Thanksgiving Turkey Napkin Fold Tutorial

Recently, for Tablescape Thursday, I posted a Thanksgiving tablescape with the little ones in mind.  It included a fun turkey napkin fold.   Today I'm sharing a tutorial showing how it's made, in case you would like to incorporate it into your Thanksgiving table this year.

To create your turkey napkin fold, besides a napkin, you'll need a pinecone and a chenille pipe cleaner.  Actually, one pipe cleaner will make the necks/heads for two turkeys, so you'll only need 2 pipe cleaners to create turkeys for four place settings.

For this napkin fold, it's best if you fold your napkins on an ironing board so you can press each fold as you make it.  A little spray starch would be a great idea, too.  I didn't have any starch on hand and the napkins still came out pretty well, but starch would have given them a bit crisper look.  It was also very humid and raining off and on the day I created this table setting.  I had the door to the porch standing open since it was so warm out.  It's a wonder the folds I made didn't completely wilt.  So, if you don't have starch, don't worry.  They should still be just fine.

Fold your napkin from right to left and press.

Starting at the bottom, fold up the edge of your napkin about 1 to 1 1/2 inches and press.  You may need to "test" fold a napkin or two before you figure out the right size/width to make each fold.  You'll will need to have about 4-5 inches left over in the end that doesn't get folded into the fan shape.  That left over section actually becomes the support for your napkin.

Turn the fold you just made up underneath the napkin to create another fold, and press.

Fold the napkin upward again and press.

Repeat this folding process back and forth, pressing each fold along the way.  Stop with the napkin in the position shown below with about 4-5 inches left unfolded.

Fold the whole napkin over from left to right...as shown below.

Take the top right corner and fold it downward (all four sections) and tuck those down under the napkin folds you've made, as shown below.

Press along the slanted edge of the flap you've tucked down.  This will be the support that helps keep your napkin stay standing up on the plate.

Place your napkin on the plate and gently open it up into a fan shape.  Here's a view of the back of the napkin once it has been opened.  You can see how the sections that were folded down and tucked behind the folds, become the support for the fan-shaped tail.

Just place your pinecone in front of your folded napkin and tuck your chenille pipe cleaner down into the pinecone, bending it to create the look of the turkey's neck/head.

For additional napkin folding ideas/tutorials, click on the heading "Tablescapes" at the top of this blog and scroll down past the tablescape links where you'll find additional napkin folding tutorials. Happy Turkey Day!

A Thanksgiving Tablescape for the "Kid's" Table: Welcome to the 169th Tablescape Thursday!

Thanksgiving is only one week away!  Wow, this month has flown by.  For this Tablescape Thursday I put together a tablescape with the little ones in mind.  Do you set up a "kids" table each year for Thanksgiving?  Sometimes I think sitting at the kids table would be more fun than the grown-ups table.

Though this table was created with little ones in mind, there are three things I would change on this table if children were going to be sitting here.  1. There would be just one glass at each place setting.  2. I'd remove the salad forks which could prove a little confusing for the youngest ones.  3.  I wouldn't have acorns on the table since they could end up in mouths or being hurled through the air. ;)  With those three changes, I think this would work pretty well as the children's table for Thanksgiving Day.

I ran across a cute pinecone turkey place card holder at Martha Stewart online.  Their pine cone turkey was made by gluing feathers to the back end of the pinecone for the turkey's tail.

 This little turkey could still hold a place card, but instead of feathers for a tail, I created a "fan" shaped napkin fold for the tail.  Tutorial for this turkey napkin fold can be found HERE.

Dinner plates the color of yellow autumn leaves are by Noritake, part of their Colorwave Collection.  Rattan chargers dress up the "kids" table without being overly fussy or formal.

These whimsical turkey plates would work great as salad or dessert plates for the kids table because they were very inexpensive.  At only $2.99 each, there would be no angst if one gets broken during Thanksgiving dinner.

The pumpkin I decorated with ribbon before Halloween is still looking nice and fresh, so it worked as a handy centerpiece for this round table setting.  You'll find the super easy tutorial for adding ribbon to a pumpkin, HERE.

Dollar store glasses let the little ones dine in style just like the grown ups.  At only $1 a glass, it's not a big issue if one gets broken.   Again, if children were sitting at this table, I'd just use one glass (probably the tumbler) at each place setting to keep it nice and simple.

This napkin fold is really easy.  I'll try to post a tutorial on it soon, in case you would like to duplicate this look for a Thanksgiving table setting.

I'm looking forward to the beautiful tablescapes posted for this Tablescape Thursday!

Resources for this table setting:
Rattan chargers: Pier 1, recently
Dinner Plates: Provided by Noritake, available online now
Salad Plates: Better Homes and Gardens, Walmart, recently
Glassware: Dollar Tree, 1-2 years ago
Flatware: Gourmet Settings, Treble Clef, HomeGoods, years ago
Napkins: Kohl's, years ago (Napkin fold tutorial can be found HERE.)
Turkeys: Old Time Pottery, years ago
Pumpkin:  Easy tutorial for covering with ribbon can be found HERE



To receive the latest posts, as well as updates about blog parties, subscribe via an RSS Reader or have BNOTP delivered right to your Inbox.  You'll find links to subscribe via RSS and Email on the sidebar to the right.  Thanks for reading; so glad you are here!

Reading this post via e-mail or RSS feed?
*If you are reading this via email or RSS feed, to view all the tablescapes linked for Tablescape Thursday, click HERE.

Please Read:
If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar, into the "url" box when you link up.

If you would like to use the Tablescape Thursday logo button in your post, just copy and paste it to your computer and upload it to your post as you would any photo. Or, grab the html code you'll find under the "BNOTP Parties" heading at the top of this blog.

Please link back to the party so your regular readers will find all your fellow Blogger's tablescapes, too.

Please, don't add your post name/blog name ALL IN CAPS...it tends to create big spaces between the rows of links. Thanks!

Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course.


Welcome! Thanks for coming to the party!

Napkin Folding Tutorial: The Butterfly

Recently, I created a table setting with a butterfly napkin fold. (You can view this tablescape in detail, HERE.)

I used this same napkin fold again for this table setting which can be viewed in full, HERE.

This fold is super easy to create.  I think it looks especially nice when created with a napkin that has a scalloped edge. Hope you enjoy this butterfly napkin fold tutorial.  (The lens cap is just there to give the camera something to focus on.)

I wonder how it would look with a couple of sprigs of lavender tucked into the very top for little antenna.

For additional napkin fold tutorials, click HERE and scroll down past the tablescapes.

Scroll on down to view all the beautiful table settings from yesterday's Tablescape Thursday!

Bunny Rabbit Napkin Folding Tutorial: Great for Easter or a Springtime Tablescape

While we continue enjoying all the beautiful tablescapes posted for yesterday's Tablescape Thursday, here's a tutorial for the bunny napkin fold I used in my tablescape, HERE. All you need is a little ribbon and some little pom poms from the craft store and you'll be all set for Easter dinner.



This fold may look complicated but it's actually really easy to create. I used an 18" square napkin but a 20" napkin would probably work even better. I recommend folding your napkins on top of an ironing board with a hot iron at the ready. For this fold, you'll need to press the folds in place as you work for the best results.



This napkin fold would be great for a spring or summertime table setting.





















At this point, you'll need to stop and cut a piece of narrow ribbon approximately 5-6 inches in length. The length will depend on the weight or thickness of your napkin. Make a loop overlapping the ends of your ribbon, then hot-glue the ends together. For your bunny's tail, hot-glue a pom pom where the loops overlap.







Side view with a pom pom tail:





Another view with a little clip-on flower tail:





You could even use a little candy bracelet. Children especially would love this. You'll still need the ribbon underneath to hold the napkin together, though. Happy folding!



This tutorial will be added to the category header, Napkin Folds at the top of BNOTP so it will be easily available for future reference.

I'm joining in Layla's How To Party. Thanks Layla for hosting!