How to Fold Napkins
You’re planning a family dinner and you want to make it extra special. How do you do it? Aside from preparing a festive meal, why not try folding your napkins into beautiful shapes? This is very easy to do. Even if you’ve never tried this before, you won’t have a hard time doing it. Here are a few suggestions.
If you’re a newbie on napkin folding, it’s best to try the easy shapes first.
Steps:
Always start by laying down the napkin with the wrong side facing up.
The cone fold:
Fold it diagonally in half, like a triangle.
napkin folding
The open side should be away from you.
Make a diamond by lifting the 2 corners and positioning them in the middle.
Turn it over so that you are looking at 1 diamond than 2 triangles put together.
Fold about 1/3 of the bottom of the napkin.
Tuck the left and right side underneath.
The diamond fold:
Fold the napkin horizontally in half.
The open side should be away from you.
Fold it in half again to make a square.
Lift the end of the top layer and press it down to the other side. There should a diagonal line across your napkin.
Take the next layer and do the same thing, only this time, pressing it down a few centimeters before the end of the top layer.
Repeat the procedure up to the bottom layer.
Tuck the 2 sides underneath the napkin. You will now have diamond shaped layers.
The pyramid fold:
Fold your napkin diagonally in half to make a triangle.
The open end should be facing away from you.
Make a diamond by lifting the 2 corners and positioning them in the middle.
Turn it over so that you are looking at 1 diamond than 2 triangles put together.
Remember to keep the open end away from you.
Take the top corner and press it down the bottom end. You now have an inverted triangle.
Turn the napkin over with the open end towards you.
Lift your napkin and bend the 2 ends. This should support your napkin when you put it on the table.
The silver pouch.
This fold allows you to put your utensils inside the pouch.
Fold the napkin in half with the open side towards you.
Fold it in half again to make a square.
Position your napkin so that the open end is at the left side and away from you.
Lift the top corner and press it down the opposite side.
Turn your napkin around so that the open side is now facing you and at the right side.
Lift the right side and fold it leaving only about 1/3 of space.
Tuck the end of the left side under the small triangle on the right side of the napkin.
Turn your napkin over and place the utensils in the pocket.
If you want to be a bit more creative, you can try this fold:
The crown:
Fold your napkin diagonally in half to make a triangle.
Position the napkin so that the open side is away from you.
Make a diamond by lifting the 2 corners and positioning them in the middle.
Fold the bottom part leaving only about ¼ of space. You will have a small triangle.
Lift the small triangle and fold its tip towards its base to form an inverted triangle.
Take both ends of your napkin and tuck one end inside the other.
Take 2 corners and pull it down to the sides to make a crown.
Place your napkin upright on the table.
Tip:
You need to have a napkin stiff enough to hold the shape you’re trying to make. If your napkin is too soft or limp, prepare your napkin by washing it with starch. Ironing it also helps.
Learning the art of napkin folding is really very easy. When you’ve practice the basic folds, try the more sophisticated ones and impress your guests on your next dinner party.