The following video was made in 2013 but never put up on the site.
We have always used cloth napkins, at first it was to save money, now it just seems, well, why not?. I stopped buying already made cloth napkins when I couldn’t find them in 100% cotton in the colors I wanted or in 100% linen in a price I wanted to pay.
Good thing cloth napkins are really easy to make even with mitered corners. Making them requires more time at the iron than the sewing machine which is not my favorite place but worth it in this case.
I used 100% linen and have had the napkins now for three years and they still look good. I made over a dozen napkins and there are only four of us using them so this helps distribute the wear on them. It also spaces out having to do laundry. I throw dirty napkins in with the towels on wash day.
Variations to try when making napkins:
- Fabric that is the same on both sides is what I used but you can use printed fabric like quilting cotton too.
- Make them small for cocktail napkins and lunch boxes.
- Get really fancy and stitch your monogram on them.
- Stitch down the edge with a fancy decorative stitch on your machine
- Make every family member napkins in a different color fabric or same color fabric but different color thread. (Especially useful during cold season so you don’t accidentally use so-and-so’s germ-y napkin).
- Add rick rack to the edge
- Block print them
- Fuse and applique a motif cut from a printed fabric on to one corner
A set of cloth napkins makes a good gift for a house warming, bridal shower, or just for someone you know who would appreciate them.