Thanksgiving Turkey Napkin Fold Tutorial

Recently, for Tablescape Thursday, I posted a Thanksgiving tablescape with the little ones in mind.  It included a fun turkey napkin fold.   Today I'm sharing a tutorial showing how it's made, in case you would like to incorporate it into your Thanksgiving table this year.

To create your turkey napkin fold, besides a napkin, you'll need a pinecone and a chenille pipe cleaner.  Actually, one pipe cleaner will make the necks/heads for two turkeys, so you'll only need 2 pipe cleaners to create turkeys for four place settings.

For this napkin fold, it's best if you fold your napkins on an ironing board so you can press each fold as you make it.  A little spray starch would be a great idea, too.  I didn't have any starch on hand and the napkins still came out pretty well, but starch would have given them a bit crisper look.  It was also very humid and raining off and on the day I created this table setting.  I had the door to the porch standing open since it was so warm out.  It's a wonder the folds I made didn't completely wilt.  So, if you don't have starch, don't worry.  They should still be just fine.

Fold your napkin from right to left and press.

Starting at the bottom, fold up the edge of your napkin about 1 to 1 1/2 inches and press.  You may need to "test" fold a napkin or two before you figure out the right size/width to make each fold.  You'll will need to have about 4-5 inches left over in the end that doesn't get folded into the fan shape.  That left over section actually becomes the support for your napkin.

Turn the fold you just made up underneath the napkin to create another fold, and press.

Fold the napkin upward again and press.

Repeat this folding process back and forth, pressing each fold along the way.  Stop with the napkin in the position shown below with about 4-5 inches left unfolded.

Fold the whole napkin over from left to right...as shown below.

Take the top right corner and fold it downward (all four sections) and tuck those down under the napkin folds you've made, as shown below.

Press along the slanted edge of the flap you've tucked down.  This will be the support that helps keep your napkin stay standing up on the plate.

Place your napkin on the plate and gently open it up into a fan shape.  Here's a view of the back of the napkin once it has been opened.  You can see how the sections that were folded down and tucked behind the folds, become the support for the fan-shaped tail.

Just place your pinecone in front of your folded napkin and tuck your chenille pipe cleaner down into the pinecone, bending it to create the look of the turkey's neck/head.

For additional napkin folding ideas/tutorials, click on the heading "Tablescapes" at the top of this blog and scroll down past the tablescape links where you'll find additional napkin folding tutorials. Happy Turkey Day!