Things You'll Need:
- Cloth Napkins
- Napkin Rings
- Ribbon
- Paper
- Scissors
- Craft Punch
- Glue or Double-Sided Tape
- Flower, Leaves, Tassels, Charms or other small Decorative items
- Elastic
- Beads
- Fabric
- Buttons
- Needle and Thread
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Step 1
Napkin rings are a classic way to class up your napkins, but even if you don’t have any napkin rings, you can still get the effect. Use pieces of ribbon; this is a great use for those short pieces you always seem to have left over when wrapping, or if you save beautiful ribbon from gifts, reuse it here. Or instead of ribbon, go with wrapping paper, wallpaper, or some other decorative paper (heavier is better). Cut strips with a width of an inch or two, using either plain scissors or something with an embellished edge. You can embellish the strips with a craft punch if you wish. Wrap the strips around a rolled-up napkin, trim the ends so that they overlap by half an inch or so and secure the ends with double-sided tape or a dab from a glue stick.
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Step 2
If you want to dress up your napkins a little more, add small decorative touches. Tie tassels, feathers, flowers, leaves, small charms or Christmas ornaments to your rolled-up napkins. Or fasten vintage brooches to pieces of strong satin or grosgrain ribbon, for a glamorous napkin accessory
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Step 3
To make your own reusable napkin rings, buy pieces of elastic. With thin elastic cord and some beads, you can create beaded bracelet-style napkin rings. If you buy wider pieces, you can cover them with fabric, buttons or other trim using a little glue or a needle and thread. Secure the ends of the elastic together with a needle and thread.
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Step 4
Instead of the napkin ring idea, you could opt to fold your napkins into shapes. If you’re interested in elaborate decorative designs, there are books and websites with step-by-step instructions on how to create these looks using an iron and some starch. If you want something a little simpler, try this basic pocket shape. Spread the square napkin flat. Fold the bottom edge up to the middle of the napkin. Fold the (new) bottom edge up again on top of itself. Then fold each of the sides back, meeting them in the middle. Fold in sides the same way again to create a narrower pocket. Now place the napkin on the table and tuck whatever you like inside the pocket--cutlery, breadsticks, flowers, menu cards, or anything else that strikes your fancy.
