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| from the front |
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| overhead view |
This is something that I try to do when setting the table for a holiday dinner. The "work" takes about 10 minutes for 6-8 places at the table, it costs absolutely nothing, it adds decor to the table which frees me from having to do much else for appearance, can be done ahead, it's fun to do, and it wows my family every time. My mom started me on this when I was a kid, so given a simple enough pattern, this is something that elementary school-aged and older kids could do to 1) keep them entertained while mom, dad, friends are busy in the kitchen, and 2) give them something to do to contribute to the holiday meal.
Holiday napkin folds
You can fold paper or cloth napkins. Paper holds creases better than cloth, but either work. I'll post a couple of these between now and New Year's. Some are easier than others. I think the most impressive napkin folds are the ones that stand up on their own. But there are some elaborate-looking ones that are super simple to do, as well.
This is the holiday fan. This one also resembles a turkey, so I made these for Thanksgiving dinner. It is basically an accordion-pleated napkin.
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| square napkin |
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| fold in half |
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| accordion pleat, about 1" pleats |
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| leave about 3 inches unpleated |
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fold the pleated napkin in half, with the non-pleated section
sandwiched in-between the pleated sections |
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| fold the non-pleated section in half, on the diagonal |
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tuck the triangle of the non-pleated section into the
accordion pleats on the back side |
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| Voila, 1 holiday fan (or turkey) |
