Sew Easy Gift Ideas: Napkins

I am always looking for opportunities to better my sewing skills. An easy project like this is perfect for that. An easy project can also provide some sewing therapy. A relaxing project should only take you 45 min to an hour to complete. Today’s is perfect for beginners or anyone who has a stash of fabric sitting in a box.

With the holidays right around the corner, we better get busy sewing — a great time to make useful and sustainable gifts — a gift made by you for your loved ones. Today's project is cloth napkins. Yes, I know there is always a debate about the use of paper towels vs. cloth napkins but, I know one thing, I still have to do laundry every week.

Note: I still use paper napkins, especially to clean my cast iron pots and removing grime from greasy dishes.

Choose a pattern that can be used year round. Iron is a must for every sewing project. Also play around with using different color threads for unique results.

Must Have Tools:

• Cotton Fabric (Choose a pattern that could be used all year long)
• Cotton Fabric (solid color optional)
• Scissors
• Pins
• Iron
• Thread
• Sewing Machine
• Material (pattern and solid)

Optional Tools

• Rotary Cutter
• Self Healing Mat
• Acrylic Ruler (if you do not have these tools, simple mark your square or rectangle with a fabric pen and cut with scissor)

Let's Get Started

Step 1 Wash and Dry your fabric Step 2 Iron your fabric (very important, don't skip this step)

Step 3 Measure your fabric and cut

My favorite sizes for napkins: Large: 10 x 12 Great for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Small: 6 x 5 Great for Snack, Coffee or Tea Time

My favorite tools right now, Rotary Cutter,Acrylic Ruler and Self Healing Mat.

Step 4 Line fabric up wrong sides facing out, secure with pins to prevent movement between material during sewing.

Step 5 Sew fabric on all four sides with a simple straight stitch. Use a scrap of your material to make sure your settings on your sewing machine are correct for your fabric choice and the desired stitch. Leave a 2-inch opening to turn the fabric on the right side.

No fancy sewing machine needed for this project. Sew straight stitch on all four sides leaving a two inch opening to turn fabric right side out. Trim all four corners of napkins with scissors before turning right side out.

Step 6
Before you turn your napkins inside out, cut all four corners of the napkins. Clipping the corners will remove the bulk of fabric in the corner and leave a crisp, sharp corner to your napkins.
To ensure corners are perfect, use your scissors or a chopstick to push corners out.

Step 7
Iron your napkins, make sure the opening left open is iron closed. This will ensure your fabrics line up perfectly with no gap.

Take your time stitching around your napkins, for this stitch will show, also make sure the opening is stitched closed.

Step 8
Now back to the sewing machine, you can make a stitch around the entire napkin.

Step 9
Snip those stray threads, make sure all the little threads are clipped to give it a professional look. Now you are finished and ready to use.

I hope this was easy and relaxing for you as it is for me. Once you get in a groove, you can make multiple sets for your family and friends. Talk about saving money and reducing waste. If you did a great job sewing these napkins, they should last for many years. Besides, if you don't use all those scraps with beautiful patterns, the moths will enjoy them.

This site does not use affiliate links, which means no commission is earned if you make a purchase via the link go directly to the vendor’s website. All the items on this blog post were purchased with my own money and are not sponsored. I am not an expert at sewing and love sharing sewing projects that I am currently working are to inspire others to get busy creating.