How to Fold Napkins the Fancy Restaurant Way

Make a napkin decorative with a fanciful fold.

A napkin can be decorative as well as functional. Folding it into an unusual shape adds to the visual appeal of a dining table. Some folding techniques are simple enough to figure out and complete quickly, but others are more complex. A small amount of starch is necessary for crisp results.

Things You'll Need

• Cloth napkin
• Starch
• Iron

Instructions

1. Iron the napkin. Spray a small amount of starch on the napkin as you iron to make it stiff enough to hold its shape when folded.

2. Place the napkin, right side down, on a flat surface. Fold the napkin in half, diagonally, so that it looks like a triangle. The folded part of the triangle should be in front of you and the apex of the triangle should point away from you.

3. Take the point on the right side of the triangle to the apex. Repeat this step for the left side.

4. Turn the napkin over so that the folds are face down on the flat surface. It should be in the shape of a diamond, with the open end pointing away from you.

5. Fold the napkin in half, bringing the point at the open end to the point in front of you.

6. Fold the napkin at the center seam. The starched napkin should be shaped like a pyramid and standing up. Place the napkin on a plate or beside a place setting.

References

• Napkinfoldingfuide.com: The Pyramid Technique
• Celebrations: Linen Napkin Folding