How to Make Personalized Napkin Rings

Personalized napkin rings are easy to make and add an elegant touch to a dining table.

Napkin rings are rings that are either wrapped around napkins or have napkins passed through them. They add elegance and style to your table's place settings. Napkin rings come in various shapes and sizes. They can be as simple as slips of ribbon around napkins, or as complex as jewel-set silver and hand-crafted porcelain rings. Making your own napkin rings is easy and allows you to add a personalized touch to them.

Things You'll Need

• Polymer clay
• Butter knife
• Cannoli form
• Oven

Instructions

Polymer Clay Napkin Rings

1. Condition the polymer clay by kneading each piece by hand. Roll the clay out and then squish it into a ball. Repeat until the clay is soft.

2. Form some of the clay into personalized shapes, such as the family crest, the first letter of the family last name or an animal. Get creative! These pieces will be set on top of each ring.

3. Make the napkin rings by rolling pieces of clay into solid tubes that are one inch in diameter. Lay the clay on a flat surface, place both hands on the clay and roll the clay back and forth to form the tube. Flatten the tubes slightly with a rolling pin or similar device. Cut off the edges so they are all flat on the ends, and wrap the clay ring around a metal baking rod like a cannoli form.

4. Score the back of the personalized polymer clay pieces by making slits in the clay with a butter knife. Make the slits run in opposite directions, forming little squares in the clay that resemble a checkerboard. Repeat this process on the napkin rings where you would like to set the personalized pieces.

5. Dab a little water on the areas that have been scored on both a napkin ring as well as a personalized piece that will be set onto the ring. Press the scored area of both pieces together. You should now have a napkin ring with a personalized piece connected to it. Repeat for each napkin ring you are making.

6. Bake the napkin rings in the oven for one hour at 275 degrees Fahrenheit while it is still on the metal rod.

7. Remove the napkin rings from the oven and allow them to cool. Leave them on the cannoli rods until they cool. Once cool, they are ready for use. The baking process will harden the clay napkin rings. The rings do not need to be treated or sealed.

References

• HGTV: Now to Create Polymer Clay Napkin Rings