You might not call my “apple” cloth napkins elegant, but they certainly were easy and you can create any ambiance you like by selecting fabrics that portray the look or feeling you are going for. When you select your cloth napkin fabrics, make sure they are of an absorbent fiber like cotton.
Materials for 2 Cloth Napkins:
- 2/3-3/4 yard 44”-45” wide fabric
- Co-ordinating Thread
- Cutting matte
- Straight edge
- Rotary cutter
- Ironing board
- Iron
- Pins
Instructions:
1. Start by squaring your fabric. This means you fix the jagged edge cut by the fabric store. Start by making a small cut into the fabric edge through the selvage. Then pick at the raw edges until you can grab one of the weft threads (which goes from side to side) in the fabric, and gently start pulling it out. You will see that it creates a visible line through the fabric that you can eventually cut along to make sure your fabric is straight. If the thread breaks, cut along the line as far as you can and find another thread to pull to continue.
2. After you square the fabric, fold it in half selvage to selvage, lining up the top edge you just cut. Measure down 22” for the length of the cloth napkins and cut across the fabric.
3. Fold the 22″ strip of cloth in half in the opposite direction and cut off the selvage edges. Then, measure across the fabric and cut at 22″, and then another 22″ to create two 22″ squares. This allows for a doubled over ½” hem all the way around the cloth napkin creating a 20” square finished napkin.
4. Once the squares are cut out, iron in the ½” hems all the way around. Pin in place, and sew in the hem on the sewing machine.
Tip:
I always create a little square in each corner of my cloth napkins to hold the folded hem in place tight at the corners.
There are so many nice ways to fold cloth napkins to display them in your table settings. Check out our article showing you how to make a Bird of Paradise and several other nice looking designs. You might also consider stitching up some felt apple shaped napkin rings for another great look!
The apple napkin ring instructions are easy to read and the project quick to finish…just like these cute apple napkins!
Shari
Check out our “Favorite Apple Projects and Crafts” boards on Pinterest to get ideas and inspiration for your own apple projects!
you should put some of these projects up on youtube .
“I always create a little square in each corner of my cloth napkins to hold the folded hem in place tight at the corners.” What a great, simple idea! Manufacturers need to do this, but then again, I may never buy cloth napkins again when I can do it following your directions. Thank you! PS, where did you find that cute apple fabric?
Hi Jenny, I hope you never do buy them again, because you can whip up a new set every day if you want!! I bought that fabric at Joann’s a while ago, but maybe they could order it for you. Along the selvage edge it says, “The Alexander Henry Fabrics Collection” copyright 2009 “farmdale orchard”. Hope that helps!
Thanks! And Frank Janvari is right. You should post your projects on YouTube.