How to Make Napkins and Napkin Rings

by Emma Jeffery

These simple, stitched napkins are a breeze to make and will brighten your Thanksgiving table with fun colors. We finished ours with some seasonally stamped napkin rings, too!

These simple, stitched napkins are a breeze to make and will brighten your Thanksgiving table with fun colors. We finished ours with some seasonally stamped napkin rings, too!

Tools used

Step 1. Prewash fabric. Fabric will often shrink when washed, so it's always a good idea to wash, dry and iron your fabric first, before cutting and sewing. Once your fabric is prepped, grab your supplies and settle in.

Step 2. Cut the fabric. Place your chosen fabric on your Fiskars® Cutting Mat. Using your Fiskars® Acrylic Ruler and Fiskars® Titanium Softgrip® Comfort Loop Rotary Cutter (45 mm), cut four squares of fabric each measuring 14.5” x 14.5”. If you are using thick fabric, trade up to the 60mm rotary blade.

Step 3. Get ready to sew. Set your sewing machine to satin stitch. You may want to practice sewing this stitch on a scrap of fabric first if you aren’t familiar with this setting. Place a sheet of tissue paper behind one fabric square and place it on your sewing machine. The tissue paper will help stabilize your fabric and can be easily torn away later.

Step 4. Sew. Sew a satin stitch around the entire perimeter of the fabric square, about ¼” to ½” away from the edge of the fabric. You might need to help guide the fabric through the machine by pulling gently and slowly from the back. Pivot at each corner as you get to them by stopping with the needle in the down position and turning the fabric 90 degrees before continuing to sew.

Step 5. Finish sewing. When you meet the point at which you started sewing, remove the fabric from the machine. Tie the thread ends together with a small knot hidden into the stitching. Trim loose threads with Fiskars® Original Orange-handled Scissors.

Step 6. Remove tissue paper. If there is any tissue paper left in the stitching, simply tear it away. You will be left with a rough edge around the napkin.

Step 7. Finish the napkins. Take your Original Orange-handled Scissors and very carefully trim away the excess fabric next to the stitching. Be sure not to cut into the stitches. This will leave you with a finished, stitched edge featuring a fun seasonal color.

Step 8. Make napkin rings. Use your scissors to cut 1” wide strips of cardstock. I usually switch to an orange-handle scissors that I have designed specifically to cut paper, so I am not using the same scissors on both fabric and paper. Then, use the Fiskars® Enchanted Forest clear stamps and Fiskars® Stamp Block Set to decorate the strips of cardstock. Secure the cardstock around the napkins and use a piece of tape to hold them in place at the back.