How to decorate a table with napkins: 10 simple and charming ideas

Serving cutlery is important - it can create a festive atmosphere on an ordinary day. You can complement the table decor with the help of multi-colored napkins folded in the form of various geometric shapes or flowers. You can do this yourself using office supplies. In this article, we will look at how to use napkins for table settings to surprise your guests not only with delicious dishes, but also with unique decor.

Etiquette rules for serving and using napkins

If this is your first time planning table decor, beautifully serving paper napkins, then the first thing you need to do is figure out how to use this element correctly:

According to generally binding etiquette standards, fabric models are usually placed behind the collar or placed on the knees.

Whether it is a fabric, paper or knitted napkin, it should be taken only after the owner of the house. At the end of the feast, it is forbidden to put the product on the plate.

A cloth handkerchief is best suited to be placed on your lap (if you have left the table, just leave it to the right of your plate or on the back of your chair).

Excessive use of scarves is not encouraged at the festive table. This is worth remembering at banquets, business meetings and official events.

Napkin in the form of a swan

Surely each of you remembers how masterfully hotel employees fold towels in our rooms at resorts. These figures of birds and animals are of particular interest to visitors. Therefore, if you are wondering how to beautifully fold paper napkins, then try doing something similar.

1. Fold the napkin in half. Now again.

2. Place a diamond in front of you. Holding it at the highest point, take the left edge and place it to the right side. Do the same with the right corner.

3. Take one of the ends and bend it towards the edge of the same side. Do the same with the other one.

4. Holding the top point of the resulting shape, fold the napkin in half. Fold a small corner of this very point that you just held.

5. Lift the swan's tail and head and decorate the plate with it. After learning how to beautifully place paper napkins in the shape of swans on the table, you can experiment with color and additional decor. For the latter, we recommend eyes drawn with a gel pen or a small twig with a plant lying nearby.

What color of paper napkins should I choose?

Most designers agree that multi-colored tablecloths, selected in accordance with the overall color scheme, are a universal way to serve the table. Plain handkerchiefs are suitable for a tea table or business lunch. If you have chosen a tablecloth of a rich, deep shade, then the table service should be done in white and beige tones. When choosing the color of paper napkins for the table, you should take into account the setting of cutlery, the theme of the feast, as well as the color of the tablecloth and dishes.

White napkins will look harmonious with any table decoration. When choosing bright shades, take into account the impact of colors on a person’s emotional state - red and yellow tones give joy, and blue and green tones set the mood for a business conversation.

Using a colored tablecloth in combination with white paper napkins is one of the easiest ways to quickly decorate a holiday table, solemnly welcome guests and delight them with delicious dishes.

Recently, textiles have increasingly begun to be used to decorate the table during a home feast. Housewives prefer products with thematic inscriptions or slogans, such as “Happy Birthday”, “Happy New Year”, “Happy Holidays”.

In cafes and other public institutions you can find handmade scarves with an embroidered company logo. It looks very stylish, original and creates a special atmosphere.

Rabbit made from folded napkin

If you are preparing for a children's feast, then it's time to learn how to beautifully fold paper napkins in the shape of a funny animal. We are sure that small and curious guests will like this serving idea and will happily plunge into the festive atmosphere.

DIY serving napkins

Textiles have long been used to decorate home interiors. Even an ordinary white tablecloth can transform a table set for dinner and bring coziness to a family feast. This decorative element performs not only an aesthetic, but also a practical function.

Fabric option

Every housewife should be able to decorate the table in an interesting way for the arrival of guests. We will look at how to easily sew napkins with your own hands and fold them beautifully for table setting. First of all, you should prepare all the necessary materials and tools that may be needed during the work.

To make a fabric napkin for serving table we will need:

scissors;
cotton, linen or artificial fabrics;
pins of different sizes;
skein of thread for basting;
sewing machine;
iron.

The sewing process is as follows:

The dimensions of the product can be very different, in this case it is a square of 50 by 50 cm. Once you have decided on the parameters, mark them with a pencil on the fabric and draw the contours.
Now open out the desired part and bend one of the edges by 7 mm. Repeat the action three more times and iron all the corners around the perimeter of the resulting square.
Next, you need to make a second fold - to do this, turn one side a centimeter and smooth it with an iron. Do this with the adjacent side of the square, then walk around the entire perimeter of the future napkin.
Each corner needs to be unfolded and a line carefully drawn from the lower left corner to the upper right corner (diagonally). Repeat with the three remaining sides.
The drawn lines will help you cut the fabric evenly at the four corners. Fold those edges of the fabric that are located on both sides of the cut corner into the center. Smooth the top of the corner towards the center and make a second fold along the ironed lines.
We sew all folds with a basting stitch around the perimeter of the product. The edges should be smoothed using a regular straight seam on a sewing machine.

In the video: how to treat a corner on a tablecloth or napkin.

Crochet napkin set

Knitted napkins in a ring for table setting or individually create an atmosphere of well-being and comfort in the living room or dining room. Any novice craftswoman can knit such a product. By making home decorations with your own hands, you get pleasure from everyday little things. After all, a family dinner should be different from a lunch snack or breakfast on the run.

Crocheted napkins look elegant and homey. They are suitable for both holidays and everyday life.

It is not necessary to choose the most intricate napkin patterns, because they will be almost completely hidden under the plates. However, it wouldn’t hurt to starch the products so that they don’t lose their shape after the first feast.

The set of serving napkins for the tea table includes one large and six small handmade items. For production we used SOSO yarn (two skeins of white and dark brown) and a 1.5 Clover hook.

When knitting tightly, as shown in the example, there is no need to starch the finished product. The photo below shows a knitting pattern - it is suitable for a beginner level.

In the video: a beautiful crocheted napkin in 10 minutes.

Varieties

Fabric napkins were traditionally used for decorative purposes: they were folded into figures and decorated with them on the table. Paper ones, in turn, were used for their intended purpose during meals. They blotted the mouth to remove any remaining food.

Today napkins are produced:

made of fabric (silk, satin, cotton fiber);
using the patchwork technique (products are sewn from multi-colored materials, the main fabric is decorated with appliqués);
made of bamboo fiber (used to keep the festive tablecloth clean);
made of paper (can have different colors, sizes, number of layers and their thickness).

Modern paper products are made from denser materials, which allows them to be given different shapes when serving.

Advantages of paper napkins:

a wide range of different colors, sizes and shapes;
low cost;
aesthetic appeal (suitable for creating complex figures and compositions);
do not require washing.

Both linen and paper napkins are used as an accessory at the table. Fabric items are often part of the set along with the tablecloth. In this case, the items in the set are made in the same style: they have a similar or contrasting color scheme, pattern and fabric texture.

If there is a double tablecloth on the table, napkins are selected to match the main fabric.

The main function of linen products is to protect guests’ clothing from food particles. The main advantage is that they are reusable. After a meal, they can be washed and used again. Cover your knees with large cloth napkins while eating. In this case, they cannot be replaced with paper ones.

It is not customary to wipe yourself with a linen cloth. To do this, there must be paper accessories on the table.

Textile

Patchwork

Bamboo fiber

Paper

By material

Traditional materials for table etiquette items are natural fabrics, mainly linen and cotton. They have a pleasant texture and are used for table settings in restaurants. But they have their drawbacks. Linen is dense and durable, but wrinkles easily. Cotton textiles are soft, so it is difficult to give such napkins the desired shape.

Ideas for decorating a wedding table, popular styles and types of decor

A more practical option is napkins for the dining table made of mixed fibers (natural and synthetic threads). They wrinkle less, hardly shrink after washing, and stains do not eat deep. In addition, they can be decorated with elegant lace or fringe. When choosing a suitable decor, it is important to remember that the products should look appropriate and harmoniously combine with the interior of the room, dishes, and tablecloths.

Since ancient times, in addition to their intended use, napkins were part of brides' dowries, and needlewomen decorated them with exotic embroidery.

To size

On the textile and paper products market you can find napkins of different shapes: square, rectangular, triangular. They also differ in size. You should choose accessories for a meal depending on where and under what conditions they will be used.

The best option is a square shape measuring 30x56 cm. Rectangular napkins are placed under cutlery at home or in a restaurant. For breakfast or a friendly tea party in the company of several people, you can prepare small items of 35x35 cm. For a traditional home meal, accessories of 40x40 cm are suitable, and for a festive reception of guests, large napkins of 50x50 cm should be prepared.

When preparing for a family meal, use simple ways to fold paper or fabric products: in half, in a triangle, in four, or rolled into a roll. To serve a festive table, they can be folded in more complex ways: with a sail, a candle, a cap. Folded napkins should be placed on each dinner party's plate.

Since the table should be decorated in a certain style, all napkins should be folded the same way.

Serving with cloth napkins

Today there are two types of napkins - paper and fabric. The latter are usually used to protect clothes from crumbs and stains, while paper products are intended to wipe lips. Modern trends are aimed at the widespread introduction of fabric models; they look more elegant and will last you much longer than their paper counterparts.

Here are some popular patterns for folding a fabric napkin:

Megaphone is a very simple way to decorate a paper or fabric napkin. First of all, you need to fold the product in half and repeat this action again in the same direction, as shown in Figure 2. Bend the corners of the resulting narrow rectangle down and twist the figure into a “ball”. Finally, connect the two parts of the “bags” to each other.

The Southern Cross is an interesting and very simple fabric napkin layout that will fit perfectly into the decor of the dining table. Turn the product to the wrong side and bend all the corners to the center, observing the order. Then turn the canvas over and do the same. Repeat the action again and pull out first the upper right corner, and then all the other corners.

A junk is an unusual form of serving napkin, which is also sometimes called a “swan”. Fold the product in half so that the fold is on the right. Then fold the rectangle again and fold the bottom half diagonally upward. Bend the left and right corners up, and move the protruding parts down. Next, you need to roll the fabric back along the longitudinal axis, pulling out its edges one by one.

On video: 5 ways to beautifully fold fabric napkins.

How to fold a large napkin with cutlery?

One of the simplest and at the same time popular methods of folding a napkin on the table is the option with nested cutlery. Agree, this is not only convenient for the housewife, but also very impressive. Thus, none of the guests will be left without a knife or fork.

For this method, prepare a large napkin measuring approximately 40 by 40 cm.

1. Lay out a square piece of well-ironed fabric on a flat surface. After straightening it with your hands, fold it in half. Then in half again.

2. Take one of the detachable ends (top right) and pull it towards the bottom left. Flatten and run your hand along the fold.

3. Take the next top right end of the napkin and pull it to the left in the same way. But now, by lifting the previous corner and putting it inside. However, do not do this completely, but only halfway. That is, from the bent second end you should be left with a strip about 3-4 cm wide. Do the same with the third end.

4. Turn the workpiece over with the folded ends facing down. Now take the napkin from both sides and fold them towards the center.

5. Turn the rectangle right side over again. Place a knife, fork and spoon into the resulting envelope. Thus, each cutlery should be in a separate pocket. Place the finished napkin on a clean flat plate and decorate the table with it.

How to beautifully fold napkins into a glass?

As we have already said, there are a large number of types of napkin designs. The simplest, but no less elegant, are the methods in which the handkerchief is placed in a wine glass, glass or glass. Thus, the product does not take up much space on the table and looks neat and unusual. The two most commonly used technologies are “horn” and “tulip”, you can see them in the photo below.

Methods for arranging napkins in a napkin holder

Napkins and other textiles are universal elements of holiday table decor. In order for the attributes of the feast to retain their original shape, it is necessary to use special devices. Now in stores you can find all kinds of accessories for table setting - rings, holders, ribbons and napkin holders. The latter can be of various sizes, plain or with patterns. Learning how to correctly fold napkins into a napkin holder is not at all difficult; later we will talk about this in more detail.

Single and double fan

A classic way to decorate a table is to fold paper napkins into a fan. The simplicity of this design does not seem ordinary, especially if the napkin has geometric patterns or is plain, but in bright colors. However, single and double fans are not suitable for colorful fabrics, since all their beauty will simply be lost in the folds.

To fold napkins this way, you must follow these steps:

Fold each napkin diagonally into a square so that you end up with a symmetrical triangle;

Arrange the napkins in the napkin holder first in one direction and then in the opposite direction. This way you will get a double fan.

Bird with a colorful tail

The original shape is trapezoid. To bring this idea to life, you will need paper napkins in red, yellow, white and blue shades. The trapezoidal shape will serve as the basis for the tail of our “firebird”. The completed composition must be placed in a holder, alternating colors in a suitable order. Next we make the head and neck of the bird: roll the blue fabric into a tube and bend the tip. Add the missing piece to the napkin holder.

This table decoration looks creative and is perfect for a children's party.

Double-sided waterfall in a cup

Another good table decoration option is to place napkins in the dishes. For this purpose, you can use a stable ceramic cup of small height. What to do with napkins? The answer is simple: unfold once and fold in half twice. We lay out the canvases one after another, bend them in the middle, thereby leaving the center of the cup empty.

Multi-colored napkin models with unusual patterns will look especially impressive.

Table setting methods

To save time, hygiene items are carefully placed in every possible way in a special device - a napkin holder, which is usually installed in the center of the table. This method is suitable for everyday feasts and tea drinking. In casual restaurants, napkin holders are simply placed on the tablecloth for ease of use.

If you like to frequently welcome guests, spend a lot of time drinking a cup of tea, discussing everyday problems and making plans for the future with friends and colleagues, placing a napkin in the handle of the cup would be a good option. This procedure won’t take much time for you, and your guests will feel comfortable—no need to reach for a napkin in the center of the table.

Not a single formal table is complete without original folded paper napkins. The accessory can be rolled, folded, twisted into various figures, envelopes, tubes, etc. Napkins, having acquired a certain shape, look great next to each plate; you can place cutlery on them, thread them into dishes with special rings, or place them under a greeting or congratulation card.

Decorating the table with napkins in a certain style is a sign of the good taste of the owner of the house. Paper napkins can be laid out in the center of the table in the form of some kind of figure or pattern. In addition, each napkin should be attractive and interesting. It is also worth making sure that the hand-made structure easily unfolds and takes its original shape if the guest wants to use it for hygienic purposes. The center of the table is usually laid out with multi-colored openwork napkins, giving them a minimum size so that the maximum number of them can fit on the table.

Beautiful figures from napkins for serving

For many, placing serving napkins in the center of the plate is classic. This technique is widely used to decorate banquet and buffet tables. Skilled craftswomen can create a real work of art with a simple napkin. It's not as difficult as it might seem; you just need a little patience and a desire to experiment. Flowers made from napkins are always in place, and making them is not difficult. You can use the famous origami technology by simply replacing paper with fabric.

Lily

To make a lily, fold the product diagonally and carefully smooth out all the corners. Connect the right and left corners with the top of the triangle, then bend the napkin in half horizontally. Finally, decorate the petals and leaves by turning the top triangle out.

Lotus

The lotus can rightfully be considered the most difficult napkin figure to make. On the website https://sdelala-sama.ru/2658-lotos-iz-bumazhnyh-salfetok.html you can find detailed instructions on how to make a lotus from paper napkins with your own hands, as well as educational video materials. If you wish, you can exchange comments with other visitors and learn unusual ways to decorate the table. Below is a diagram for folding multi-colored napkins into a lotus inflorescence.

Herringbone

To make a Christmas tree for table setting, take a deep green napkin. Roll it into a square, then divide all five corners into five layers and alternately bend them towards the middle. Turn the figure over to the opposite side and fold all ends of the napkin symmetrically, one under the other. This decoration will look natural during the Christmas holidays.

The finished product can be supplemented with a bright star, sparkles, snowflakes or multi-colored ribbons.

Handbag

This is the simplest design option for a fabric serving napkin. The initial form is a napkin folded vertically with a fold on the right. Now fold it in half from bottom to top and fold the top two layers of the left corner towards the center. The upper right corner also folds towards the center. Bend the resulting triangle down and fold the remaining corners towards the middle. The second triangle is thereby superimposed on the first. Use the instructions in the picture below.

heart

For Valentine's Day, decorate the table with heart-shaped napkins. Making them is not difficult at all - for this you will need red or pink paper napkins. Form a triangle, place the left and then the right corner on the top and turn the shape over. Bend the top part down, turn part of the bottom layer left and right diagonally. Next, you need to alternately remove the small corners on the right and left inside, giving the napkin a heart shape.

Fan in a ring

This option is most suitable for the classic style of table setting. Flatten the napkin and place it face down. Next, you need to give it an “accordion” shape - to do this, bend the product in half in the middle. That's all, the fan is ready. Now you can decorate the table with it by placing it on a special holder or placing it in a glass. And don't forget to straighten the fan after placing it in the right place.

If you are planning to decorate the living room for a children's party or a romantic dinner, then you can make a “firebird” based on a fan. However, for this you will need multi-colored napkins with bright patterns.

Horizontal sachet

Fold the napkin in half with the right side facing inward. When unfolding the canvas, make sure that the fold is located at the bottom. Bend one third of the top layer down and turn the product over to the opposite side. Fold the two sides so that they meet together and fold the napkin again.

Diagonal sachet

To make a diagonal sachet, fold the napkin in four and fold back the first layer of fabric by 5 centimeters, repeat the action. Do the same with the second layer, tucking the corner under the diagonal roller and forming a small roller (up to 2.5 centimeters). Fold the fabric over the top and bottom and decorate the table with it as you wish.

Envelope for devices

For the envelope, you will need a small three-ply serving napkin. Fold the product in half with the wrong side out, so that the fold is located at the bottom. Fold back a third of the first layer and fold the side edges towards the center (they should touch each other at the back), repeat the operation again.

The use of napkins for table setting will not surprise anyone for a long time, because everyone can buy beautiful textiles in the store. If you are just planning to throw a festive dinner for several dozen guests or just want to surprise your family, then you have time to learn how to make interesting shapes and flowers from napkins. Don’t stop at one design option and then you will certainly end up with an unusual composition.

Original ways to fold paper napkins (3 videos)

Different options for table setting with napkins (60 photos)

Ways to decorate a table for different holidays

The upcoming celebration should be remembered and please the heroes of the occasion and guests, so you should take care of how to make the festive table elegant and attractive.

Birthday, anniversary, March 8

To make the table look more appetizing and attractive against the backdrop of delicious dishes, you can place flowers from napkins of different colors between the plates. It's not difficult to make. Take a paper napkin 33x33 cm, unfold it, and fold the lower right corner towards the center of the napkin. We do the same with each corner in turn. Then, following the same pattern, we bend all the corners of the resulting square and turn the structure over to the reverse side. We bend the corners to the center in the same way. Then we turn all the corners of the workpiece right side out - we get a flower. To increase the number of petals to eight, you need to do everything again.

New Year Christmas

To beautifully decorate your Christmas table with napkins, you can use the simplest way to fold a napkin - a fan, and make a Christmas tree out of it. It is best to take green or turquoise napkins. The napkin folded like a fan needs to be turned over and the short part tied with ribbon. By straightening the edges of the workpiece, you will get a Christmas tree. You can decorate the napkin with some cardboard decorations.

Children's holiday

Kids love everything bright and beautiful. Here, designers may need the ability to make various figures out of paper. Many similar crafts can be made from napkins. You can make a fish, a cat, a hedgehog, a bull, a train, etc.

Wedding, Valentine's Day

You can ideally decorate a festive table for two or a magnificent feast with napkins in the shape of hearts, roses, and swans. Colorful napkins with openwork edges in a glass will look good. They can be folded into a bow or a fan.

Decorating a table is not a difficult task, and anyone, after reading the practical guide and looking at the pictures, can put together the figure they like. The main thing is to move forward, mastering new ways. As a result, you yourself will be satisfied with your skills, teach this to your friends and acquaintances, and your guests will never cease to be amazed at your kitchen and design abilities.