Simple tutorials for every occasion or holiday, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
From dinner parties to holiday gatherings, your dining room design is crucial for entertaining friends and family. Your tablescape, like your centerpieces, table settings and choice of glassware, will set the tone and strike up conversation among guests. If you're looking to take your hosting skills to the next level, consider one of these fancy napkin folding ideas that are surprisingly simple to recreate. Eco Paper Plate
No matter the occasion or your personal style, you'll find a cloth or paper napkin folding design easy enough to recreate. We've included elegant techniques for holidays to upgrade your Thanksgiving place settings, Christmas tablescape (hint: a Christmas tree napkin) or Easter brunch setup. Although, most of these clever ideas are incredibly versatile — all you have to do is swap for a festive or seasonal napkin. Our of our favorites include a simple pocket napkin to hold cutlery, an adorable envelope napkin to share sweet notes and a classic bow knot that works for any season.
Before you decide that the art of napkin folding is too intimidating, scroll through this list of beginner-friendly tutorials — which include step-by-step instructions and easy-to-follow videos. Once you've settled on an idea, you'll be impressed by how quickly you learn these folding ideas, many of which only take a few minutes to complete.
Whether you fold a personalized card or a tiny letter inside, this simple envelope is a great way to address your guests. After you make a few simple folds, place a gem or pretty button on top for a touch of glam.
Get the tutorial from @Hauz.and.Co »
Fold a cloth napkin into the shape of a Christmas tree, then top it with miniature ball ornaments. Get creative with colors or stick with a green napkin to keep it realistic. Hint: Use a fringe napkin for added texture and try to lay the pieces of fringe in spots where it resembles pine sprigs.
Go for a timeless look with a simple bow knot napkin, versatile enough for any occasion. Once you learn this easy technique, you can use it time and time again — just swap the napkins to pair with the current season or holiday.
Get the tutorial from @Kyla.Malkani »
Whether it's Easter brunch or dinner, these adorable bunny ear napkins bring a whimsical touch to any table setting — especially when you use a vibrant or patterned cloth. Follow these steps to recreate:
RELATED: DIY Easter Decoration Ideas to Bring Spring Into Your Home
This clever star shape adds elegance to any occasion, no matter what color scheme you choose. Go bright with a festive red or green, or keep it calm with a pastel pink or warm orange. Start with a standard 20" cloth napkin, fold it in half and then press it with an iron to create a crease. Continue folding and pressing until you've created a trapezoid shape. Tip: Use paper clips to keep the sides together as you go.
Adults and children will love this exciting napkin folded to look like a candy popper. You could fit flatware inside, but for a fun surprise, sneak in a piece of candy, block of chocolate or breath mint.
Get the tutorial from @Hauz.and.Co »
Here's an easy, elegant pocket napkin to house silverware or in this case, a simple tulip stem. From holidays to dinner parties, this pretty napkin fold is incredibly versatile and should work for any cloth napkins you have.
Get the tutorial from @Kyla.Malkani »
There's more than one way to tie a festive bow. For this simple and stylish place setting idea, fold a red and white striped napkin into a neat bow — just as you would your shoelaces. Carefully tie a red ribbon in the center to secure it.
RELATED: DIY Christmas Decoration Ideas to Craft an Elegant Holiday Home
For your best Thanksgiving table yet, pull out this trick from Jenny W. Chan — the brains behind the YouTube channel Origami Tree. Note: You'll need two cloth napkins to make a bird for each place setting — but they'll both come in handy when it's time to spoon on the gravy!
We would never forget about Halloween! These spooky bat napkins are really easy to fold. Just be sure to press over your final creation with an iron to keep it secure.
Fun, functional and fast to make, your picnic isn't complete without it. Red and green disposable napkins are the way to go. Once you layer the colors on top of each other, fold the two serviettes into a triangle shape. Don't forget to draw on little seeds with a black marker.
Fold your napkin to act as a vase, then cut a paper flower to fit inside for a pretty place setting. For a bit more dimension, use a napkin with a fringe border.
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built »
Whether you go with a green, red or blue napkin, you can recreate this funny elf hat napkin in less than one minute. Start by folding your napkin in half, then roll it. Fold up the bottom to form the brim of the hat, and you're finished!
Take your party to the next level with this deceptively easy technique. You'll definitely want to use square cloth napkins so the shape holds better. To construct the atrium, create three layers by folding the points you've made into one another. It's so much easier than it looks!
Turn an average paper napkin (we suggest a shade of red or orange) into beautiful fall foliage. Start by folding your napkin in half, then accordion fold the entire thing. Connect the two longest points while pinching the connected center together, and you'll soon reveal the leaf shape.
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built »
There won't be any fighting at the dinner table when these guys make a splash. After just a minute or two of folding, you'll have the most adorable little fish. Add a touch of fun by using polka dot paper napkins.
Here's a playful idea for your Easter day table. Start by laying the napkin upside down, with one point toward you. After a series of folds and flips, adjust the ears to your liking.
Impress your guests by recreating this Japanese wrapping technique. Rotate a cloth napkin diagonally, and place a small rectangular gift in the center. Fold the top and bottom corners snuggly around the gift. Gather the excess fabric and tie two knots. Dress up the present with a sprig of greenery, candy cane or personalized card.
Add a few of these to your table to make it more colorful — and fun. All you need are medium-sized napkins in yellow to get started. After a few folds, you'll find your diamond shape, which will allow you to create flaps, a.k.a playful feathers.
You may not typically host a dinner party for Valentine's Day, but these cute fortune napkins might inspire you. Once you're finished folding, print sweet messages onto small slips of paper to act as good fortunes.
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built »
Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl.
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
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