DIY Inexpensive Cloth Napkins

I don’t know about you, but the biggest indicator for a special meal to me is table linens.  Particularly cloth napkins.  They also are the easiest thing to add to a table for the holidays.  Table cloths need ironing, and are big and slide around.  And centerpieces are nice but they take up space where the food needs to go!  But you add some cloth napkins and all of a sudden it feels like your dining at the Plaza.  I really don’t host enough to justify the cost of some cloth napkins, so naturally I made my own for just a few bucks!

If you ever browse Hobby Lobby like me, and your Hobby Lobby is laid out like mine, you’ve come across the handkerchief section.  It’s by the jewelry making supplies.  Anyway, they have a ton of bandanas.  There’s the traditional paisley print in multiple colors, there’s the trendy prints, and there are solids.  And they are always 99 cents apiece.  But you may not know that they also are they same size as many cloth napkins you may find at any table linen store.

I chose to get black (I didn’t want to leave out any holidays).  I strongly considered picking up some teal thread, but this beautiful silver won out.  It sparkles for Christmas but also just adds a touch of class for any other special occasion.  Or as Elle Woods would say, “I think it gives it a little something extra, don’t you think?”  ??‍♀️?

I tested out some of the stitches on my sewing machine before deciding on this honeycomb like print.  (Remember my cubicle wall?  I must have a thing for honeycomb.)  Originally I thought I would just do a few rows of a simple zig zag, which every machine should have.  But I ended up liking two rows of the honeycomb better.  Once I decided on my stitches, I started sewing the napkins, I mean bandanas, no I mean napkins.

Aside from my machine jamming a couple times (my bobbin tension is so finicky), I sewed all four napkins in less time than it took to watch a Hallmark Christmas movie.  And now our table is ready for entertaining!  We aren’t hosting either holiday this year but we can be fancy for my dad’s birthday.  ?