How to Fold Cloth Napkins for Thanksgiving

Fold napkins into the shape of a turkey for a festive Thanksgiving table.

When decorating the Thanksgiving dinner table, consider adding an elegant touch with cloth napkins folded into the shape of a turkey. Cloth napkins provide a stronger medium than flimsy paper napkins. Cotton, cotton blends and linen work beautifully for special occasions. Various price points, colors and prints are available at kitchenware and discount stores. Select an autumn color that can be used all season, or a whimsical print specific to Thanksgiving. Look for square napkins at least 15 inches long. If you do not plan to use the napkins for anything other than a decorative feature, open the package and immediately begin folding the napkins. If your guests will use the napkins, wash, dry, spray starch and iron them first.

Things You'll Need

• Square cloth napkins
• Spray starch
• Iron
• Construction paper (optional)
• Fine-tipped colored markers or crayons (optional)
• Glue sticks (optional)

Instructions

1. Fold the napkin into a rectangle, carefully lining up the edges. The short side should be toward you and the long open edges should be on your right.

2. Pick up the bottom short side. Fold it accordion-style into 1 inch pleats. Continue making pleats until you are ¾ of the way up the napkin. Finger-press each pleat edge. Alternatively, fold each napkin on an ironing board and press each pleat with an iron. End with stacking all the pleats on top of each other vertically.

3. Place both thumbs in the center width of the pleats. Place your hands on top of the pleats. Fold the left side of the napkin under the right side, holding the pleats in place. Place the napkin back on the work surface.

4. Pick up all four layers in the right corner of the non-pleated section of the napkin. Bring this corner down to the left corner of the flat section next to the top of the pleats. This creates a triangle. Finger press or iron this fold.

5. Lift the napkin. Place the open pleat edges upwards and the long section of the triangle downwards. The pleats will fan out toward the work surface. This creates the tail of the napkin turkey.

Tips & Warnings

• To expand the Thanksgiving theme, let children craft small turkey faces from construction paper and glue them to the napkins with glue sticks.

References

• Napkin Folding Guide: Folding Instructions
• The Holiday Spot: How to Fold a Turkey Napkin