We love the cloth napkin here at Sew4Home! It’s a green alternative to paper; it’s super simple to make; and it adds a cheery splash of color to your table. That’s a trifecta of winning reasons to give it a try today. We used a different fabric for each of our six napkin samples, because mixing and matching is fun.

Click to find instructions for matching reversible, round table placemats well as a set of matching no-slip chair cushions.

Our napkins were originally made with fabric from the Flora & Fauna collection by Patty Young. This is an older grouping that can be hard to find. But because we’ve specified quilting cotton for all the elements, your choices are endless – from your own stash or brand new from your favorite in-store or online retailer.

Sewing Tools You Need

• Sewing machine and standard presser foot

Fabric and Other Supplies

Our napkins are 20″ x 20″ finished, which means you need at least 21″ x 21″ of fabric to make one. If you’re working with 44″-45″ wide fabric, as we usually are, this means you need at least 21″ in length. Here’s your math quiz for today: If a yard of fabric is 36″, what standard cut would you order to accommodate your napkins? (pause here for the theme song from Jeopardy) … That’s right! “What is ¾ yard?” ¾ of a yard is 27″ – plenty of length. In fact, with 44″-45″ in width and 27″ in length, you can make TWO napkins. Multiply to your heart’s content to make more.

• For our six napkins we used six different fabrics originally from Patty Young’s Flora & Fauna collection by Michael Miller Fabrics: Blossoms in Black, Daisy Dot in Lime and Stone, Ta Dot in Moss and Apple, and Dandelion in Raspberry
• All purpose thread in colors to match fabric
• Contrasting all purpose thread for edgestitch; optional – you can use matching thread
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pencil
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Seam guage
• Seam ripper
• Straight pins

Getting Started

1. Cut 21″ x 21″ even squares from each fabric you’re using for your napkins.
2. We recommend a rotary cutter for cutting squares. It’s faster and more accurate.
   
   

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

1. Fold and press a ¼” double hem along all four sides on one fabric square. To do this, fold in ¼” and press, then fold another ¼” and press, encasing the raw edge within the fold. For a truly professional finish, see our tutorial on how to make a narrow hem with a neat corner.
   
   
2. Using a straight stitch and contrasting thread (the contrasting touch is optional; you can use matching thread if you prefer a simpler look), sew around the entire folded perimeter. Remember to stop at each corner, with your needle in the down position, and pivot.
3. Repeat for each fabric square.