How to Fold a Napkin

When it comes to social gatherings and festive meals, the table setting and minor details are just as important as the food that goes on the plates. Elegant napkin folds can take a standard old dinner and make it feel luxurious and classy for your guests. Instead of just setting your napkins out in a pile or folding them into squares, choose a unique napkin fold to make the experience memorable. While there are certainly hundreds of ways to fold a napkin, a few of these standard folds stand out as beautiful options for any situation or setting.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Goblet Fan (Napkin in a Glass)

1. Fold the top of your napkin down to form a long rectangle. Set your napkin down and smooth it out front of you. Remove any wrinkles with your palms by pushing out from the center of the fabric. Grab the top corners of the napkin and fold them down to make a rectangle. Smooth the napkin down to put a crease in it.^[1]
   
   
2. Pleat the napkin like an accordion, working from left to right. Grab the corners on the left side of the napkin in both hands. Fold of the napkin over towards the other side to add a rectangular fold. Then, slide the napkin up a little and fold the rectangle back in the other direction. Continue doing this to fold the napkin up like an accordion.^[2]
   
   
   • Keep the layers of fabric pinched together as you’re folding them to keep them from unravelling.
   • Keep each fold identical. Use the same amount of fabric for each individual fold you make.
3. Slide the top napkin into a wine glass and fan it out at the top. Keep the napkin scrunched together and slide it in the top of the glass. Release the napkin and gently fan the pleats out in the top of the napkin. Keep them evenly spaced and make minor adjustments by hand to make it look like the napkin is flowering out the top of the glass.^[3]
   
   • You don’t have to use a wine glass if you don’t want to. This style of napkin will also fit in a rocks glass, or in the top of a tall glass. You can also place these napkins in coffee mugs if you’re serving some hot drinks after dinner.

[Edit]Silverware Pouch

1. Make a rectangle by lifting the top down and lining the edges up. Spread your napkin flat out in front of you. Smooth all of the wrinkles out by hand. Take the two corners on the top of the square and fold them down to make a rectangle. Press down along the seam at the top of the napkin to put a crease in the fold.^[4]
   
   
2. Fold the right edges over to the left side to make a small square. Grab the corners on the right side of the napkin. Fold the right side over the middle of the napkin and line the edges up on the left to make a square. Smooth the fabric down by hand.^[5]
   
   
   • Press down against the edges of the square to put a crease in the fabric.
3. Flip the napkin over so the open corner is on the top left. Grab the bottom corners of the napkin and lift them up. Flip the napkin over so the open edges from your fold are meeting on the top left of the square.^[6]
   
   
4. Bring the top layer of fabric down from the top left to the bottom right. Grab the topmost layer of fabric on the top left. Slide this corner down to the opposite side and line the tip up with the corner of the square on the bottom right. Smooth your fold down in the middle to put a crease in the napkin.^[7]
   
   
   • Make sure you press the crease down hard. The cleaner this crease is, the flatter your pouch will be.
5. Flip the napkin again so the opening is on the top right. Grab the bottom of the napkin and flip it over to the right. Set the napkin upside down so that the corner where the open ends of the fabric meet are now sitting at the top right.^[8]
   
   
   • Your napkin should still look like a near-perfect square.
6. Fold 1/3 of the fabric on the right side over to the middle of the napkin. Grab the edges of the square on the top and bottom right. Fold 1/3 of the napkin over towards the center. Run your palms over the fold on the right edge to keep the napkin from unravelling.^[9]
   
   
   • If it helps to think of it this way, imagine you’re folding a piece of paper into thirds to fit it inside of an envelope. This is almost identical to what you’re doing here.
7. Bring the left 1/3 over the center so the folded sides overlap. Grab the top left corner and the bottom left corner. Fold the left 1/3 of the napkin over the middle of the napkin so that the edge covers the fold you made on the right. Press your entire napkin down to keep it from unfolding.^[10]
   
   
   • You can make a bigger pouch if you’re putting more than 3 utensils in by simply folding the edge of the fabric on the left side inwards a little if you prefer.
8. Flip the napkin over and insert your silverware in the pouch. Grab the entire napkin with both hands and flip it over. Now, you should see a diagonal fold running across the middle of the napkin. Take your utensils and slide them carefully under this fold to hold them in place. Set your utensils next to the plate on the table.^[11]
   
   

[Edit]Formal Pyramid

1. Match two corners together to make a triangle with your napkin. Lay your napkin flat and spread the wrinkles out with the palm of your hand to even out the fabric. Grab the corner on the top of the left or right and fold it over the center of the napkin. Line the corners and sides up to make a triangle with your napkin.^[12]
   
   
   • It doesn’t matter which corner you fold down.
2. Fold the right corner down to layer the two tips of fabric together. Turn the napkin towards you so that the open edges of the folds are facing you. Grab the right corner of your folded triangle and bring it down to the point of the triangle that’s facing you. Line the sides up so that your layers of fabric are flush with one another.^[13]
   
   
   • This should look like two triangles resting against one another.
3. Bring the left corner down the same way to make a diamond. Take the corner on the left and bring it over the middle of the napkin. Match the tip up with the corner that’s facing you so that the two seams in the center of the triangle rest next to one another. Your napkin should now look like a symmetrical diamond.^[14]
   
   
   • Push your palms down around the exterior edges of your diamond to keep it from unfolding.
4. Flip the napkin over and fold the diamond down to make a triangle. Slide one of your hands under the napkin and brace it from the other side. Carefully flip the napkin upside down so that seam you folded is facing away from you. Then, fold the diamond in half by taking the top corner down to the bottom to make an even smaller triangle.^[15]
   
   
   • You should now see the seam you folded sitting in the middle of the triangle.
5. Lift the right corner over the seam to make a smaller triangle. Grab the right corner of the triangle. Fold the corner of the triangle over the middle of the napkin, using the seam as the hinge for your fold. Press down on this tiny triangle to put creases in all of your folds and compress the napkin.^[16]
   
   
6. Stand the napkin up like a tent and place it on a plate. Slide the napkin up and gently spread the sides of your pyramid out at a 20- to 30-degree angle. The napkin will sit vertically on the edges of the sides. Place the pyramid on top of the plate on your dinner table.^[17]
   
   • You can set the pyramid next to your table setting, but you’ll typically see it sitting on a plate to save space and indicate that the plate is clean.

[Edit]Bishop’s Hat

1. Make a rectangle by folding the top of the napkin down. Spread your napkin out in front of you and smooth any wrinkles out by hand. Then, grab both of the corners at the top and fold the top of the napkin down to make an even rectangle. Smooth the fold out at the top of the napkin to put a strong crease in the napkin.^[18]
   
   
   • It’s called the bishop’s hat because it is a small circle that stands up vertically with two points on opposite sides, kind of like a Catholic bishop’s miter.
2. Bring the corner in the top right down to the middle of the bottom edge. Grab the top right corner and lift it up. Slide it down to the middle of your napkin on the bottom. Line the edge up on the bottom of your napkin so it sits flush. Press this triangle down along the fold to add a crease.^[19]
   
   
   • This should look like a square that shares a side with the triangle you just folded.
3. Lift the corner in the bottom left up to the top edge on the opposite side. Grab the bottom left corner of the napkin. Lift it up and raise the corner to the top of the napkin in the middle. Press this fold down to make a crease. This should look like a near-perfect parallelogram.^[20]
   
   
   • Try to line it up so that the straight edge at the top and the straight edge at the bottom run parallel to one another.
4. Turn the napkin over so the right and left sides are reversed. Grab the top left corner of the parallelogram with your right hand. Pinch the seam at the bottom where the righthand corner sits on the bottom of the napkin with your left hand. Then, lift your right hand up and flip the napkin over so the top left corner becomes the bottom right corner.^[21]
   
   
   • The way you flip the napkin here matters a great deal, so don’t just haphazardly turn it over.
5. Fold the bottom of the napkin up and towards the top half. Grab the bottom corners of the napkin and lift them up towards the top edge of the fabric. Fold this layer of fabric up so that the edge of the fabric matches the top edge of the napkin. Press the seams down so that you put a crease in the folds.^[22]
   
   
   • You are only folding half of the fabric here. There should still be a little peak sticking out of the bottom left-hand side of the napkin after you do this.
6. Unfold the layer of fabric underneath the right side of the shape. Reach under the right side of the fabric you just folded and grab the tip of the triangle underneath it. Carefully slide this tip towards you to unfold this little triangle. Press the napkin down to reinforce the creases.^[23]
   
   
   • Be careful while you’re doing this. Try not to disturb the fabric on the top of the napkin.
7. Tuck the top left corner under the layer you unfolded. Gently lift the tip of the fabric you just unfolded with your right hand. Then, grab the corner in the top left and fold this portion horizontally under the portion you’re holding up. Set the tip of the left corner down in the middle of this fold and lower the right side down to cover this tip. Press down on the portion you’ve just folded.^[24]
   
   
8. Flip the napkin over and fold the right edge into the left flap. Grab every layer of fabric on the top edge and flip the napkin upside down so that the flat side is facing you. Make a little opening in the fold in the center of the napkin. Then, grab the right half of the napkin and tuck it inside this opening.^[25]
   
   
   • By tucking the fabric here, you’re completing the circle in the bishop’s hat. It’s important that you fold this layer evenly so the edges stay flat and flush with one another.
9. Lift the napkin up and spread out the opening to give it some shape. Take your napkin and lift it up so that the round opening is facing you. Stick your fingers inside of this opening and gently tug on the sides to create a round, circular shape.^[26]
   
   
10. Set the napkin down on a plate or next to the silverware. Take your bishop’s hat and set it on the plate or next to the silverware. Set it down with the triangular point sticking up and wait for your guests to comment on your excellent napkins!^[27]
    
    

[Edit]Tips

• There are hundreds of other options available. You can fold a napkin for a napkin ring, or craft some fancy flowers if you’re looking for something a little different.
• All of these methods will work with cloth napkins as well, although the bishop’s hat may be a little hard to pull off.

[Edit]Related wikiHows

• Fold Napkins in a Fancy Formal Style

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://www.butlersguild.com/visitors/napkin-folding/goblet-fan/
2. ↑ https://www.butlersguild.com/visitors/napkin-folding/goblet-fan/
3. ↑ https://www.butlersguild.com/visitors/napkin-folding/goblet-fan/
4. ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/how-to-fold-a-napkin-pocket
5. ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/how-to-fold-a-napkin-pocket
6. ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/how-to-fold-a-napkin-pocket
7. ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/how-to-fold-a-napkin-pocket
8. ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/how-to-fold-a-napkin-pocket
9. ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/how-to-fold-a-napkin-pocket
10. ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/how-to-fold-a-napkin-pocket
11. ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/how-to-fold-a-napkin-pocket
12. ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/01-pyramid/
13. ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/01-pyramid/
14. ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/01-pyramid/
15. ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/01-pyramid/
16. ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/01-pyramid/
17. ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/01-pyramid/
18. ↑ http://www.howtofoldnapkins.org/bishops-hat/
19. ↑ http://www.howtofoldnapkins.org/bishops-hat/
20. ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/04-bishopshat/
21. ↑ http://www.howtofoldnapkins.org/bishops-hat/
22. ↑ http://www.howtofoldnapkins.org/bishops-hat/
23. ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/04-bishopshat/
24. ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/04-bishopshat/
25. ↑ https://www.napkinfoldingguide.com/04-bishopshat/
26. ↑ http://www.howtofoldnapkins.org/bishops-hat/
27. ↑ http://www.howtofoldnapkins.org/bishops-hat/