Fabric napkins: manufacturing secrets, folding methods

Table design features

Table setting is a creative, exciting process. All family members can participate. This activity can be turned into an interesting game. The process of decorating a festive table includes everything: from selecting a tablecloth to arranging cutlery. The latter include napkins. They are an important means of hygiene and help decorate a celebration. They must be purchased and placed according to certain rules.

To fold a napkin in an original way, you should choose its size correctly. Large size products would be ideal. They look better on the table and easily turn into extraordinary figures.

The color of table textiles should be in harmony with the color of the tablecloth. It should be contrasting or the same. The color scheme should be chosen, additionally taking into account the interior features of the room.

The napkins should be placed to the left of the appliance, directly on the plate. It is allowed to use fabric for folding cutlery: knives, spoons, forks.

Along with fabric ones, there should be ordinary paper napkins on the table. Guests will use them to wipe their lips and hands after eating fatty foods. The fabric material allows fat to pass between the threads. Then it ends up on the guest's clothes.

Textile products must be prepared before the feast. They should be washed and ironed thoroughly. The washing mode should be delicate. For serious, complex stains, the use of a stain remover is allowed.

How to choose napkins?

Any meal requires the presence of napkins. They are a must for a festive dinner, and you also need to have an idea of how to properly arrange traditional items.

When choosing napkins, you need to consider the following points:

holiday theme (birthday, New Year, dinner party);
the interior of the room, the tone of the tablecloth (the color of the product should complement the decoration of the house);
form of celebration (how the event will take place, standing or sitting);
preference of the home owners.

For any occasion you can purchase products with a corresponding, original design.

New Year's version of a festive napkin.

Note! When sitting, guests always wipe their hands or lips more. If the celebration is planned as a cocktail or an aperitif (while standing), the quantitative share of napkins is significantly reduced.

Choosing fabric

In shops and markets, textile products of different sizes, types, and price categories are sold for table setting. But it will be more effective to make cute napkins with your own hands. This is quite easy to do. The first stage of production is the choice of fabric. The fabric should be light, dense, wear-resistant. It must withstand a large number of washes and not lose its original appearance after several uses. Three types of fabric meet all of the above requirements. They are described in more detail in the table.

Fabric Advantages, disadvantages Cotton As an everyday textile, this is an ideal option. The cotton is not easily soiled, it is dense. It retains its shape and does not wash out. Can last for a long time. The cost of such material is acceptable. Mixed fabrics A practical, inexpensive option. These are fabrics consisting of synthetic and natural raw materials. The percentage of component input may vary. Thanks to mixing, the fabric combines all the advantages of natural and synthetic raw materials. It is wear-resistant. After washing, the material does not shrink. Linen is a natural, beautiful fabric. It has good absorbency and easily retains its shape even after ten washes. Flax is susceptible to starch. The product can be folded into various fancy shapes.

Interesting folding methods

It will be difficult to surprise guests with napkins modestly lying under the plate. Now it is fashionable to fold them into various shapes, flowers, and other extraordinary shapes. The following are the most popular options.

Lily

An original flower will decorate any holiday table.
The starting position of the fabric is folded in half diagonally. The left and right corners are aligned with the vertex of the original triangle. Then you need to fold it in half, just bend the top of the triangle located at the top.

Scheme for assembling a lily from a fabric napkin

South Cross

The Southern Cross is an interesting and very simple fabric napkin layout that will fit perfectly into the decor of the dining table.
The original shape is face down. Bend all corners one by one. They should be facing the center. Then you need to turn the square over and bend the corners again. Then the upper right corner should be pulled out, followed by all the others.

Method of folding napkins “Southern Cross” step by step

Megaphone

Megaphone - a very simple way to design a paper or fabric napkin

Materials and tools

The tools and materials needed to make napkins with your own hands can be easily purchased at any clothing store, and some of them will definitely be available at home:

Textile;
dense threads;
thin needle;
Scissors;
sewing machine;
iron;
Pen (for marking).

Helpful Hint: Use only sharp scissors to cut material. Otherwise, the edges of the fabric will begin to fray and the cut edges will be uneven.

First determine the size of the future fabrics. The best option is 50 x 50 cm (workpiece size 58 x 58 cm).

Then mark the fabric and start cutting. All cuts should be as even as possible so that the napkins can be folded in different ways.

Place the design on your head. Fold the edges 1.5 cm on all four sides and press. Wrap the edges another 2.5cm and then press them again.

Turn all the folds and from the intersection of the folds, draw a line at right angles to the diagonal of the napkin.

Cut one corner of the napkin along this line. Move 1.5 cm away from the cut and sew.

Before turning the stitched corners of the napkin to the front side, you need to iron the fabric on each seam on both sides. Loosen the corners at the front and sew the edges of the napkin around the circumference.

The finished napkin can be ironed and strengthened.

Accessories

To make napkins a real highlight of the table setting, they can be decorated with original accessories. Accessories can be different: flowers, feathers, clips, rings. With the help of such decorative elements you can create an incredible composition. Use the following guidelines when selecting accessories.

You should not decorate the feast with artificial flowers. It looks cheap and unattractive. It is better to give preference to fresh flowers, even inexpensive ones. Chamomile, fragrant rose, delicate lily will help create an incredible atmosphere at the table.
Textile products can be personalized. This idea is relevant when organizing a wedding or birthday. Personalized napkins will be a very pleasant surprise. You can embroider names on the material yourself. For this purpose, contrasting threads are usually used. Another option is to put names out of rhinestones. This is a great party idea.
Rings are an exquisite accessory. It will become indispensable during a dinner party or an important business event. The advantage of rings is their durability. This accessory is made from durable raw materials. It can be stored in a closet at home, waiting for the right opportunity. Rings come in different sizes and colors. You need to choose a model based on the color of the tablecloth, the interior features of the room, and the table. Every detail of the decor should be in harmony with the serving. Special clamps can be an excellent alternative to rings. Clamps are made in different shapes and colors. They look quite elegant.
Satin ribbons. Bright satin ribbons go well with beautiful textiles. This is the easiest, most inexpensive way to decorate a table. You just need to tie napkins folded into an interesting shape with ribbons. Additionally, the ribbons can be decorated with rhinestones. They are simply glued to the surface using quick-drying glue.

How to make serving napkins with your own hands?

Fabric products have always been used to decorate homes. Today, this function is performed by cloth napkins. You can make such crafts yourself, thus saving money on purchasing these items. Also, a novice master can make a masterpiece according to his desires.

An interesting detail is a pocket for cutlery.

Let's focus on serving items. The material must be matched to the color of the tablecloth, or taking into account other individual factors of the house. Tools for crafts can be found in every home: scissors, thread, iron, needles, ballpoint pen, sewing machine, etc. You immediately need to decide on the size.

Schematic strokes are applied to the fabric.
Then we begin to cut according to the markings (this should be done extremely smoothly and carefully).
It is better to straighten the material after the cuts using an iron.
Fold the edges and iron again.
Next, the segments are unfolded and the folds are marked with paste.
The corners are cut according to the markings.
Then a small deviation from the cut (a centimeter and a half), the seam is sewn on a machine.
The final step is ironing the seams. Then the edges are turned inside out and stitched with a machine. After work, the napkin is washed, starched and ironed again.

Linen is the most successful option for sewing serving napkins.
Note! Plate napkins are made in a similar way; the best material in this case is linen. Ribbons and bows are sewn on, the front segment and the back part are connected. Stitched and ironed. The material can be taken with a pattern.

Napkins nowadays perform several functions. The practical purpose of these products has been known for a long time; today they become attractive decorative accessories for table decoration. Do-it-yourself crafts will become original products that will surprise your guests.

Rules for using cutlery

In order for the evening to be amazing, each guest and family member must follow certain rules of behavior at the table. We are taught this from early childhood. The child is taught how to hold a fork and use a spoon correctly. However, few people explain the rules for using napkins. They also exist.

Do not wipe your mouth or hands with cloth. There are several reasons for this. One of the main ones is that stains from fatty foods will remain on such material. It doesn't look nice.

Napkins made of cotton, linen, or satin should be placed on your knees and tucked behind your collar. The choice will depend on the norms accepted in society.

The main purpose of fabric products is to protect guests' clothing. They will reliably protect your outfit from crumbs from the table and random stains.

You can only place a napkin on your lap after the owner of the house. This is the norm of etiquette. It is also not customary to start a meal without the hosts. If, after unrolling, the towel turns out to be too long, you can turn up one corner.

At the end of the meal, all cutlery must be left on the table. You can put a napkin near the plate. You should not leave it on a chair or directly on a platter.