| Napkin Rings |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-103 |
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Q: I'm getting ready to entertain for the holidays and want some help dressing up the table. Any suggestions on a project I can do myself?
A: (Debbie Stapley, Ask DIY Craft expert) When you set your dining-room table, especially during the holidays, you set the mood for the entire meal. Along with mouth-watering dishes and fancy silverware, you can add style with something as simple as a napkin ring. Here are several napkin rings you can easily make yourself to dress up any dining occasion. They are fairly inexpensive. Materials: For cording rings
Fat rope cording (around 18 inches per ring)
Wooden dowel, one and a quarter inches in diameter
Glue gun
Masking tape
For wire-ribbon rings
Decorative wire-edged ribbon, around 18 inches per ring
Wire cutters
Craft glue
Wooden dowel, 1 1/4" in diameter
Bowl
Spray polyurethane
Plastic cutting board, plate or ceramic tile
For latex-flower ring
Wooden dowel, 1 1/4" in diameter
Latex flowers (one stem is usually enough for three rings)
For fork ring
Mismatched, discarded forks
Wooden dowel, 1 1/4" in diameter
Hammer
Needle-nose pliers
For paper-covered wire ring
Paper-covered wire, around 4 or 5 times the circumference needed for each ring
Small silk flowers
Wire cutter
Hot glue or craft glue
- Cording ring: Wrap 18 inches of rope cording around a dowel, leaving the two ends even and tying a square knot as tightly as possible. Wrap masking tape around the ends of the cording to keep them from raveling. Turn the two ends back to the other side of the dowel, and hot glue the tips together, forming a double-ring napkin ring. Wait for the glue to dry before removing the masking tape.
Working smarter: Using the dowel makes the napkin rings easier to form, and a uniform size.
- Wire-ribbon napkin ring: Saturate 18 inches of wire-edged ribbon in a bowl of watered-down glue. Run the ribbon through your pinched fingers to remove the excess glue. The glue will make the ribbon firm and allow it to keep its shape. Use the gluey ribbon to tie a bow around the dowel -- but not too tight -- then gently remove it to dry on a plastic cutting board, plate or tile. When it dries, spray the whole napkin ring with polyurethane, and you can use it over and over.
- Latex-flower ring: Cut each "bloom" and its stem to a length of around 8 inches. Wrap one stem around the dowel, forming a ring that overlaps an inch or so. That's all -- it's a napkin ring.
- Fork ring: Bend a mismatched fork -- one you never plan to use again -- around the dowel. You should be able to bend it most of the way with your hands, particularly with inexpensive flatware, and then use a hammer to complete the ring (figure A). If the tines of the fork are not too heavy, try curling them out with needle-nosed pliers.
Buyer's guide: Look for odds and ends of silverware at thrift or discount stores. - Paper-covered wire ring: Make a circle of paper-covered wire the size you want your napkin ring to be, then twine a second piece around it, wreath-style (figure B). Attach small silk flowers or other autumn-theme decorations with hot glue or craft glue.
More questions for Debbie:
Q: Could you use fresh flowers as opposed to artificial ones for the napkin rings?
A: Yes, but be sure to use a sturdy flower with a strong stem. To wrap it around a dowel, insert floral wire up the stem and wrap with floral tape. Of course, this kind of ring will not last long.
Q: I'm having a birthday party for my son, and I want to know what I can do to set a table little boys will love.
A: Instead of napkins, use red shop cloths. Roll them up and thread them through a piece of hardware, such as a large bolt or a piece of pipe. Or use a rolled-up bandanna for each guest, tied with ribbon.
Web extra:
Q: Can you use different molds or cookie cutters to make soap?
A: Use any soap mold that appeals to you, but just use a cookie cutter to cut shapes after the soap has hardened -- not as a mold. Web Site resources for napkin rings Hatband napkin ring from Family.com Floral napkin rings from FloralHome.com Napkin rings from Michaels.com Braided wreath napkin ring from CraftCentralStation.com Beaded napkin rings from DetroitNews.com Napkin rings from MakeStuff.com Holiday napkin rings Beaded napkin rings from Decorating4Less.com
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