. A simple and elegant scarf is ready.
On a note!
There is no need to come up with overly complex options for folding the figures. Especially if it's a children's party. Guests may have difficulty unwrapping the napkin, which will spoil their mood.
Three envelopes for cutlery
Any of the envelope folding patterns allows you to beautifully decorate your holiday table. The difference lies in the level of complexity of manufacturing. Having chosen the most convenient scheme, you can practice in advance by folding the pocket. Having gained experience, you can quickly make an original and practical decoration for the festive table:
- The napkin is straightened and placed face down. Fold diagonally to form a triangle. Bend the left side of the triangle to the opposite side, not reaching the corner a few centimeters. Next, bend the right side towards the left. The corner that extends beyond the edges is folded under the bottom of the figure. The envelope is ready.
- The napkin is folded in four, with the front side inward. The upper corner of the top layer is folded down, diagonally. The next layer is folded in the same direction, not reaching the previous corner of the napkin a couple of centimeters. The corner of the second layer is tucked into the pocket formed from the previous layer. The third layer is folded back and tucked under the second. The structure is turned over, both sides are folded towards the center. The envelope is turned over and cutlery is placed in it.
- The napkin is folded in half, forming a rectangle. The upper part of one side is bent twice by two centimeters. The workpiece is turned over. The upper right corner is folded towards the middle, forming a rectangular trapezoid. Bend again to the midline. The same steps are repeated on the other side of the workpiece. The result is a double-sided envelope. If you unfold it with the pointed end up, it will fit two cutlery. By turning the envelope over to the other side, you can place three devices in it.
Instead of cutlery, you can put cards with wishes, a card with the name of the invited guest, or a spruce branch in beautiful pockets. It is better to fold envelopes from plain napkins. The pattern will be distracting, and the monotony of the material, on the contrary, will help emphasize the elegance and craftsmanship of the envelope.
Idea - 10
- Place it down so that one fourth of it bends over
- Turning the material over, the lower part is pulled to the top
- Doubled
- Fold like an accordion, making 5 equal folds
- They hold the side with which they did nothing (open) and pull out the folds at the top, which are located deep in the napkins in different directions and fix them.
- The last stage is to dissolve the resulting fan
By choosing any of the above methods, you can create a cozy and festive holiday atmosphere on the table. It is important, to give a complete picture, not only correctly positioned cutlery, but also beautifully and neatly folded napkins.
The color and material of the napkins depends on the holiday; for a birthday, cotton napkins are suitable; in honor of an anniversary, give preference to openwork and decorative elements; the same are suitable for a romantic evening.
The New Year pleases both children and adults, so everything here is up to you to choose from, whether it be bright napkins or ordinary blue ones with snowflakes, the main thing is that they fit into the overall picture of the table and, conversely, highlight it with the multi-colored material of the napkins.
Methods for laying out a napkin holder
The easiest way is to fold the napkins into a triangle. The resulting corners must be placed in the holder in one of two ways: in a single or double fan. In the first case, the fan is laid out towards each other, in the second - from the center to the edges. These two methods are good because, if necessary, the napkin can be removed without destroying the integrity of the composition.
Another simple but beautiful option is a double-sided waterfall. To make it you will need a cup. The napkins are folded in half, forming flat strips. Having made twenty blanks, stack them on top of each other. Bend the middle and place it in a cup. There are other, more original ways of laying out to decorate the holiday table.
Bird with a colorful tail
This option is simple to implement, but guests like it. The layout starts from the tail of the bird. To do this, you need to choose bright, rich colors of napkins. Plain colors will also work, but the bird will look less impressive. Manufacturing sequence:
- Each napkin has two parallel corners folded. Fold the napkin in half. It turns out to be a trapezoid - one part of the tail. Continue working until the required number of such parts is available;
- make the head and neck. To do this, the napkin must be folded several times, forming a flat tube. The top part of the tube must be bent to form a head;
- All parts are placed in the holder.
This interesting layout method is suitable for any celebration. The bird symbolizes warmth and homeliness. This figure is especially relevant during the celebration of the New Year, the symbol of which is the rooster. Rich colors will also decorate the festive table at a child’s birthday. A bright napkin holder will attract the attention of little guests and delight the birthday boy.
On a note! Before looking for patterns for folding napkins, you need to determine where they will be placed. This could be a napkin holder, a glass, a plate. Based on this, the addition option will be selected.
Photo of beautiful napkin folding
Junk
1. Fold the napkin in half (fold on the right). | 2. Fold the rectangle in half again. |
3. Bend the bottom half diagonally upward. | 4. Fold the left corner forward. Bend the right corner forward in the same way. |
5. Fold both protruding corners back. | 6. Fold the napkin along the longitudinal axis back. |
7. Holding the folded corners with your hand, we pull out the edges of the “sail” napkin one by one. |
Forming containers for flowers
If the cloth napkin is large, and the heroes of the occasion and guests adore flowers, then the cloth can serve as a vessel. To form a napkin into a container you will have to:
- Fold the napkin in half;
- Bend the upper right corner to the bottom center;
- Bend the lower left corner towards the center of the top;
- Pull each bent corner of the resulting trapezoid up to get a tight roll (and the ends should protrude outward and look up in one direction);
- The resulting roller is twisted into a crown (the sharp ends must be inserted into the opposite edges of the roller).
The circle is ready to be installed on the countertop. Tucking the ends or leaving them the same before dipping the flowers is a personal matter.
Forming a Christmas tree
Winter brings not only fabulous weather, but also a reason to celebrate the New Year holidays. So why not decorate the table with Christmas tree napkins? This technique is known to many catering decorators and not only:
- The green napkin is folded in half;
- The segment unfolds in such a way as to form a rhombus;
- The bottom end of the diamond is raised up and placed wrong side out below the top end of the diamond;
- It is necessary to repeat the previous point sequentially with each subsequent lower end of the diamond;
- The “five-pointed” rhombus is smoothed with the palms and turned with the back side outward;
- One corner is folded towards the top end, but the corner of the fold itself should be just below the top;
- The previous point is repeated with another part;
- Each lower tip is folded and hidden under the upper fold;
As a result, a forest beauty emerges in the form of a stable cone. This is much better than beautifully folded napkins in a napkin holder. Moreover, the top of the tree can be decorated with a bow.
Peacock formation
Fabric napkins often have patterns. It’s hard not to use the appropriate frame when you need to create a peacock.
After all, the royal bird is literally full of colors. True, the peacock will have to be formed from two napkins. Moreover, they can be either the same or different.
In the latter case, one workpiece should be light, the other dark. The formation itself occurs sequentially:
- First, a long napkin is folded into a fan and immersed in a long glass or glass;
- Next, the second medium or long napkin is folded into a flying kite, after which its sharp tip is bent.
The resulting hook looks like a long neck with a small head. This hook only needs to be immersed next to the fan so that the peacock takes on its characteristic shape. To save your budget, a beautifully folded paper napkin comes to the rescue.
But in this case, instead of folding the workpiece into a flying kite, it is better to use rolling it into a tube. One edge of this tube should be sharp, the other wide.
Candle formation
A candle does not interfere with the Christmas tree, especially if the imitation of the color source is made in red. After all, the appropriate outfit is very harmonious with green and generally personifies the holiday:
- A long cloth towel is folded into a triangle;
- The triangle is rolled into a tube.
The candle remains to be immersed in a glass or glass. To do this, the product is bent in the middle and the blunt end of the bend is placed on the bottom.