Thursday, November 12, 2009

Napkin Folding 101

FFor those of you who have been reading for awhile I will apologize for repeating myself but with Thanksgiving fast approaching this information is timely.

Here's the napkin folding tutorial that I published last November.

Enjoy!

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For those of you who are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, I say sit down, relax and I'll show you a last minute napkin trick.

No matter what amount of chaos existed in our house when I was a kid, my mom always set a fabulously beautiful table for the holidays. I guess you could say it's a tradition, or a challenge, to come up with a wow factor. Years ago I purchase a small book that showed how to fold napkins and the "Fleur de lis" has always been my favorite and it's so easy.

Grab a napkin and play along. It works well with a napkin that is the same on both sides. First you're going to fold the napkin in half diagonally.

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Fold one of the points down, like this:

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Fold the second point down to match. Now turn it around so the points face up. It's easier to fold this way.

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Starting at the left side and working across, make accordian pleats, not too small, not too large.

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Keep folding across the entire length.

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You'll end up with this. Be sure to hold on tight!

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Place it inside a glass and pull down the tails. This is a water goblet.

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Voile! You've got a beautiful presentation with a minimum amount of work.

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You can also grab the corner of the front petal and pull down, which will give you this effect.

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Have fun with your Thanksgiving preparations. It's meant to be a time of joy and sharing. Give thanks!



3 comments:

Lisa D. said...

When my husband was in high school he worked as a waiter in one of the restaurants in town. He learned how to fold a napkin 2 or 3 different ways. I don't know any. Probably about the only thing he can contribute to the dining room table! (I love my husband, but he is not allowed in my kitchen!)

My very proper grandmother always believed in a beautifully set table, and my mother too, when we were young, always pulled out the china for holiday meals. But now, here, with farm life, and a huge extended family, it's usually a very simple buffet, with lots of good food, and 30-50 family members spread everywhere.

LDF said...

First I have to find the napkins ... let's see, I last used them in 19__ ... and I've moved 4 times since then ...

i'm almost embarrassed to admit I grap paper towel, fold it in a fast and unimaginative square and tell guests "we'll be using the FANCY linen tonight"!

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

Okay, what's the deal. My post today was on folding, too--only it was about folding t-shirts and fitted sheets! Weird! C