Silverware

Napkin Folds

One way to achieve an elegant table look for your events especially if you are a conscious consumer is to create beautiful napkin folds for your elegant table. Many times a napkin fold will enhance your table dcor. By placing a contrasting colored ribbon or flower on a specialty folded napkin will add to the wow factor of your elegant table.

My philosophy is when the napkin is part of the table dcor, I will have it placed in the center of the place setting with the silverware on either side in their proper placements. You can also create menu cards for your dinner parties and place them in a folded napkin that has been specially folded to hold the menu. Below are some instructions and pictures for a few different napkin folds.

Pocket Fold - The Most Popular Fold at A Wynning Event

1. Take an 18" to 24" square linen dinner napkin (preferably one that is new or starched) and lay it flat on the table.

2. Then 3" from the bottom fold the dinner napkin up so that you still have the same width but the napkin is now 3" shorter.

3. Taking that bottom portion that is folded, fold it over again 3".

4. Now fold the top edge underneath the napkin 2" so now the dinner napkin has a folded edge on top.

5. Fold the right edge under the napkin and then the left edge under the dinner napkin so that now the napkin is folded in thirds.

6. You may then want to place a flower in the pocket or the dinner menu printed on 5 " X 7" cardstock or your silverware.

Tuxedo Fold

1. Take an 18" to 24" square cloth napkin (preferably one that is new or starched) and lay it flat on the table.

2. Fold the cloth napkin in half widthwise and then in half lengthwise so now the napkin is in quarters with the open quarter at the top left side of the napkin.

3. Then roll the first layer of the cloth napkin toward you to so the top left corner has now met the right lower corner.

4. Fold the second layer toward you and tuck it under the first layer. The upper left corner of the napkin should be about halfway under the first layer.

5. Take the next layer of the cloth napkin and fold it away from you and tuck the upper left corner about one third of the way under the second layer.

6. Then fold the right and left side edges to the center back.

7. You may then want to place a flower or silverware in the first fold.

Bouquet Tie

1. Take an 18" to 24" square linen napkin (preferably one that is new or starched) and lay it flat on the table.

2. Then fold it into triangle with the point of the triangle facing on the top and the hypotenuse on the bottom.

3. Take the outside corners and bring them to top corner to make a diamond.

4. Grab the linen napkin by the middle, gather it and then tie it with ribbon.

5. You may want to place a flower in the top portion of the gather.

Butterfly or Fan

1. Take an 18" to 24" square linen napkin (preferably one that is new or starched) and lay it flat on the table.

2. Then start a fold about an 1" to 1" wide down from the top and fold the linen napkin towards you.

3. Flip the napkin over and make the same size fold this time from the bottom portion of the napkin and fold away from you.

4. Continue to repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have completely folded the napkin.

5. Keeping it pinched in the center, tie with a ribbon and then fan out the edges.

In terms of event set-up time and folding napkins, most often at A Wynning Event I include this task as part of the scope of work for the florist that I hire. I obtain the napkins ahead of time from the rental company and deliver them to my florist. They then fold the napkins, bring them to site and place them at the table. It is truly amazing what a difference a flower and a special napkin fold can make at the table.