How To: Fold napkins into envelope shapes

Fashioning a napkin into a tidy envelope shape is one of the easiest ways to make each table setting look first class. Learn the art of napkin folding, perfect for entertaining guests!

You Will Need

* A cloth napkin
* An iron
* Starch

Step 1: Iron the napkin
Iron the napkin.
*Tip: For an especially crisp look, use starch.

Step 2: Make a triangle
Lay the napkin flat, facedown. Fold it in half to form a triangle.

Step 3: Fold corners and sides
Fold the right and left corners over so they meet in the middle. Then fold the sides over until the meet in the middle again.

Step 4: Bring up the rear
Fold the bottom up so you have a rectangle at the bottom and a triangle at the top.

Step 5: Fold the flap
Fold both pieces of the triangular flap down over the rectangle. Voila! An envelope.

Fact
The idea of napkins began in ancient Greece with the Spartans, who put lumps of raw dough on the dinner table so diners could wipe their fingers on it.