This easy to follow guide shows how to fold napkins into Christmas trees to bring a little Christmas cheer to your dinner table.
It’s really simple to do and I created a collage to show you in pictures exactly how to fold your napkins into Christmas trees.
Materials You’ll Need for Christmas Napkin Folding
Before you begin folding napkins into Christmas trees, gather the following materials:
- Napkins: Cloth napkins work best for creating sturdy folds, but paper napkins also work well for casual settings.
- Accessories: Add ribbons, bows, or mini ornaments to enhance the design.
- Flat Surface: A clean, flat surface ensures precise folds.
How to Fold Napkins Like Christmas Trees
A great way to add a little cheer to your dinner is to set your table with napkins folded into Christmas Trees.
Step 1: Fold Napkin in Half
The first step in creating a Christmas tree napkin is to fold the napkin in half, as seen in step one of the photo instructions above.
Step 2: Fold Napkin in Half Again
Next, fold the napkin in half, longways.
Step 3: Fold Again
Then fold again, this should make a square shape.
Step 4:Turn the Napkin
Next, turn your napkin so that the loose edges are on the bottom.
Step 5: Fold Loose Ends
Begin folding the loose ends up staggering the ends and leaving spaces in between each fold.
Step 6: Flip the Napkin Over
Flip the whole napkin over being careful not to unfold the staggered edges.
Step 7:Fold the Corners
Fold the bottom corners inward ending at the top two corners.
Step 8: Flip the Napkin Again
Flip the napkin over again and once again be careful to not unfold what you have already done.
Step 9: Finish the Christmas Tree Shaped Napkin
You could be done here or you can finish it off by folding the top triangle up and then folding the rest of the edges and tucking them into the fold above until you reach the bottom.
Step 10: Style for Your Holiday Table
Add a bow or ribbon and your napkins are now folded into festive Christmas Trees!
Why Fold Napkins into Christmas Trees?
Christmas Tree Napkins are so much fun to create and it can be one of your family’s favorite traditions!
Napkin folding is an easy way to add festive charm to your dinner table without spending extra money. Whether you’re hosting a Christmas dinner or simply want to surprise your family with a beautiful table setting, Christmas napkin folding is the perfect touch.
You may also like these: Budget Christmas Decorating Ideas
Tips for Perfect Christmas Tree Napkins
1. Choose the Right Material
For the best results, use cloth napkins with a slightly stiff texture. Fabrics like linen or cotton hold their shape better and make your folds crisp and long-lasting. If you’re using paper napkins, opt for high-quality, thicker ones to avoid tearing during the folding process.
2. Use Ironed Napkins
Wrinkle-free napkins create cleaner folds that look polished and professional. Be sure to iron your napkins before folding to eliminate creases and give your Christmas tree napkin a seamless finish.
3. Practice First
Napkin folding is an art that takes a little patience. Test your folding skills a few times to perfect the design before setting your table. This ensures all your napkins will look uniform and festive.
4. Play with Colors
Classic Look: Use green napkins for a traditional Christmas tree aesthetic.
Modern Vibe: Experiment with colors like red, gold, silver, or even plaid patterns for a unique holiday table setting.
Two-Tone Trees: Layer two napkins of contrasting colors (e.g., green and white) to create a visually stunning multi-colored Christmas tree design.
5. Add Decorative Accents
Tuck a small gold or silver star ornament at the top of your napkin tree for an extra festive touch.
Use miniature ribbons, bells, or holiday-themed napkin rings to accessorize and enhance the overall holiday vibe.
Place a candy cane or sprig of holly next to the napkin for added charm and functionality.
6. Match Your Table Decor
Coordinate your napkins with your table settings. For example:
Use napkins that match your table runner, placemats, or centerpiece.
Incorporate metallic tones for a chic and elegant holiday table, or go rustic with burlap accents and natural greenery.
7. Use Sturdy Fold Holds
To ensure your folds stay intact throughout the meal, lightly press each fold as you go, and avoid overly handling the finished design. For extra security, use a small paperclip at the back (hidden from view) to hold the layers in place.
More Christmas Crafts
- Best Cricut Christmas Gifts
- Minions DIY Christmas Ornaments
- DIY Salt Dough Paw Print Ornaments
- Macaron Salt Dough Ornament Recipe
- Easy No-Sew Pillow Covers for Christmas
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About Thirty Something Super Mom
My journey started after a Crohn's disease diagnosis, inspiring a commitment to well-being. This site shares my distinctive approach to healthy living with my collection of nutritious recipes that boast authentic flavors, mimicking the indulgence of traditional dishes. I love sharing guilt free recipes for low carb, keto, gluten-free, paleo, and the specific carbohydrate diet. I also share tips on natural living, including homemade cleaners and cleaning hacks. I also share my experience as a veterinary technician and pet groomer, to integrate pet health tips, homemade dog food recipes, and grooming insights to ensure your pets thrive.
That is such a fun idea. I want to make some of these and leave them on the table to see if anyone notices LOL.
I’ve seen napkins folded into holiday trees, but I’ve never tried to do it myself. You’ve convinced me to try after seeing how beautiful yours are.
I love this!!! What a great way to bring fun to a normally busy night 🙂 We’ll definitely have to check out the Family Pizza Combo soon and pick up some awesome tree napkins as well!
The only thing I ever knew what to do with a napkin is fold it like a fan and put it in the win glass. This would be a fun one to try!
Love the napkin tree! It’s so clever. It looks like something I could do too! Love the idea to fancy up a store bought meal with special touches. It makes all the difference!
Oh how cute are these! I totally have to try that out. I’m loving that pizza combo deal by the way!
Oooh, what fun! I love folded napkins, they just add such a special touch to a holiday table.
Oooh, very fancy. I always wanted to make the swans. Pizza looks good, too.
Those are just too cute!
That looks so fun! I would love to try this. The pizza looks great, too.
Wow! How cute and clever is this.. Gonna need to pick up some cloth napkins and give it a try. So creative!
These are so adorable! I would love to make these for our family’s Christmas dinner.
I like the way that the napkins can really dress up a table. Our 9-year-old loves to do the napkin folding, so I think I will print this out for her!
These are the cutest napkins! I will definitely be making these for our holiday parties at our house.
Those Christmas Tree napkins are too cute!! I love Christmas tablescapes and this will just make it that much more festive!
These napkins look so cute. I will have to try folding my napkins like this for my Holiday table this year.
That is so neat! I really love it. I’ll try making one too. 🙂 Thanks so much for the tutorial.
How cool is that! My family uses cloth napkins at every meal and I do have some dark green ones. I’ll definitely have to do this for our Christmas dinner!
I am totally going to fold my napkins like this for Christmas. They are so fancy and cute and will make me look like I’m kinda creative 🙂
Hurrah, I love the tutorial. I’ll be using this one.
This is really nice! I’ve always loved going to restaurants and seeing the napkins folded in to something neat. I’m going to try this out with my daughters. I think this would be nice to have set at the table for Christmas.
This is so nice, a great tutorial especially for those who entertain a lot!
*Tutorial sorry for the typo.
We love the sams club counter for food! It is so reasonable, so tasty and so filling! Those are super cute napkin trees too!
Your making me hungry with that pizza. =) I really like your Christmas tree napkin idea.
I’m so doing it this year! We hosting a huge family Christmas party, my time to show off. Thanks alot.
That’s awesome!
Omg these napkins are so cute!!!! Who would of ever thought of folding a napkin into a tree would be that easy?!?
I love it so creative I will copy it for my holiday parties at home and to friends house. I love to use colorful cloth like red or pumpkin color for fall season.
I have never been an expert at folding napkins. However, that is wonderfully creative for the holiday season! 🙂
SO CUTE! That would make for a festive table display and impress the inlaws at the same time. I am so adding that to my list of to dos for Christmas table
That is amazing!!! Ive never been able to figure out how to do it and you made it look so easy. Thank you!
Love that! Will totally copy it on Christmas, thank you so much for sharing it!
OMGoodness…these trees are too cute. You should make a video to really hit home the tutorial. I bet it would get a lot of hits.
That’s a good idea!
These are so cute! I always love creative ways to fold napkins to make a the table setting special!
now this is awesome, i will give this a try and see how i can perform in making mine… thanks for sharing..
What a cute Christmas tree napkin. I am no good at folding napkins, so thanks for showing me.
That is such a cute idea! Maybe I’ll try that this year on the kids’ table. I’m sure they will get a kick out of that!
I bet they would love it for the first few seconds and then unfold it and ask you to fold it again for them. By the time the party is over everyone will know how to fold it like this. lol
The napkin folding reminds me of when I worked at a restaurant. They taught us how to fold napkins to look like tress during Christmas. I haven’t thought to do this at m home but it would look really nice on my dining room table Christmas morning. I have always told myself that I would get a Sams Club membership but I always end up getting a BJ’s one instead. Only because of the travel time to BJs verses the time it would take me to get to Sam Club. The family meal does look very good and would be something great for my family. Thank you for sharing
Thank you for sharing this cute tip.