Set your holiday table with these Thanksgiving napkin folds and place setting ideas that will steal the show.
A few simple touches can turn your everyday table into a festive affair.
Glittering Gold
For a contemporary look, stick with plain white and gold accents.
Credit: Steven McDonald
Just roll a white cloth napkin and secure it with a fun gold napkin ring.
Continue the gold accents throughout the table decor.
Natural Beauty
Dress up a simple white napkin with a lovely leaf name card.
Credit: Yunhee Kim
To bring out the warm tones in your dinner display, opt for textured plates and gold cutlery.
Beautiful Blues
Napkins for Thanksgiving don’t have to be fussy.
Add a pop of unexpected color with a turquoise cloth napkin.
Credit: Carson Downing
Bring in natural colors from the rest of the table display with wood napkin rings.
Turn the napkin on the place setting so the tag is facing out.
Bold and Bright
These hand-painted linen napkins add color to plain dinnerware.
Credit: Adam Albright
Keep it elegant with napkin colors that match the blue-green color of the evergreen sprigs.
Or for a fun look, use patterned napkins that match your Thanksgiving or fall decor.
Black Tie Event
Accentuate a patterned tablecloth with this black and white napkin display.
Credit: Adam Albright
For a little more color, add a few green leaves behind the black ones.
Place on neutral dinner plates and finish out the look with a woven placemat.
Fold and place next to each plate at your Thanksgiving feast.
Credit: Miki Duisterhof
Braided Bonds
Elegant table decorations don’t have to be fussy.
Then, complete the effortless place setting by wrapping thin braided rope or twine around each napkin.
Then, cover the wire with twine and place it on each guest’s plate.
Credit: Carson Downing
Dress up plain white cloth napkins with a galvanized napkin ring that matches the metal chargers under each plate.
Using a six-strand braiding pattern, braid six 30-inch strands of suede cording together and tie off.
Wrap the braid around a rolled-up napkin or colorful bandana.
Credit: Adam Albright
Simply Easy
This Thanksgiving napkin folding idea couldn’t be easier.
The result is an effortless look, but the texture of the twine reflects the nature of the season.
Tagged Napkin Rings
These crafty baubles pack a two-for-one punch as both napkin rings and place cards.
Credit: Stephen Kent Johnson
Print guests' names on decorative paper and cut them to fit on metal pendant frames.
Tie the tags around rolled napkins and tuck a wheat strand or two behind the tag.
Tucked In
Draw attention to your favorite cutlery with this easy napkin display.
Credit: Matthew Clark
Print or draw festive lettering on colored card stock, then cut into long strips.
Fold and fasten loosely around a white napkin and tuck your favorite silverware in between.
Rosemary Napkin Rings
These Thanksgiving napkins utilize your garden’s bounty for an elegant and aromatic display.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Overlap the ends of the sprigs on the back of the napkin and secure them with green florist wire.
This trick also works with herbs like thyme, sage, tarragon, and lavender.
Cut leaf shapes out of window screen panels and spray with gold spray paint.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Draw veins on the leaf with gold or bronze puffy paint and allow it to dry for 24 hours.
Once dry, show off the leaves by placing them on a colorful napkin.
Family Tree
Decorate your holiday dinner table with napkins and napkin rings that match the season.
Credit: Adam Albright
you’re able to be creative and combine unexpected items or go for a more traditional look.
Give your table options a personal touch by tying napkins with ribbon printed with a seasonal message.
Use a permanent marker to handwrite names on dried or fresh leaves for place cards.
Credit: Adam Albright
Fresh Folds
Match your place parameters to the table’s centerpiece for a cohesive look.
Simply secure the end of the twig in the knot of the ribbon.
Look for unique faux acorns (like this pearl acorn) for a more elegant look.
Credit: Andy Lyons
Bandanas and small tea towels make excellent napkin alternatives.
Buy them in bulk for a cohesive table setting.
The appropriate size of cloth napkin for an event depends on the occasion and use.
Credit: Brie Williams
Cocktail napkins are typically 10-inch squares or smaller.
Lunch and brunch napkins are slightly larger at 14 to 16 inches.
For most dinners and special occasions, a 19 to 20-inch square or 11x19 rectangle dinner napkin should suffice.
Credit: Helen Norman
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Carson Downing
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Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Au King
Credit: Adam Albright
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
