Is there anything more inviting than a beautifully set table? With carefully chosen linens, dishes, and glassware set out just so? I suppose it can almost be intimidating, like you don’t want to be the first to disturb it. But there’s still something inviting about it. It makes it feel like you were expected, and will be well taken care of.
I strive to have a beautiful tablescape when I host dinner, but I am often hosting a rather large party, which limits the space I have. And I can’t justify buying all the different items I’d need to keep on hand to achieve the variety of looks I dream of. Over time I may build up a collection, but in the meantime, I try to come up with new ways of using the materials I have.
I recently picked up a very large set of matching napkin rings at an estate sale. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I realized how many there were in the set. When we bought our dishes and cutlery, I ensured we had a set of 12 of everything. There are more napkin rings than that, if you can believe it!
Anyway, I had previously been using this fun hodge podge of silver coloured napkin rings, but when I used them, they made it really hard to have a coherent look for the table. The different rings were different sizes, making the napkins in turn appear different in them. It was a fun in theory more than in execution, so I often didn’t bother using those rings when hosting larger groups.
When I went to go use my new set for the first time, I realized I had never settled on a good way to use them. I played around with a few simple ways of folding the napkins and came up with this simple bow technique that I think is fun and not too formal. Here’s how I did it:
First, fold the napkin lengthwise, then in half in the other direction.
(You could also iron your napkins before using them, but clearly on this day I decided life was too short.)
Next, take the corner that has no edges in it and start feeding it through the napkin ring. When you get partway, feed one of the next corners through the ring, too. You should have one side that is folded and one side that is all edge. Fluff and shape into a bow.
That’s all there is to it! As a bonus, here is my finished table from this (Canadian) Thanksgiving:
