How to Fold a Shamrock Napkin

A napkin folded into a shamrock adds a lucky touch to a St. Patrick's Day party. Your corned beef and cabbage will taste even better on a table decorated with these four leaf clovers folded from napkins. They also make great coasters for an Irish beer tasting party. Generate this particular fold with a soft, unstarched, cloth napkin.

Things You'll Need

• Square cloth napkin

Instructions

1. Lay napkin face down on a table. Fold all four corners into the center, making another square.

2. Turn napkin over and again fold all four corners into the center to make a square. At this point, you should have a cloth version of a paper "cootie catcher" or "fortune teller."

3. Reach under the folded napkin, while holding the folds in the center of the napkin down, and gently pull out the four napkin corners. This will make four soft-rounded folds on top of the napkin, like the leaves on a four leaf clover.

4. Tuck the corners of the napkin back under 1 inch to give the "leaves" a rounded look. "Fluff" the napkin by smoothing down the folds in the center and rounding the four "leaves."

Tips & Warnings

• Shamrock napkins look good placed in the center of the plate.

• Put a dinner roll in the middle of your four leaf clover or hide lucky gold coins in the openings in the leaves

References

• "Paper Creations"; Gay Merrill Gross; 1997