Ring Around the Napkins

Napkins are boring. Usually. All you really need from a napkin is the ability to wipe the food from your face after your gluttonously feast on whatever food is given to you. I would personally be lost without napkins because I'm the messiest eater ever (statistically, that's probably not true). But who really cares how napkins look? Martha Stewart does.

 

Image via Martha Stewart Weddings

I found this picture back in 2009 when our wedding was but a twinkle in Mr. Unicycle's eye. Since Pinterest hadn't been invented yet, I actually saved the photo and its source (in case I ever ended up as a bee blogger. Yes, pathetic/oddly obsessed) to my hard drive. Now that my wedding is for realsies, I'm still smitten with this picture. I even included it in my inspiration board. This napkin is so simple to do--you're basically just folding it a certain way, and the napkin ring creates the cinching that gives it that bow shape. This is how I decided I needed napkin rings at my wedding.

I got the idea from these Easter egg cups on The Fab Miss B.

 

Image via The Fab Miss B

These looked like they could easily become napkin rings, and they had just the right amount of ruffles for my taste. Which is to say, they were hella ruffly. You can read how to make them on her blog--I literally did the exact same thing, meaning my napkin rings could be used as egg cups if I wanted. Here's mine:

 

Personal pic

I ruffled the streamers using my sewing machine, and hot glued the streamers and ribbon to toilet paper tubes cut in thirds. That's right, I'm using toilet paper tubes on the tables at my wedding. I found the ribbon at Paper Mart, which has to be the only place in the entire world that sells gray and white polka dot ribbon. To help me finish the job, my mom, FMIL, and I plowed through these one night, assembly line style, and made 200 of these bad boys.

 

Personal pic

I pity the fool who has to put these on all 200 of the napkins at my reception, but the catering coordinator has already approved it! Here's what it looks like with a napkin inside. Picture that the napkin is white, and expertly folded:

 

Personal pic

And there you have it, another superfluous DIY project completed ridiculously early (we made these back in July, a full 11 months before my wedding). I am a DIY FOOL!

Did you make napkin rings for your wedding? Do you think I'm sick for using toilet paper tubes?