Etiquette Training: Basic Napkin Folding Methods
Whether it’s a special or everyday occasion, you’ll learn how to fold a napkin like a pro.
There are all sorts of ways to fold a napkin. Whether you’re looking to spruce up your dinner table for a special event or mimic a pretty design you saw on Instagram, we’ll walk you through some of the most popular napkin folding methods of 2019.
How to Fold a Napkin: Roll
How to Fold a Napkin: Fan
How to Fold a Napkin: Flower
How to Fold a Napkin: Pocket
How to Fold a Napkin: Triangle
Tip!
A proper table setting will have a folded napkin on the left of the dinner plate, with the folded edge facing away.
How to Fold a Napkin: Roll
Napkin ring: needed.
Step 1: Open your napkin and lay it flat. Fold the napkin in half widthwise, folding it to the left.
Step 2: Begin to roll the right edge of the napkin toward the left edge. The tightness of the roll should be dependent on style and size of your napkin ring.
Step 3: Pull the rolled napkin through the napkin ring, settling it in the center. Adjust the ring higher or lower as you desire.
How to Fold a Napkin: Fan
No napkin ring needed.
Step 1: Open your napkin and lay it flat. Fold it in half lengthwise so the edges meet in front of you.
Step 2: Begin folding your napkin like an accordian (alternating between folding over and under) from the right side to the left, with 1" folds. Stop when there are a couple inches left of the napkin unfolded.
Step 3: Fold the napkin in half widthwise. When you do this, half of the napkin will be very thick due to all the folds, and one half will be very thin (the part left unfolded). Pinching the thin half with two fingers, use your other hand to spread out the folds of the thick half into a fan shape. Plate, and viola!
Tip!
If your napkin is having trouble holding these shapes, try a stiffer material.
How to Fold a Napkin: Flower
Napkin ring: needed.
Step 1: Open your napkin and lay it flat. Then grab one corner and fold it across to meet it’s opposite corner – leave the corners slightly misaligned.
Step 2: Grip the center of the napkin’s hypotenuse (the long, folded side) and, with the napkin ring in your other hand, pull the center of the hypotenuse through the ring.
Step 3: Stop the ring about halfway through the napkin. Adjust the ring if necessary and fan the “flower petals” to your liking.
How to Fold a Napkin: Pocket
No napkin ring needed.
Step 1: Open your napkin and lay it flat. Fold it in half lengthwise, and then widthwise towards the left. Your napkin should look like a square.
Step 2: Fold one layer of the top left down to meet the bottom right corner. Press the crease firmly, then flip the entire napkin over. Your napkin should look like a square with no folds on the front facing side.
Step 3: Visually split the napkin into thirds vertically. Fold the rightmost section towards the left, onto the center section.
Step 4: Take the leftmost section and fold it to the right onto the center section. When doing this, take the bottom right corner of the top layer and tuck it into the small diagonal pocket on the center section.
Step 5: Flip the entire napkin over. Place silverware in the napkin’s pocket.
How to Fold a Napkin: Triangle
No napkin ring needed.
Step 1: Open your napkin and lay it flat. Grab the bottom right corner and fold it across to meet the top left corner. Rotate the entire napkin once to the right.
Step 2: Fold the two bottom corners upward to meet at the top corner of the napkin so it looks like a diamond. Flip the napkin over.
Step 3: Fold the bottom corner of the napkin up toward the top corner. Crease.
Step 4: With four fingers on the top of the napkin and your thumb underneath, lift the napkin up into a standing tripod. Reshape until the napkin can successfully hold itself up.
