How to Fold Ship Napkins

Boat napkins add interest to a nautical party. They are also a fun addition to the dinner table if you are serving a seafood dinner. The ship fold works well with rectangular napkins and is one of the few folds that works with a napkin with an irregular edge.

Things You'll Need

• Heavily starched napkin
• Iron

Instructions

Folding The Napkin

1. 

   Lay the napkin flat on the table right side down with the shortest sides at the top and bottom. Fold the napkin in half by bringing the top two corners down to the lower two corners. Sharply crease this fold; in fact, you may need to iron it.

2. Fold the new top two corners down to a point at or near the center of the napkin and an inch or more above the lower edge. The two triangles you made should be the same size and the bottom edges should be perpendicular to the bottom of the napkin. Sharply crease these folds; you may need to iron them, as well.

3. 

   Fold up the "lower flap" of napkin to cover the bottom edges of the triangles. Turn the napkin over and do the same on the other side. Again, sharply crease or iron these fold. You should now have either a triangle or a triangle with the top cut off. At this point, it is a "paper hat" shape.

4. Pick your ship napkin up and hold it by the middle of the front and back lower edge and gently pull these edges apart until the outside edges come together. Place this square or squarish shape on the table with the opening and the point facing toward you.

5. Fold the upper layer up so that the lower point touches the upper point. Crease lightly. Turn the boat napkin over and repeat this fold. The napkin should be roughly triangular now.

6. Pick up the ship napkin with one of the points you just folded up in each hand and gently pull them apart lifting up the inside edges on each side to form a boat shape. Press your ship napkin flat.

7. Spread the sides of your ship out a bit when you place it on the table.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice with a piece of paper until you figure out the folds. Paper is easier than fabric.

• If your folds won't hold, you need more starch in your napkin. Do this on an ironing board. Ironing your sharp creases helps hold the shape.

• This folding method also works with paper napkins.

References

• Mathematische Basteleien: Paper Boat