Serving with cloth napkins. Beautifully fold napkins in different ways. Why do we need textile napkins if there are paper ones

Table linen. This includes tablecloths and napkins.

The tablecloth is the basis of the table setting, but not only its decoration, as many believe. In general, any table setting item has its own meaning, functions. The tablecloth has three. First of all, of course, aesthetic - without a tablecloth, the table looks bare and not so elegant. Secondly, the tablecloth muffles the sound of plates and cutlery on the countertop (any noise while eating is considered bad manners). Thirdly, it reduces the sliding of plates on the table (imagine how inconvenient it is to eat with a knife and fork, for example, a piece of meat from a plate standing on a bare table).

Today, stores offer ready-made sets of tablecloths and napkins. The classic material for them is linen and cotton fabric. But these - solid and dense - fabrics wrinkle quite easily. Therefore, for table setting, it is advisable to purchase table linen from mixed fabrics - this is more practical.

Ready-made tablecloths for table setting in the most common sizes: 130x160, 130x230 cm (for rectangular tables) and 130x150, 160 cm in diameter (for round folding tables).

However, it often turns out that the purchased tablecloth is not suitable for table setting - the dimensions of the tabletop do not have a clear standard, such as, for example, the height of the table. Therefore, the most reasonable way out is to sew a tablecloth, having previously taken the necessary measurements. Here you should remember the main rule: according to the rules of etiquette, the length of the tablecloth descending from the table top should be no more than 15-25 cm. 6m-180x210cm.

But that is not all. In high-class restaurants, at solid receptions and other feasts with a high level of service, it is customary to lay not one tablecloth on the table, but two. The lower tablecloth, unlike the elegant upper one, is sewn from only one type of fabric - cotton flannel, white or bluish. It is small in size - it closes the countertop, and the length of the descent is equal to the thickness of the countertop. From each corner, two ribbons are sewn to this tablecloth, with which it is tied to the legs of the table - so that it does not slip.

If we talk about color, then the white tablecloth is still out of competition for table setting, but only at solemn official feasts. Of course, it looks very elegant, but there is too much trouble: after all, if there is at least one pale spot on it, it is already indecent to use such a tablecloth. In addition, white linen tablecloths must be starched with high quality, not dried out after washing and ironed without stretching.

For informal events, colored tablecloths are the best suited for table setting: they are practical, and besides, bright saturated colors cheer up, give the feast an additional charm. The color can be any, but one condition must be observed: the tablecloth must be in harmony in color with the dishes, otherwise you will deserve reproaches in bad taste.

Modern etiquette invites you to show your imagination and use tablecloths made of non-traditional fabrics and materials for table setting instead of the usual linen and cotton. It can be gauze, brocade, lining silk and even faux fur with a little pile. If the material is too narrow (most often the width of the fabric is 90 or 150 cm), two fabrics can be sewn together.

In addition, plastic film, foil, wallpaper, etc. can be used as a "tablecloth". The latter is very convenient: the stores have a large selection of wallpapers of various colors that can be matched to any service, and discarded after use.

In modern life, there is a tendency to simplify the rules of etiquette at the table, which, of course, affects the rules of table setting. Increasingly, housewives are abandoning the classic tablecloth in favor of table napkins - sets. They are suitable for a feast at any time of the day: for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The set should not be less than 30-40 cm, so that there is enough space for plates, cutlery and glasses. Rectangular and oval shapes are especially practical. You can use for table setting both those sets that are sold in stores, and those made by yourself (which is especially appreciated).

When choosing a set, always consider which table it will lie on and what dishes the table will be served with. For example, for a rustic table setting, materials such as canvas, cork, sanded wood are ideal. For a more elegant serving, it is better to use beautiful cotton fabric or lace.

You can easily and quickly make an original set using a ready-made plastic one: you just need to paste over it with a self-adhesive lacquer colored film, which is now sold in a variety of stores in stores. The simplest set can be done very quickly: take a piece of cardboard of medium thickness 30-40 cm in size and paste over it with colored gift paper. After use, such a set is thrown away. Needless to say, how convenient and practical such a "tablecloth" is!

Napkins appeared in most European countries in the Middle Ages. Before that, instead of them, they used either their own sleeves or the ends of a tablecloth hanging down to the floor. In ancient Greece, more than 3,000 years ago, fig tree leaves served as napkins, with which slaves wiped the lips of their masters. In Russia, napkins became widespread only in the 18th century.

Woven napkins, as a rule, come with a tablecloth, harmonizing with it in color and material. Napkins in the same color as the tablecloth will look better if they are thinner than the tablecloth. If the napkins are slightly different from the tablecloth, the material may be the same.

Their size can be different: napkins 32x32 cm and smaller are used for breakfast, and napkins from 40x40 to 60x60 cm are more suitable for lunch and dinner.

There is a whole art of folding such napkins. Size is of great importance here: only very simple figures can be folded from small napkins, and from those that are larger (the most common size is 50x50 cm) - literally any: the figures "Kulechek" and "Tower", "Banana" and "Corn", " Spanish Wall" and "Swan". The classic version is still relevant, when the napkin is folded into a tube and threaded into a ring.

The type of fabric also plays a role - linen or cotton is best suited for table setting. Starch is of decisive importance for giving napkins one form or another: in order to fold some shapes, you can only lightly starch the fabric, in most cases, starching is necessary. To properly fold a starched napkin, you will need some experience (you can practice on square sheets of paper).

You need to starch the napkins immediately before use: do not store them in this form in the closet to avoid the formation of creases. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the napkins do not stretch when ironing, since strictly square shapes are the key to success when folding.

Using cloth napkins is also an art. First of all, it should be remembered that they are intended only to protect clothes from accidental drops, crumbs, etc., you cannot wipe your mouth and hands with them.

Etiquette at the table of the beginning of the century required laying a napkin behind the collar of clothes, while modern rules of etiquette at the table require laying it on your knees. During breakfast, a napkin is placed on your knees in a straightened form. During lunch - folded in half, folded towards you.

How to open a napkin correctly? Taking it with one hand from the top plate, move your hand to the side and shake the napkin slightly, then put it on your knees, bringing it to the side. When you leave the table, permanently or temporarily, casually remove it from your knees and put it, without turning, to the left of the plate.

And about one more "little thing", which, nevertheless, is quite important. Quite often, a napkin, slipping off a lady's knees, falls to the floor. The rules of decency require that the man sitting next to him pretend not to notice anything. The lady herself must lift the napkin - of course, only if the floor is clean enough and the napkin has not fallen far under the table. Otherwise, it is better to ask the hosts or the waiter to bring a new one.

Along with cloth napkins, there should be paper napkins on the table, which are designed to wipe fingers and lips. It should be remembered that these napkins (as, indeed, paper plates, cups, tablecloths) are disposable, i.e. they can be used only once. However, one often sees that such a napkin is used repeatedly until it finally turns into a greasy lump.

Napkins cannot be served directly from the pack; they must be cut into triangles. There are special stands for such napkins: two planes, located at a distance of several centimeters from each other, are attached to the third. But such a stand "works" only when it is tightly stuffed with napkins, otherwise, when one is pulled out, the rest will fall out. Now about how to use paper napkins. Having pulled out one thin triangle, fold it in half, bending the top to the base and carefully ironing the fold, then bring it to the lips and wipe them with a "collective" movement (rubbing and blotting lips is considered vulgar). Crumple the used napkin (but do not roll into a ball) and place under the edge of the bottom plate. Do not forget that lips must be wiped not only during meals, but also every time you drink - traces of lipstick and greasy lips on the edges of glasses and cups look very unpleasant.

To wipe your fingers, you also need to fold the napkin in half beforehand, take it with the fingertips of both hands. In order not to tear the napkin, you need to make movements only with your thumbs. Crumple the used napkin and put it under the plate. When you've finished eating, put all the dirty napkins on the plate along with the used utensils.

Napkins are an important part of human culture. People have been using them since ancient times. We are so accustomed to these hygiene products that we are more likely to notice the absence of wipes on than their presence. A self-respecting cultured person always uses napkins even at home. Without them, any catering establishment is unthinkable.

Modern napkins only vaguely resemble their ancient counterpart from the leaves of a fig tree, which was actively used in ancient Egypt exactly three millennia ago. Today, manufacturers offer napkins of various designs, made not only from traditional cellulose.

Cotton, silk, blended fabrics and microfiber are used

In addition to individual cloth napkins that protect clothes from food ingress, a whole range of these products is produced, used for completely different purposes. For example, for cocktails, hygienic lip care (made of paper), table setting - this is not a complete list of the purpose of napkins.

Large napkins are used for table setting. They are placed under plates and cutlery, used as curly decorations. The main purpose of napkins is to protect the tablecloth covering the table from contamination. Napkins are easy to replace. Thanks to this, the table will always be clean and fresh. Serving napkins are most often used during breakfasts and business lunches in restaurants.

They are supplied complete with the main tablecloth, and are in complete harmony with it in color and style. You can also purchase wipes separately.

Napkins differ, first of all, in size:

  • For breakfast or tea drinking, a size of 35 by 35 centimeters is used.
  • For lunch and dinner, the size is 40 by 40 centimeters.
  • But the most common are napkins 50 by 50 centimeters - they better protect the main tablecloth, and, if necessary, are easier to drape when creating original decorations.

For the production of this type of napkins, natural fabrics are used - cotton or linen, which are easily affected by starch. A starched napkin holds its shape well, which makes table setting easier.

The most practical are napkins made from mixed fabrics with the addition of synthetic fibers. They are easier to wash and do not shrink. Napkins are decorated in different ways. It can be a border of lace or fringe, embroidery.

How to choose

When choosing napkins, it must be borne in mind that mixed fabrics lend themselves best to beautiful drapery. For example, cotton combined with viscose (not less than 30%) or polyester, polyamide (up to 70%).

Completely natural fabrics, despite their environmental friendliness, are strongly deformed during washing, stretching diagonally. In addition, ironing them to perfect condition is almost impossible.

But it is also impossible to give preference to 100% synthetic fabrics. For example, polyester does not absorb moisture and fats at all. A polyester serving napkin is similar in physical properties to a hard sieve.

Using such napkins in a restaurant is considered bad manners.

Standard sizes of napkins are from 24 to 60 (sometimes 80) centimeters. They are a square, processed along the edges with an overlock and sheathed with lace, braid or fringe. Pay attention to the quality of all seams. And keep in mind that the largest sizes with a square side of at least 60 centimeters are suitable for creating figures from napkins and decorating a table.

Manufacturers

"Kingdom of Flax"

The Russian company produces napkins from natural fabrics - linen, jacquard. The minimum dimensions are 20 by 20 centimeters. A set of four napkins measuring 45 by 45 centimeters costs about 500 rubles. The price of a jacquard napkin is 60-65 rubles (size 60 by 60 centimeters).

  • “The company produces napkins in rich colors - yellow, blue, green, sewn from linen fabric. They look very nice, but jacquard napkins of classic white color approached the interior of our restaurant. The brand offers such napkins with different patterns. A gift version of a jacquard napkin costs up to 220 rubles apiece”

Linen Mill Home

A Russian brand that sells the products of the Orsha Linen Mill, the Vologda Textile and Belarusian Linen companies. Presents to the attention of buyers dyed linen, white and colored jacquard. Sets of linen napkins are sold at a price of 600-700 rubles.

  • “The variety of colors is amazing. Along with white napkins, suitable for expensive restaurants, you can buy bright and original ones - in vichy check, polka dots, with a floral pattern. We purchased jacquard napkins at a price of 250 rubles apiece. Very beautiful colors and jacquard patterns! Classic linen napkins were cheaper - about 95 rubles”

Click point #2 in the table of contents below, where 12+ schemes with photos are described in detail.

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Four ways to lay out in a napkin holder

The main answer to the question of how to beautifully fold paper napkins into a napkin holder is to make a corner out of each napkin. Look at the photo below: what do you see? Single and double fan, which are laid out with corners of paper napkins.

So easy and so convenient! It is easy to pull out any napkin without destroying the ensemble, and the most ordinary napkin holder looks like a solid holder of a solemn composition.

Single and double fan

What are we doing:

  • When folded, fold each napkin diagonally.
  • We fill the holder with the obtained corners.

Option 1 - lay out two fans towards each other.

Option 2 - lay out one fan from the center to the sides.


Bird with colorful tail

Another option is to fold the napkins like elongated trapeziums that will become the bird's tail. For the details of the tail, we bend parallel corners and fold the napkin in half. A bright and unusual tail will provide blanks from napkins in contrasting colors. The head and neck of a bird is a napkin folded into a flat tube with a bent tip. The creative solution is described by step-by-step photos below:


Such a bird fits perfectly into the New Year's table setting, if the Rooster rules the year, or for any spring holiday - as a symbol of the return of warmth and migratory birds.

Both ways - corners and a bird - are shown step by step in a short video:

Bilateral waterfall in a cup

The fifth option is from non-standard: instead of a napkin holder, we use dishes.

  • We need a stable low height ceramic cup.
  • We unfold each napkin 1 time and fold it in half (or 2 times in half - depending on the original size).
  • We lay the formed strips on top of each other and bend in the middle.
  • We deepen the middle of the stack into a cup. Voila! Easy to work, home-style creative and very attractive.

And now let's turn to step-by-step diagrams for the most spectacular and simple solutions on how to beautifully fold napkins on a festive table.

12+ effective schemes for napkins at the plate

Having decided to diversify the serving with napkin folds, we will take into account 2 rules:

  1. We need square napkins with a side of 35–50 cm depending on the complexity of the figure (in this article we limited ourselves to simple ones);
  2. Each place at the table must have a chosen figure, otherwise the hospitable harmony of the feast is violated.

Flower and fan in a glass

They folded it, rolled it up, slightly loosened the top and slightly bent the “petals”, put it in a glass. A clear photo is the best instructor! Below are three options for roses - for every taste.



With a fan (or accordion) you will have to work a little longer:

  • We unfold a regular napkin 1 time - so as to get a long and wide strip.
  • We fold the strips with an accordion in increments of no more than 2 cm.
  • We bend the accordion in half and set it in a glass or glass, as shown in the photo.
  • We keep the same principle for cloth napkins.

Three pleats for a ring and a scarf for a fork

Rings are a win-win option to beautifully fold napkins on a festive table. They open up a new horizon for us for ideas. Look at the step-by-step photo below how easily an ordinary soft napkin turns into a lush, exquisite bow:

The second seemingly obvious option with a ribbon is not devoid of classic charm. Light patterned fabrics for the theme of a particular holiday and a plain satin ribbon are ideal for such a bow - for the middle:


The third option under the ring is a classic flower from the times of Victorian England. It looks very nice on the table, but it is easy to create at home:

Any of the ideas organically accepts natural decor - a sprig of spruce for the New Year or small flowers for the Easter feast.

We can also make rings with our own hands. We will need a base (for example, a long sleeve from foil or cling film can be easily cut into strong rings of the right size) and any decor materials - from a coarse textured thread to tie a ring, to thin lace that can be pasted over cardboard.

And this cute fold in the form of a scarf just asks to decorate the New Year's table. Playful simplicity and naive charm:


Three envelopes for cutlery

Choosing any "envelope" scheme, we can not only beautifully fold napkins on the festive table, but also put cutlery in them, or a card with the guest's name. And when serving for the New Year, it can be a miniature postcard with a wish.

The most popular envelope in European countries is with a beveled corner. It is wide, elegant and able to accommodate the entire set of appliances, and not just the nice little decor. Detailed step by step photos explain the simple process.







Another version of the envelope - with a solid strip in the middle. This simple circuit is well laid out in a short video instruction:

And the uncomplicated version of the envelope in a hurry will easily join the serving of a home holiday and will require a minimum of time from the creator (involve the kids in the festive chores!):

Volumetric figures - Candle and Crown

Are only flat circuits simple? No. Many voluminous options that are stable on a plate on their own are completed in minutes!

Any student will get a curious voluminous version. Napkin Candle that can create a mood in serving a romantic meal or a New Year's feast:

The versatile crown also folds in a couple of minutes. It organically combines with natural decor, becoming a stand for the first spring flowers, fresh herbs or spruce branches in a New Year's theme.

The perfect paper or fabric pinwheel


The classic origami form comes to the rescue in many holiday details:

  • Weathercocks on a stick to decorate a buffet display;
  • Accompanying prizes at competitions along with a bouquet of balloons;
  • Window decoration with hanging geometric elements;
  • Wall compositions from photos.

Interesting contours of the turntable and ease of execution will also come in handy for the festive table: the weather vane turns out beautifully from any material.




Flower Perfection

Let's complete the parade of simple schemes with a flat flower in the traditional origami technique. This laconic form looks just perfect! Your guests will need an effort to destroy it for the convenience of the table. And who said that a meal is not a place for strong aesthetic impressions? Having trained on simple schemes, we dare and impress!

An important secret to success: for such a flower, choose a traditional, not thin cotton napkin and iron it well before folding.


Secrets of the choice of materials and video TOP 10 folds

  • The color of napkins and tablecloths. Don't be afraid to experiment! You are not required to observe the contrast of colors or a complete match with the tablecloth. It only makes sense to support exactly the tablecloth with napkins. A solid tablecloth, on the contrary, often becomes the backdrop for bright solutions for each plate. Do not exclude the option of white on white, which is distinguished by a special solemnity.
  • Napkin material. Our story at the beginning of the article - about napkins in napkin holders - demonstrated the main thing: it is not expensive material that colors the serving, but the creative solution of the element. Paper napkins are a smart choice for beautiful origami. And if you prefer fabric, then choose dense textures that retain their shape well - cotton, linen, chintz, dense viscose.
  • Don't chase complicated circuits on your first try. It’s better to bookmark our article, because it contains only those solutions that even a novice hostess or a young mother can implement, involving a baby in the process. Cooking a holiday is one of the best educational games!
  • Take time to fold your napkins at the table. Ideally, practice beforehand. After all, this is a creative process, it is designed to please not only guests, but also you!
  • Choose color schemes for a specific holiday. The new year is always organic in green, red, gold and white. Autumn celebrations - all the colors of leaf fall. Spring feasts are pastel shades of blue, pink and fresh greens. And in the summer, any associations are open to us - from colorful patterns to juicy yellow and blue colors.

Of course, we did not talk about all the curious ways of how to fold napkins on a festive table, and the above diagrams are only part of the ideas for a festive serving. However, we advise you to start with our selection. Favorable ease of execution and detailed step-by-step photos are a guarantee of success with minimal effort and time.

P.S. Attention!

A great selection of 10 simple folds for any holiday in a step by step video.

Thank you for the article (10)

Do you like to receive guests? We just love it! And that is why we offer you to sew a tablecloth with your own hands for their arrival. Believe me, such a tablecloth will not only decorate your holiday, but will also become the pride of the hostess, because you cannot buy such a tablecloth in a store! Crafted from a floral cotton tapestry, it is trimmed around the edge with a satin border and fine lace trim. Another feature of this tablecloth is that it is double - planted on a thin olive-colored cotton lining.

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DIY tablecloth - details

Rice. 1. DIY tablecloth - table setting

Rice. 3. Table setting - top view

DIY tablecloth - master class

In order to correctly calculate the required length of fabric for a tablecloth, measure the length and width of your table and add 60 cm to the measured values. + 60 cm, ШС = Table length + 60 cm. According to the norms, the tablecloth should go down from all edges of the table by 25-30 cm.

As a rule, tablecloths bought in stores have standard sizes and do not always fit our table, going down the edges too much or not enough. This is another argument to sew the tablecloth yourself!

You can buy fabric for a tablecloth at a curtain fabric store. The width of such fabrics, as a rule, is 2.8-3.0 m, which will allow you to sew a tablecloth even on a large table. Dimensions of the table presented in the master class: 0.9 m x 1.8 m.

For our tablecloth and 4 napkins, we needed:

Main fabric: cotton tapestry with a floral pattern - 1.5 m with a fabric width of 2.8 m.

Lining fabric: cotton poplin 2.4 m long and 150 cm wide.

Satin ribbon for finishing the edges of the tablecloth 6.5 cm wide, 8.5 m long, lace trim 2.5 cm wide and 8.5 m long, matching threads.

For processing the edges of napkins (napkin size 0.3 x 0.3 m): satin ribbon 3 cm wide, 5 m long, lace trim 2.5 cm wide and 5 m long, matching threads.

Rice. 1. Do-it-yourself tablecloth - necessary materials

Cut out the tablecloth from the main and lining fabrics according to your measurements, add 1 cm allowances on all sides. Fold both parts right sides together, align along the edges and fix with tailor's pins.

Rice. 2. Processing the tablecloth with a lining. Cut out 2 rectangles for the tablecloth from the main and lining fabric according to the measurements.

Sew parts from the main and lining fabrics along the contour, leaving a small area for eversion.

Rice. 3. Sew parts along the contour

Cut off the allowances on the corners, not reaching 2 mm to the line.

Rice. 4. Cut corner allowances

Iron the seams of the tablecloth from the right side, laying both allowances on the piece from the main fabric.

Rice. 5. Iron the seams

Baste the tablecloth cleanly on all sides, turning the seam over to the wrong side.

Rice. 6. Sweep cleanly on all sides

Bend the allowances on the open area of ​​the tablecloth and iron. Then fold together, matching the edges, baste and topstitch close to the edge. Remove basting stitches. Iron the tablecloth all over again.

Rice. 7. Allowances for the open area to bend and tack

Before adjusting the satin ribbon, you need to fix the edges of the tablecloth. To do this, lay wide basting stitches along the edges as shown in photo 8.

Rice. 8. Baste the edges of the tablecloth with wide stitches.

Decorating the edges of the tablecloth with a satin ribbon

To decorate the tablecloth, a satin ribbon and lace trim are used. First you need to sew a satin ribbon along the edges of the tablecloth, then a lace trim is sewn onto the ribbon (Fig. 9).

Rice. 9. Satin ribbon and lace trim

Start stitching the satin ribbon from one of the corners of the tablecloth. Position it exactly along the edges and stitch exactly to the edge.

Rice. 10. How to sew a satin ribbon

To make it easier for you to guide the fabric under the foot when turning the corner, thread a double thread into the top of each corner. Pull on the thread as you turn to help feed the fabric under the foot.

Rice. 11. When turning the corner, pull the thread

After the satin ribbon is stitched around the entire perimeter of the tablecloth, it is necessary to draw the corners. To do this, lay the tape at a 90° angle and cut off the excess tape at the corner, leaving allowances for the hem edges.

Rice. 12. Cut off the corners of the satin ribbon

Tuck one ribbon allowance on top of the other, fold the top allowance and baste or pin with pins.

Rice. 13. Allowances on the corners to bend and pin

Make sure that when bending the tape, you get a neat, even hem. Stitch the seam allowance exactly to the edge.

Rice. 14. Stitch the ribbon allowance to the corner

The open edge of the ribbon can be pinned to the tablecloth or basted, along this edge we will sew a lace trim.

Rice. 15. Tablecloth corners

Lace trim should be sewn exactly in the center. To do this, lay the trim on the open edge of the satin ribbon and sew in the center, while sewing the inner edge of the satin ribbon.

Rice. 16. How to sew a lace trim

When you reach the corner, fold the lace trim at an angle of 90 °, fold the allowances inward and continue stitching. Stitch the trim on all sides of the tablecloth, fasten the ends of the threads and cut.

Rice. 17. Having reached the corner, turn the inlay at an angle

To fix the lace trim at the corners, sew short stitches on each corner of the tablecloth.

Rice. 19. Stitch the corners of the inlay

The finished tablecloth looks simply luxurious and will serve you for many years. Advice! Get yourself a brush and dustpan for such a tablecloth and your table will always be neat and clean!

Rice. 20. Ready-made tablecloth

How to cut and sew napkins

For the set you will need 6 table napkins. For sewing them, use the same fabrics as for the tablecloth. Cut out napkins from the main and lining fabrics and sew in the same way as the tablecloth. To decorate napkins, use a narrower 3 cm wide satin ribbon.

Rice. 21. Cut napkins

A set of napkins in finished form is shown in fig. 22. Together with the tablecloth, they make the perfect set that you can use as you wish. We wish you happy holidays!

Rice. 22. Napkins in finished form.

You will find even more new interesting ideas on the Anastasia Korfiati Sewing School website. Subscribe to free lessons and sew fashionable clothes with us!

Every housewife knows that a homely atmosphere is created from little things. So, ordinary do-it-yourself cloth napkins can transform the kitchen and make an everyday meal a cozy family feast. Napkins perform not only a practical, but also a decorative function. And sewing them yourself is quite simple, even without much experience in sewing.

Choosing fabric for napkins

To make such products, special attention should be paid to the choice of material, since the appearance and functionality of the accessories will depend on this. And in order for everything to look harmonious in general, it is advisable to think over at the stage of choosing the right fabric.

Material

The material for kitchen napkins should be sufficiently dense, but at the same time light, easy to wash and retain its original shape.

Traditionally, for the manufacture of table linen, the following types of fabrics are used:

  • Satin.
  • Cotton.

Important! For everyday use, cotton napkins are more appropriate, since they are not too easily soiled and retain their shape well. The option of satin and linen looks more festive, but at the same time, there is much more trouble with washing and starching such decorative elements. If you decide to choose the second option, be sure to keep a note of several ways,.

Colors

Conventionally, the color palettes that are used for sewing napkins are divided into several groups:

  • Pastel shades.
  • Silver and gold (indigo, emerald, purple).
  • Classic colors (pearl, white).

Important! The choice of colors will depend only on your personal preferences. But at the same time, the products should be in harmony with the tablecloth and the overall design of the room, both in color and in texture. Harmony is not only a complete match of colors, but a good contrast or mix.

Depending on the specific occasion and the upcoming celebration, consider also ways to decorate the table. We offer the following articles to help you:

Choosing the color of napkins, if you match them under a tablecloth, is quite simple. To do this, take into account the density of the fabric:

  • If the napkins are inferior in density, they should be slightly darker.
  • If the material of the tablecloth and decor elements is the same in structure, you can safely choose napkins of the same color as the tablecloth.

Important! Cotton fabric must be washed before cutting, as it shrinks a lot - the finished product may lose its appearance after the first wash.

Tools and materials

The materials and tools that you will need in order to sew napkins for table setting with your own hands can be easily bought at any sewing store, and some of them may be found in your home:

  • Textile.
  • Fine needle.
  • Dense threads.
  • Sewing machine.
  • Scissors.
  • Pen (for marking).
  • Iron.

Important! For cutting fabric, it is advisable to use sharply sharpened scissors. Otherwise, the edges of the material will begin to crumble, and the cut will come out uneven.

Stages of work

To make a napkin, you must proceed as follows:

  1. Decide on the size of the future product. The best option would be a size of 50 by 50 cm, where the size of the workpiece will be 58 by 58 cm.
  2. Mark the fabric and start cutting. All cuts must be perfectly even so that in the future the napkin can be folded in different ways.
  3. Lay the pattern inside out. Bend the edges on all 4 sides by 1.2 cm and iron well. Then fold over the edges by another 2.5 cm, iron well again.
  4. Unfold all the folds from the point where the folds intersect, draw a line at a 90 degree angle to the diagonal of the napkin.
  5. Cut a corner along this line. Then step back 1.5 cm from the cut and make a line on the typewriter.
  6. Before turning the sewn corners right side out, iron the fabric on each seam on both sides. Turn the corners right side out, stitch the edges of the product around the perimeter.
  7. Starch the finished napkin and iron well.

Table decoration with napkins

You can beautifully decorate the table with napkins in many ways. Let's look at some of them.

Accessories

On sale you can find many different accessories for napkins, including clips, rings. These small decorative details can help create an unusual composition:

  • Rings - allow you to achieve rigor and elegance in the design. They can be decorated with rhinestones, feathers, flowers, name letters made of different materials.
  • Ribbons - designed for bandaging napkins and, if you look, act as rings.
  • Clips - also serve to fix napkins. Additionally, they can be decorated with flowers or rhinestones.

Folding methods

There are so many options for folding paper or cloth napkins. But some of the simplest and most successful of them can be singled out separately:

  • A sail is perhaps the most concise way to design napkins. For this option, fold the napkin in half, fold away from you. Then fold over the top corners to form a triangle. Next, fold the resulting figure in half (along the seam).
  • Roll - most appropriate for official receptions. Fold the napkin in half with the fold towards you. Cover the cutlery with the left and right edges of the “triangle”. Wrap the resulting envelope.
  • French is a very elegant option. Fold the napkin along a diagonal line so that the folded edge remains on the left side. Next, fold the top corner down, leaving about 2 cm of the right corner open. Now fold the right side down.
  • Pyramid - looks strictly, but quite impressive. Fold the napkin diagonally, and then fold the left and right sides end up. Next, bend the future pyramid along the center line.
  • Fan - a product folded in a fan can be placed in front of a large serving plate. Also, a fan in a glass will be an original solution.

Important! Having chosen the method of decorating napkins that suits you and starting to lay the table, also find out