Holidays & Entertaining Entertaining 16 Napkin Folding Ideas to Make Your Table Look Extra Special These easy techniques will instantly elevate the decor of your dinner party. By Leslie Corona Leslie Corona Leslie Corona is the Associate Home Director at Realsimple.com. She has been styling, organizing, writing, and reporting on all things in the home space for a decade. She was previously at Good Housekeeping, HGTV Magazine, and Parents. She has shared her expertise on the TODAY show, Cheddar, and local television news outlets. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 15, 2024 Close Photo: Cavan Images/Getty Images There's a lot of pressure nowadays to create the perfect tablescape for dinner parties and holiday gatherings thanks to social media. It's all about getting the shot for your feed. However, we believe it doesn't have to be this way! You should decorate your table how you like best and without a ton of stress—your guests will be happy to sit at your table regardless. But if you do want to kick up your holiday table settings just a notch, and with minimal fuss, you can easily accomplish this with some beautiful napkin folds. It's a simple element, but it can pack a huge punch! We rounded up some of the prettiest examples you can copy for your next celebratory meal. How to Set a Table: Basic, Casual, and Formal Table Settings 01 of 16 Apple Napkin Fold Cheche Lacsamana/Instagram What's more perfect for fall than an apple-shaped fold? Cheche Lacsamana of Casa Lacsamana shared this adorable (and surprisingly easy!) fold that'll look perfect with an autumnal table. (Get the full deets on how to fold it with her napkin-folding how-to video.) 02 of 16 A Simple Knot Chelsea Abril Photography; Florals: Plant Hawaii; Rentals: Access Events & Tents This table set-up, created by Hawaii-based party planning company For the Good Events, is eye-catching because of the jewel-like, amber-colored hobnail glasses, brass silverware, and woven chargers. But what seals the deal? The simple and elegant knotted napkin resting on the plate. So it doesn't feel too sparse, and to add another dash of color to the palette, a few herb sprigs are placed alongside it. 03 of 16 French Fold Raff & Wi Photography For the Good Events also styled this setting; ceramic bud vases and a woven charger offer a relaxed vibe, as well as the casually folded napkin (similar to a French Fold) beneath the dinner plate. Though it's placed diagonally, as shown above, it still looks neat and very intentional. 04 of 16 Wrapped Plate Sheyanne Lyn Photography; Florals: Jeff Alencastre; Rentals: Aloha Artisans For the Good Events offered even more inspiration with this very autumnal tablescape they designed—the various shades of orange don't overwhelm because they're broken up by the woven raffia charger and cream dinnerware. We love how the orange napkin, which is wrapped and knotted around the appetizer plate, perfectly matches the table runner! 05 of 16 Linen Pumpkins undertheaspen For your Thanksgiving table, or any fall-themed gathering, try this sweet pumpkin napkin arrangement. Sherry of Magic From a Distance on Instagram managed to make this by cleverly bunching up a linen napkin around a napkin ring. The real stem leaf is a beautiful, natural touch. To get this exact look, you can watch her recreate it here. 06 of 16 Heart-Shaped Napkin Cheche Lacsamana/Casa Lacsamana Show your love with this thoughtful heart-shaped napkin fold from Lacsamana. (While she shows it for a gorgeous Valentine's Day table, hearts are also perfect for any holiday or anniversary!) You can see the full how-to video for this napkin fold. 07 of 16 Christmas Tree Folds Coastal Kelder When it's merry, merry season, consider this slightly more elaborate napkin for your setting. This Christmas-themed tabletop created by Kelley of Coastal Kelder is taken to the next level with the tree-shaped, linen napkins. They add a fun, festive shape to the table, and keeping them the same color as the placemats prevents the table from looking too busy. There are lots of tutorials out there for this type of nakin fold, but TODAY has a video that's easy to follow here. 08 of 16 Tucked Herbs or Greens Courtesy of SFERRA If you have quality linens, you should definitely show them off. Here, SFERRA highlights one of their gorgeous napkins by folding it with some foliage tucked into the "pocket." We think this short video tutorial on Youtube from RMBO Collective is pretty helpful for recreating this look! 09 of 16 Fan Napkin Fold Cheche Lacsamana/Casa Lacsamana A fanned napkin can be a dramatic addition to your table settings, whether you opt to place the fan on the plate itself, or place it to the side so it shines on its own (and doesn't cover up your pretty plates), as Lacsamana does here. Get the how-to video on Casa Lacsamana. 10 of 16 Mini-Fan Napkin Fold Cheche Lacsamana/Casa Lacsamana Don't want the full drama of a huge napkin fan? Try this more simple version from Lacsamana. You can see the full how-to on how to make this napkin fold on Casa Lacsamana. 11 of 16 Fortune Cookie Krista Mason, kristamason.com; Rentals: borrowedBLU, borrowedblu.com Okay, have you ever seen a fortune cookie-shaped napkin?! If you haven't until now, you can thank Robin Baab of RMBO Collective. It's a fun, multi-dimensional way to display your linens, and the name tag is a clever detail. Fortunately, you can learn how to do with with this handy how-to video she created. 12 of 16 Diamond Pocket Courtesy of SFERRA Here, a white SFERRA napkin looks anything but plain thanks to the sophisticated diagonal folds. It looks complicated, but RMBO Collective demonstrates how to easily get the look. 13 of 16 Bow Tie Sarahli Wilcox, Hauz & Co. If you really want to push the gift-giving angle of your festivities, opt for this bow tie napkin fold created by Sarahli Wilcox of Hauz & Co., which is held together by a napkin ring. You can watch her assemble this fold in her Instagram reel. 14 of 16 Furoshiki Bundle Krista Mason, kristamason.com; Rentals: borrowedBLU, borrowedblu.com This is Robin Baab's take on the classic Japanese gift wrapping technique called Furoshiki, and it's a brilliant way of enveloping a gift or party favor! Plus, it's so easy to bundle up your souvenir—no real instructions are necessary. 15 of 16 Love Letter Sarahli Wilcox, Hauz & Co. A very sweet alternative to the Furoshiki Bundle, use this "love letter" fold to conceal a note or tiny gift for your guests! We love how Sarahli Wilcox of Hauz & Co. added a little "seal" to make it look realistic. (You can also watch her put this one together in the Instagram reel we mentioned earlier.) 16 of 16 Draped Napkins Bradley Productions Perhaps one of the easiest things you can do to really fancy up a table is simply drape a folded napkin over the edge! We love how event space Willow in St. Louis used bright yellow napkins to pop against the white tablecloths here. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit