I have been working on making some more cloth napkins like the ones that I made in October. (Wow, this year really is flying by…) Of course the new ones are still sitting on my works in progress pile, but I will hopefully finish those up soon. In the meantime I thought I would share a little tutorial on how to make these (this is my very first tutorial ever too, so bear with me:). If you are looking for a last minute, quick to make Christmas gift I think these would make a great gift…
(You can click on any of the photos for a larger view.)
Step One: Cut a 14 x 14 inch square piece of fabric for each napkin that you want to make.
Step Two: This step is optional, but I highly recommend it since I think it makes everything go a bit quicker. Sew a line a little less than 1/4 an inch from the edges. (This helps you know where to iron, rather than having to mess with measuring it while you are ironing.)
Step 3: Iron the edge of one side over 1/4 an inch using the line you just sewed. (Make sure that the line you made in step 2 is tucked towards the wrong side of the fabric so that the thread doesn’t show when you finish the napkin – see photo if that doesn’t make sense:)
Step 4: Now tuck under the edge another 1/4 inch and iron so that the raw edge is now hidden.
Step 5: Sew along this edge, backstitching at the start and finish.
Step 6: Now repeat these same steps on the opposite side of the napkin. At this point you will have 2 finished edges & 2 raw edges.
Step 7: With the remaining 2 raw edges follow steps 3, 4, 5, & 6 again.
Now all the edges of the napkin should be finished off. Go ahead and make a few more to complete your new set of napkins! :)
If you have any questions, feel free to email me or leave a comment. Hopefully it all makes sense… It is pretty basic, but these look lovely when you are finished and are so much nicer than ordinary paper napkins (plus so much better for the environment!).
This tutorial is intended for personal use only. Feel free to link to this tutorial, but please do not repost it in its entirety without permission from me. All photos & content on this site are copyrighted by me. Thanks!
very cute! i should make a few of these…my kids love using cloth napkins. I really like the idea of stitching around the perimeter before ironing. Your seams look fantastically straight!
fab! thanks!
I love that fabric, and the tutorial! :)
Great tutorial! These would make a quick gift.
I am weeping for the sewing machine that is in our basement (the voltage doesn’t match up)! Those napkins are fabulous!
I’m sure you already know this but if you open up the last two edges and clip the corner at an angle then refold them down it keeps the rolled edge from sliding out and being all pokey when you stich it down. I think everyday cloth napkins are my new favorite thing this year, or I guess next year since this ones almost over :)
The sewing a 1/4 inch line around so you know where to iron? Pure freaking genius. Love the new masthead, too!
Lovely napkins – thanks for the tutorial!
Another trick to make things go even faster (which I learned about after I made my own napkins) — cut your fabric into long 14″ strips, sew the long edges down all at once, and then cut into separate napkins and sew the remaining edges.
this is so helpful and seems easy! thanks!
Cool – I was just looking for new holiday napkins today and coun’t find anything I liked. Now I can run up to the quilting store near me and get some perfect fabric. Funny how you never think of these solutions yourself!
Kismet!
I was recently inspired to buy some linen for this EXACT purpose (I feel it is safe within the parenthesis to admit that the bag with fabric is still in my car)!!
I knew the process would be simple, but it is so nice to see it step-by-step anyway.
Great job, great pics on your first tutorial!
I think your tutorial looks very attemptable, (unlike Martha Stewart’s). Thanks for sharing, I might give it a whirl. I like your blog, very well put together.
Yay! Napkins! ^_^ Nice tutorial, might have to make some of these!
Wonderful last minute gift idea. Perfect! Good job on your first tutorial, too. It seems you are a natural.
Nice job on your first tutorial! Go for another one, and keep on teaching. I really liked the idea of the line of stitching. Very pretty fabric also!
I used the line stitching idea (to mark the quarter inch for ironing purposes) on some pillowcases that i made a few days ago. it worked so wonderfully. thanks for the genius tip!
And the next step is dyeing and printing your own fabrics for your napkins. — A great use for old vintage table linens.
nice tutorial i really like it thanx for sharing it
jasmine
tech-chek.blogspot.com
This would be a great project for batiks and other fabrics that look good on both sides!
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Oh, thanks so much for the tutorial…very clear and easy to follow…do you have any magic laundering tips ;-) (like how these magically clean themselves?)
thanks again
Kimmie
mama to 6
one homemade and 5 adopted
These are beautiful, yet so easy. Great idea!!
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Thank you so much for the great tutorial! We use cloth napkins and need some replacements, I can’t wait to make them.
Thanks for the tutorial, i’ve been making cloth napkins but now i know how to get a great finishing.
I need to do this. I am just wondering about what sort of fabric to use. I am pretty much “into” natural fibers, and I want them soft and absorbent, so I think cotton would be best, but then the wrinkling… Any ideas?
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I’d really like to make these. What type of fabric should I use? Quilting fabric has lots of fun prints but isn’t it too thin for napkins? Probably cotton right, but should it be a home decor fabric since these are thicker?
Love these and encourage folks to make their own fabrics to use in such projects. Its easy to use with Procion MX dyes, stencils, stamps and simple tools. see my blog for more ideas on a regular basis!
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Hi! Thanks for the tutorial! Funny thing I had the same fabric that you used in this tutorial so I made a pair of napkins. Love it! You have wonderful pictures and ideas! Thanks and keep on posting to inspire!
Thanks for sharing this tutorial! I will post a link to it in my up-coming Go Green blog on my website!
Great tutorial! What type of fabric is best for these napkins? I do not want something that is wrinkly when out of the dryer. Look forward to hearing from someone!
That is so simple. Thanks for sharing. I’ve sewn for quite a while, but never even thought of making napkins.
Did you use a certain type of fabric? Or is there one you would recommend over another?
Thank you for the great tutorial! I had a great time making these…I even posted about it on my blog, with a link to your tutorial (hope you won’t mind..).
http://canadianhomelearning.blogspot.com/2008/12/lunch-box-cloth-napkins.html
Thanks so much! I needed some quick holiday gifts and everyone knows homemade ones are the best!!! tnx agn…NiNA
what a great tip about sewing BEFORE you iron! that can definitely be transferred to other projects, too.
ps, i want to steal that fabric, it’s so fab :)
<3E
tootsweethandbags.etsy.com
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Thank you – this tutorial is awesome. I think you are a tutorial pro already.
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