How to fold napkins for Christmas – 16 creative and classic ways to easily elevate your festive tablescape

When Christmas dinner is just around the corner and all that’s left to do are those final styling touches to elevate your festive decor, it’s the perfect time to consider how to fold your napkins for this Christmas occasion – as there are many different ways, from the traditional to the more creative and complex.

You’d be surprised (or perhaps not) how much a good Christmas table decoration idea like a well-folded napkin can do for your tablescape. A skilled fold can create a considered look that shows you’ve put effort into setting the table, while in fact it was as easy as. And that’s exactly what we all want with the stress of Christmas all around us - minimal effort and maximum return.

So if you’re looking to set your Christmas table this year much like a professional tablescaper, then we’ve rounded up a few of the best ways to fold your napkins to wow your guests and family alike.

How to fold napkins for Christmas

‘When it comes to elevating napkins for your Christmas tablescape, there are so many fun options,’ says Samantha Picard, Balsam Hill ambassador.

And we couldn’t agree more. But be prepared to give your guests lessons at napkin folding by the end of the dinner as they are bound to be impressed.

Our favourite napkins to recreate the tips with

If you’re looking for the best Christmas table linens to give these folding ideas a go with, then these are some of our current favourite designs which are just Christmassy enough but not too much – so you can reuse them for other occasions, too.

1. Create pretty bows

Bows are one of the biggest Christmas decor trends of this festive season. And there are some ways you can use bows in your Christmas decor. One of the most popular is to fold your napkin into the shape of a bow, using a napkin ring. And it’s one of our favourite ways too.

2. Knot and elegantly drape

For a relaxed Christmas idea for the table, simply tie a neat knot in a lightweight linen napkin. Drape it across the top of a bowl or plate to look like a pretty bow. Pick pastel pink linen and white tableware for a soft, feminine look.

3. Make a Christmas tree

Create the ultimate festive place setting by folding your napkins into miniature Christmas trees. It goes without saying that this looks best using green coloured napkins but you can also have a bit of fun with your Christmas colour scheme here.

4. Tie with a string

Keep it simple with a rectangular folded napkin tied at the top third using twine. Tuck in a sprig of fragrant rosemary and add a mini bauble to finish.

5. Try a relaxed pinch and pull

This is an informal take on the classic pinch and pull. Fold your napkin in half and thread through a napkin ring. Don't be too precious about making it neat. Lastly, drape to one-side of the place setting so the napkin overlaps the edge of the table.

6. Wrap around cutlery

Why not make your cutlery part of the play? You can either tie your napkins in a knot around the cutlery or place the cutlery on top of a folded rectangle-shaped napkin and tie with a ribbon or string.

Then place it in the middle of each plate so the napkin ends fall at an angle. Top with a hand-written place name and a sprig of eucalyptus or myrtle.

7. Keep it simple for kids

Delight children and adults alike with fun but elevated paper napkins. Whether you attempt a fun fold or opt for an interesting design to buy, paper napkins by no means have to look drab.

You could also fold white napkins in half and add a face and buttons using stickers. Then finish by loosely tying with a red ribbon as a scarf to create a paper napkin snowman.

8. Fold and tie with twine

Fold larger napkins so they'll sit neatly on the plate. The easiest way is to fold top to botton corners, then left to right. Repeat the left to right fold again for particularly large, and rectangular napkins.

Secure with twine, but don't tie so tight that your guests can't release the napkin to lay it on their laps!

9. Effortlessly drape napkins

This isn't an easy one to pull off without looking messy. But if you are working with linen napkins, artfully draping them over the plate can look stunning. A carefully placed table marker and decoration will help things look more deliberate.

10. Make into a point

You'll need a large square napkin to create this look. It's a lot like making a paper plane. With the napkin in front of you take the bottom right corner, and using the bottom left corner as a pivot, rollercoaster the napkin until you reach the bottom left-to-top right diagonal.

Do the same from the top left corner, rolling down. Secure the napkin in place with an elastic band to make things less fiddly, then tie with twine and remove the band.

11. Go geometric

Take a small square napkin, or a large square folded top to bottom, then left to right. Turn it towards you to form a diagonal, then tuck the left and right corners under to create this neat shape, which shows off any monogram or subtle motif beautifully.

12. Hit the peak

Create mini christmas tree shapes with napkins that stand to attention.Fold into triangles, then fan out so the napkins stand up. Lay in the middle of your place settings and add a star at the top to finish.

13. Make a sleek roll

Fold your napkin in half and the half again, and roll left to right for a neat look. Decorate with mini decorations and a hand-written place name.

14. Serve together

Rather than lay your napkins on each place setting, pop them in a mason jar, enamel mug or small pot for an informal buffet-style meal. Add in cutlery wrapped with festive ribbon.

15. Fold tucked under

Take a large napkin and fold it in half. Turn so the folded edge is at bottom.

Now imagine three vertical lines are splitting the napkin evenly. Fold the right side of the napkin to the imaginary line to the left. Then fold the left edge across to form a rectangle. Flip the napkin over and weigh down with flowers or cutlery.

16. Form a triangle

With small – and paper – napkins, this simple arrangement just involves taking top right corner down to the bottom left. If your napkin is lightweight, weight down with a sprig of holly and berries to stop it from fluttering away.

FAQ

How do you fold a Christmas tree napkin?

1. Make sure the napkin you have is big enough. You'll need at least a 40cm square. Iron the napkin before you begin.

2. Fold the napkin in half and in half again to make a square. Smooth out and turn it so the open corners face you in a diamond shape.

3. Turn the top corner only upwards and fold just below the apex of the diamond.

4. Repeat for the next corner, folding it so it sits below the first turned up corner.

5. Repeat for all the corners so they are staggered evenly. Carefully turn the entire folded napkin over.

6. Fold the bottom left corner of the napkin so the top corner is level with the slope of the opposite side. Repeat with the bottom right corner. You'll be left with a point at top and bottom.

7. Turn over again so the pleats are at the top again. Working from top to bottom, fold and tuck the points up and under towards the point of the tree.

You will now have a Christmas tree-shaped napkin with a flat base.

Merry Christmas everyone and happy tablescaping with these easy napkin folding tips!