How to Fold Party Napkins
Beautifully folded napkins offer an easy way to dress up a table for a party. Use cloth napkins for the best results. Your size options for cloth napkins include luncheon napkins, which are often 7-inch squares. Dinner napkins can measure from 18 to 22 inches square. The 18-inch size works well for more intricate napkin folds, and it offers sufficient coverage for your party guests' laps to protect their clothes from crumbs and spills. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Select cloth dinner napkins in the color and fabric of your choice. Heat up an iron on the proper setting for the fabric. Press each napkin flat that you intend to fold, lightly spraying each one with starch as you press it.
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Match the fold of the napkin to the atmosphere of the party. For example, a Pyramid fold is a simple design suitable for an informal setting. Create the design by folding the napkin in half on the diagonal to make a triangle. With the folded side facing toward you, fold up the right side to meet the top point and center of the triangle. Do the same on the left side. Turn over the napkin, keeping the folded ends facing toward you. Fold the napkin in half from top to bottom. With the open ends now facing you, fold the napkin down the center seam, propping it up like a pyramid.
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Create a sculpted napkin design with the free-standing Bishop's Hat fold. Follow the first three steps of the Pyramid fold so that you have the left and right sides of the napkin folded to the top point at the center of a triangle. You now should have a diamond shape with the folds facing you. Fold up the bottom point so that it's three-quarters away from the top point. Fold down the point of that top layer so that it meets the bottom of the napkin. Fold down each side of the next layer, tucking the pointed ends behind the fold you just made. Turn over the napkin, and form a cone by tucking one bottom corner into the other so that the napkin sits upright on the table.
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Choose the pleated Empire fold for a more formal atmosphere. Begin by folding the napkin in half to create a rectangle, then fold the rectangle in half to create a square. Turn the square on point so that it looks like a diamond with all the open edges of the napkin facing away from you. Fold down the top layer along the open edges and tuck the pointed end under the fold to create the appearance of a pleat. Do the same with the next two layers. Your napkin should now look like a diamond with three layers of pleats. Finish by folding the left and right sides of the diamond to the back to create straight edges on the sides of the napkin.
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Add flamboyance to your table with the Standing Fan fold. Start by folding your napkin in half, creating a rectangle with the folded side facing away from you. Now, fold the napkin to mimic an accordion by making a series of 2-inch folds from one of the short sides of the rectangle. Leave about 2 inches unfolded. Fold the napkin in half and grasp the accordion-folded side so that the open edges are on top. Turn down the unfolded edge on the open end to create a diagonal fold with its edges tucked behind the accordion folds. Open the napkin along the bottom fold to create a standing fan.
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Tips & Warnings
Cloth napkins in solid colors will help show off your folded designs more than napkins made from fabrics with bold prints.
Remove manufacturers' tags from your napkins to keep them from sticking out and ruining your folded designs.
