In this day and age, disposable items have become a way of life. So much so, that when there is a shortage of items, it becomes a major inconvenience for us. We often don’t stop to think about how much money we regularly spend on these items, or how a simple, longer lasting, replacement would function just as well. Cloth napkins are one such item. Making and using these will save you money in the long run, and do wonders for our environment.
Store bought cloth napkins can be quite expensive, but you can make your own very inexpensively. You can often find fat quarters in fabric stores for $1.00 or less, which measure about 18”x22.” If using fat quarters you’d need 2 for every napkin. You could also buy it by the yard and possibly spend less. So for $8 or less, you could have a set of 4, that could be reused continuously, and make your table look much nicer.
Below is a very simple tutorial on how to quickly make your own cloth napkins.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
2 PIECES 18”X18” FABRIC
SCISSORS
PINS
SEWING MACHINE OR NEEDLE AND THREAD
IRON
PENCIL
- MEASURE AND CUT 2 PIECES OF FABRIC 18”X18.” PIN WRONG SIDES OF FABRIC TOGETHER.
- STITCH ABOUT 1/4” FROM THE EDGE ALL THE WAY AROUND LEAVING 1 CORNER OPEN ABOUT 2 INCHES FOR TURNING. I USUALLY KEEP THE EDGE OF THE PRESSER FOOT LINED UP WITH THE EDGE OF THE FABRIC TO GET ABOUT ¼” SEAM ALLOWANCE AND A STRAIGHT STITCH.
- CLIP DIAGONALLY ACROSS EACH CORNER, MAKING SURE NOT TO CUT THREADS.
- FLIP NAPKING INSIDE OUT AND USE PENCIL POINT TO PUSH OUT THE CORNERS TO A POINT.
- PRESS EDGES FLAT, MAKING SURE THE OPEN END IS FOLDED IN, TO SEW CLOSED.
- SEW ALL THE WAY AROUND ABOUT ¼” FROM THE OUTSIDE EDGE, FINISHING OFF THE NAPKIN.
- FOLD AND TOP OFF WITH A PRETTY NAPKING RING.
—-Bridgett Gladney