10 Ways to Fold the Perfect Thanksgiving Napkin
Step up your place settings this holiday season with these clever and festive Thanksgiving napkin folding ideas.
Cassidy Garcia
Take both cloth and paper napkins from drab to fab this season with just a few simple and easy folds. Offering everything from functional silverware sleeves to a festive Thanksgiving turkey, your table will be dressed to impress with these fun and fancy tutorials.
Envelope Napkin Fold
Clara MacLellan
Start by placing a square napkin on a flat surface and folding it in half to form a triangle (Image 1). Fold each bottom corner inward until the tips meet in the middle (Image 2). Next, fold the sides in so they meet in the middle (Image 3). Fold the bottom upward to create the envelope, then slide your Thanksgiving menu inside (Images 4 & 5).
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Fold down the top to close the envelope or simply leave it open so guests can get a glimpse of the meal to come.
Clara MacLellan
Cornucopia Napkin Fold
Clara MacLellan
Place a square napkin on the table and fold it in half (Image 1). Turn the folded napkin 90 degrees and fold it once more to create a square (Image 2). Grab one corner and roll the napkin into a cone (Images 3 & 4). Once the cornucopia is sitting on the plate, fill it with festive trimmings like mini pumpkins, pinecones and acorns (Image 5).
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Pumpkin Napkin Fold
Sarah Busby
Start with an orange square napkin on a table or flat surface. Place a napkin ring in the center of the napkin (Image 1), and slightly pull the middle section of the napkin up through the napkin ring (Image 2). Fold each corner of the napkin into the center (Image 3). Continue folding the napkin into the center, tucking the napkin into the napkin ring as you go (Image 4). Finally, insert a stick of cinnamon into the center to hold the napkin in place and serve as the pumpkin's stem (Image 5).
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Put a personalized spin on each pumpkin place setting with a gift-tag name card.
Sarah Busby
Maple Leaf Napkin Fold
Clara MacLellan
Place a square napkin on a flat work surface and fold it in half (Image 1). Next, bring each top corner down to meet in the middle, forming a triangle (Image 2). Fold the bottom corners of the triangle upward to the top of the triangle, forming a diamond shape (Image 3). Fold the top corners back down slightly to create a leaf shape, then finish the look off by cinching the bottom with a napkin ring (Images 4 & 5).
Clara MacLellan
Place a maple leaf napkin on each dinner plate to leaf your guests speechless.
Clara MacLellan
Gourd Turkey Napkin Fold
Cassidy Garcia
Start with a square napkin on a table or flat surface. Fold the bottom edge of the napkin up two-thirds of the way (Image 1). Then, fold the bottom edge up about one-third of the way (Image 2). Starting at one side, make small vertical folds all the way to the opposite edge like a paper fan (Image 3). Secure the bottom with a napkin ring, and then fan out the top (Image 4). Next, cut the bottom off of a small gourd so it can sit flat (Image 5). Stand the napkin up using the ring, and place the gourd in front of it to form the turkey's head and body.
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Create a gourd-geous turkey napkin for each table to create a festive Thanksgiving tablescape.
Cassidy Garcia
Thanksgiving Turkey Napkin Fold
Clara MacLellan
Unfold a paper napkin and place it on your work surface (Image 1). Fold the top corners down until they meet in the middle (Image 2). Fold the edges over to meet in the middle, then repeat once more to form a tall, thin triangle (Images 3 & 4).
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Turn the triangle 90 degrees and fold the point back over the wider portion (Image 1). Fold a small portion of the point back in the opposite direction, then let go and allow the neck and head of the turkey to spring upward (Images 2 & 3).
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Unfold a second paper napkin and fold it in half (Images 1 & 2). Turn the folded napkin 90 degrees and accordion-fold from the bottom (Image 3). Stop the accordion fold once you’ve folded three-quarters of the total length. Turn the napkin 90 degrees so the accordion folds are to the left and fold it in half (Images 4 & 5).
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Fold the edge over against the accordion fold (Image 1). Flip the napkin over and fold the portion sticking out over the edge of the napkin, pressing the crease firmly (Images 2 & 3). When you let go, the accordion folds should unfurl to create turkey feathers and the small napkin fold should serve as a support base (Image 4). Place the feathers on top of the original turkey napkin to create the final product (Image 5).
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Clara MacLellan
Traditional Leaf Napkin Fold
Cassidy Garcia
Start by folding a square napkin in half diagonally to form a triangle (Image 1). Starting in one of the bottom corners, fold a small piece over vertically, like a paper fan (Image 2). Continue folding all the way to the opposite corner (Image 3), and then secure the folds with a napkin ring. Fan out the top and lay it flat to form a leaf shape (Image 4).
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Pretty Bow Napkin Fold
Cassidy Garcia
Fold a square napkin in half diagonally to form a triangle (Image 1). Fold the tip of the triangle down almost halfway, then fold the bottom edge up to meet the tip (Image 2). Fold the bottom edge over again until it meets the top edge (Image 3).
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Take each end and fold them upward at a diagonal angle until the tips meet in the middle (Images 1 & 2). Fold each piece down over the rest of the napkin, tucking the right end underneath the left end (Image 3). Fit a napkin ring around the center (Image 4), pull the pointed ends down (Image 5) and fashion each side into a bow shape.
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Pro Tip: Take this Christmas bow place setting to the next level by pairing it with a gift-wrap-inspired tablecloth.
Clara MacLellan
Treat Container Napkin Fold
Sarah Busby
Start with a square napkin on a table or flat surface. The napkin should be wrong-side-up. Fold the napkin in half diagonally to form a triangle with the long side closest to you (Image 1). Fold each corner of the triangle to the top to make a diamond shape (Images 2 & 3). Flip the napkin over (Image 4). Fold the bottom up, forming a small, one-inch border on each side (Image 5).
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Fold the entire top triangle down to the bottom edge (Image 1). Flip the napkin over again, and tuck in each of the two tips of the loose triangles (Image 2). Fold the right corner three-quarters of the way over to the left (Image 3). Take the left corner and tuck it into the right to form a basket (Images 4 & 5).
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Sarah Busby
Stand up a napkin on the center of each plate and don't forget to fill them with plenty of tasty treats.
Sarah Busby
Silverware Pocket Sleeve Napkin Fold
Cassidy Garcia
Fold a square napkin in half along the long edge, and then fold it in half again to form a smaller square (Image 1). Fold the top layer of one corner diagonally all the way to the opposite corner (Image 2). Fold each layer down in the same way, folding less each time and tucking the tips of each corner under the previous fold (Image 3). Tuck each side under (Image 4), and place silverware in the pockets.
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
Cassidy Garcia
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