Butterfly Napkin Folding Tutorial

Spring?  Where did you go?  The heavy eight inches of snow and blizzard-like conditions this past Wednesday and Thursday was much to everyone's surprise here in our area of Wisconsin.  Everyone, including myself, was already so much into the Spring mode.  Being a native to Wisconsin, I should have known better.  However, there is one thing for sure about this time in late March and that is the sun will quickly melt it all away.  Needless to say, it is still a time that I happily look forward in anticipation to the season's warmer weather which will eventually result in green grass and colorful tulips, daffodils and hyacinths.

This post is more of a quick tutorial for anyone wishing to learn how to fold their cloth or paper napkin into a butterfly.   I hope my pictures and explanation of each step will make folding your napkin clear and easy and will be perfect to use  any time during the Spring and upcoming Summer season.  I welcome any feedback regarding my instructions as you complete the process.  So lets begin.

Butterfly Napkin Folding Tutorial

Step 1:  Start with any size napkin opened flat as a square.

Step 2:  Fold the bottom edge to the center of the napkin.

Step 3:  Fold the top edge of the napkin to the center of the napkin.

Step 4:  Place the napkin so it is in a vertical position.

Step 5:  Fold the fabric from the center of the napkin out to each of the four corners.

Steps 6, 7, 8:  Begin at the bottom of the napkin and start to fold the napkin back and forth in an accordion-like fashion to the center of the napkin.  Each fold being about a half of inch to one inch wide.  Place something heavy in the center of the napkin after folding the bottom to the center so that it frees up your hands.

Step 9:  Clip the folded ends on each side of the weighted center so that it will hold the folds in place while you work on the other side of the napkin.  Twist the napkin so that the clips are now on top and the bottom napkin faces you.

Step 10, 11:  For the bottom edge of the napkin, begin by rolling (not accordion fold) the edge of the napkin to the center.  Place the rolled fabric under your heavy weighted object so that you can cut your wire for the butterfly's antenna.  It is the wire that holds the folds together.

Step 12:  Cut your wire ( I used gold jewelry wire) into a length you desire (approximately 4 inches).

Step 13:  Now slip the wire in the center of your napkin or under your weighted object which you will now remove as you twist the wire tight into place.

Step 14:  Now bend over the tips of the wire to form the antenna and remove the clips from the top of the napkin and spread the "wings" slightly open and the bottom rolled sides down.  This is the back of the folded butterfly napkin.

Step 15:  Carefully flip your butterfly over and onto your plate or wherever it will be displayed and add whatever embellishments you wish, such as little flowers, ribbon, etc.  Now it is ready for everyone's admiration.