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How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

Learn how to fold napkins into envelopes. Then place a valentine inside to surprise your family or friends. Napkin envelopes are also fun for hiding surprises at birthday parties or other special occasions.

Step-by-Step Instructions for How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

I like to fold cloth napkins into shapes to finish a table I am setting. I used these โ€œenvelopesโ€ on a Valentineโ€™s Day table that you can see by clicking here.

These envelope napkins are easy to fold! You can even place Valentines inside for guests to open, which is especially fun for Galentineโ€™s Day celebrations!

How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

Use Square Napkins

Use a square napkin for the best results when making envelopes. Napkins sized 18 x 18 inches or 20 x 20 inches work well, although you can use smaller or larger sizes. It is best to use perfectly square napkins, but many cloth napkins are not “square,” so you will need to adjust for that while folding. Place the napkin on a flat surface with the inside facing up. The inside is the side with a tag or hem.

How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

Start by Making a Triangle

Fold over one side of the napkin to make a triangle. Fold it as perfectly as you can. This napkin was not quite square, as you see on the right side of the triangle. How can you tell? You will not be able to fold the napkin so that the top side completely covers the bottom side, and everything lines up. When the napkin isn’t perfectly square, let the bottom side show–which means the top fold might be a little smaller than the bottom. See the photo below for another example.

How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

This napkin was not square. When I folded it and matched the top points together, the bottom did not line up at all. I adjusted the fold so that the top fold was smaller than the bottom fold. If you make the adjustment this way, the napkin flaws will be inside the “envelope” and hidden.

How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

Fold over the right point of the napkin. This point should line up with the top point of the napkin.

How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

Fold over the left point of the napkin to meet the first point you folded. The meeting point of these folds should line up with the point at the top of the napkin.

Fold over the right side of the napkin as shown above. The “fold over” should line up with the point at the bottom and top.

How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

Fold over the left side of the napkin as shown above. Then fold up the bottom as shown below.

How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

At this point, you can add a valentine if you choose. Just slide it between the folds inside the napkin.

How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

Fold over the top flap to finish the envelope.

How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

Add a paper or felt heart (if you would like) to the outside of the envelope. You can use this heart tag for a guest place card if you would like by writing a name across the heart. You can attach it with a piece of double-sided tape to keep it in place.

How to Fold Napkins into Envelopes

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