{"title":"How to Fold Napkins: 3 Easy Napkin Folds","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/crafts/how-to-fold-napkins","category":{"slug":"crafts","name":"Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"BalsaCircle.com","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsJy6_Ep_nYIlX03dmYYvRg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAMoVmnc1_w"},"tldr":"Fold cloth napkins 3 easy ways: a waffle cone fold, a napkin ring bow and a pinwheel square. Step by step with photos for holiday tables.","totalDurationSeconds":255,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["iron","napkin rings"],"materials":["20 x 20 inch cloth dinner napkins","spray starch","silk flowers (optional)"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Fold the Napkin Into a Triangle, Then a Diamond for the Waffle Cone Fold","text":"Lay the napkin flat as a diamond in front of you. Bring the bottom corner up to meet the top corner so you have a big triangle. Now take the right corner of the triangle and fold it up to the top point. Do the same with the left corner. You end up with a smaller square diamond, with the open edges running down the middle."},{"number":2,"title":"Pull the Inside Edges Out to Shape the Waffle Cone Napkin","text":"This is the tricky part of the waffle cone fold. Find the inner edge of the right flap, near the middle of the diamond. Grab it and pull it out and across toward the center, so it opens into a wide point. Flatten it down. Repeat on the left side. The napkin now has two sharp points sticking out to the sides."},{"number":3,"title":"Fold the Flaps Back and Add the Napkin Ring to the Waffle Cone Fold","text":"You could stop here and slide the napkin through a ring. For the full waffle cone look, fold both side points back behind the napkin. The front now looks like a cone with crossed layers on top. Slide a gold napkin ring up over the narrow bottom and rest it about a third of the way up. Set it on the plate."},{"number":4,"title":"Fold Two Napkin Corners to the Center for the Napkin Bow","text":"Start again with the napkin as a diamond in front of you. Fold the top corner down to the center. Fold the bottom corner up to the center. The two points can meet or overlap a little. Either is fine. An overlap gives a slightly thinner bow. You now have a wide six-sided shape with points at the left and right."},{"number":5,"title":"Roll the Napkin Into a Long Rope for the Bow Fold","text":"Starting from the top and bottom folded edges, roll both sides toward each other. Stop when the two rolls meet in the middle. What you have now is a long, slim rope of napkin with pointed ends on the left and right. Keep the rolls snug so the bow holds its shape later."},{"number":6,"title":"Slide on the Napkin Ring and Loop the Ends to Make the Napkin Bow","text":"Slide a napkin ring onto the rope and move it to the middle. It does not need to be exact. You can adjust it later. Bring one end toward the middle and push it through the ring to make the first loop of the bow. Do the same with the other end. Tug the loose tips so they match, and fluff the loops for a fuller bow."},{"number":7,"title":"Fold All Four Napkin Corners to the Center for the Pinwheel Fold","text":"Lay the napkin flat as a square. Fold each of the four corners into the center so the points meet. Run your fingers over every fold and press the fabric down. Firm creases help the pinwheel hold its shape. When you are done, the napkin is a smaller square with a seam in the shape of an X."},{"number":8,"title":"Fold the Pinwheel Napkin Into a Rectangle, Then a Small Square","text":"Turn the square slightly so it sits straight in front of you. Fold the top edge down to the middle, then fold the bottom edge up to the middle. That makes a long rectangle. Now fold the right side in to the middle, and the left side in to meet it. You are back to a small, thick square. This is the base for the pinwheel napkin."},{"number":9,"title":"Pull Out the Points to Open the Pinwheel Napkin","text":"Reach into the folds near the middle and pull out the hidden corners. Each one slides out to make a point. Work in a circle, clockwise or counterclockwise, and flatten each point as you go. Once all four are out, the napkin looks like a pinwheel. This part takes practice. If it looks wrong, refold the square and try again."},{"number":10,"title":"Fold Back the Pinwheel Napkin Flaps and Add a Silk Flower","text":"Set the pinwheel on the plate. Fold each of the four points back underneath the napkin. That turns the pinwheel into a neat square with folded seams, a modern geometric fold. Place a silk flower in the center and turn it toward the guest. You can also set a menu or a name card in that spot."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-10-03T16:45:14.980Z","published":"2026-10-03T16:45:09.605Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}