Impress Your Guests With This Easy Napkin-Folding Technique

Picture it: Texts from your dinner party guests begin to trickle in. “On our way!” You’ve dusted the wine glasses, double-checked that the main course isn’t burning, and lit a few taper candles to warm up the ambiance. Your table setting may be missing one important element, though — napkins. Don’t you dare reach for…

Linen and cotton dinner napkins are not only beautiful, adding color and sometimes pattern to your tablescape, but are also a utilitarian part of polite dining. Napkins show that you, the host with the most, know the art of table setting isn’t lost.

To elevate your dinner table to another level of elegance, all you need to learn is a simple napkin folding technique, no napkin ring necessary. You don’t need origami skills, either. An easy three-pocket napkin fold adds a touch of formality that will undoubtedly impress your guests.

Learn the Three-Pocket Napkin Fold

Follow these step-by-step instructions to create a three-pocket napkin fold that’s simple yet sophisticated.

Step 1: Grab a dinner napkin, ideally something between 18 and 24 inches square, and lay it on a flat surface. Fold the napkin in half, left to right.

Credit: Kelsey Morrison/ House Outlook Editor

Step 2: Fold the napkin in half again, bottom to top. This should create a square.

Step 3: Fold the top right corner down diagonally, grabbing only the top layer of fabric.

Step 4: Fold down the next layer and tuck it behind the first, leaving about an inch of the second layer visible.

Step 5: Fold down the third layer and tuck it underneath the second, ensuring both layers are the same width.

Step 6: Carefully flip the napkin over, then fold it in thirds vertically, starting with the left side.

Step 7: Fold the right third over the left third. Tuck the bottom right corner of the napkin into the triangular pocket on the lower left side to keep everything in place. Then flip the napkin over again to add your flatware.

Step 8: Tuck the spoon into the bottom pocket, followed by the fork, and then the knife. Remember to always set the knife with the blade facing to the left. If you’re still feeling lost, here’s a helpful tutorial by TikTok creator @cookwithmanuela.