How to Fold a Napkin with a Pocket

Reviewed by Tami Claytor

Last Updated: April 4, 2024 References

Elegantly folded napkins add a decorative touch to any dinner table. But napkins folded to include a pocket are also practical. They provide a handy place to tuck silverware, name cards, or anything else you want to include at each place setting. A basic pocket fold is simple to learn and can be done with any square napkin. Or, spice up your place settings with a diagonal pocket fold. For a more complex fold that offers additional storage space, try the double pocket fold.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Basic Pocket Fold

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1
Lay your napkin face-down on a hard, flat surface. A table or kitchen counter are both great options. Make sure you’ve wiped off your work surface in advance to prevent any grease or dirt from staining your clean napkins. ^{[1]
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- A cloth napkin will be easiest to fold, but you can also use a paper napkin as long as it is a square. Be gentle with a paper napkin, however, which is more fragile and could rip if you aren’t careful.
- If there are any stubborn wrinkles in your cloth napkin, use an iron to smooth them out.
2
Fold your napkin in half vertically. Pinch the top and bottom corners on either the right or left side of the napkin, then pull them over to meet the top and bottom corners on the other side. Make sure the edges are all lined up, then smooth the crease with your hand. ^{[2]
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- Ironing your cloth napkins with starch will make them stiffer and easier to fold.
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3
Fold the bottom edge of the napkin up, a little past halfway. Grab the bottom edge of your folded napkin and bring it up so it’s slightly past the middle point of the napkin. Make sure the vertical edges are lined up. ^{[3]
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- Use your hand to smooth the new crease.
Grasp the newly-creased bottom edge of the napkin with your fingers. Fold it up so it lines up with the original bottom edge, which is now folded up toward the center of the napkin. Press down on the crease with your fingers to secure it. ^{[4]
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5
Turn the napkin over so the folded part stays along the bottom. Flip the napkin horizontally so that the folded section remains closest to you. When you turn it over, make sure to do it carefully so none of the folds fall out. ^{[5]
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- Smooth the napkin out with your hands once you’ve turned it over.
6
Fold the left edge into the center of the napkin. Grasp the left edge of the napkin and fold it over into the middle of the napkin. Press down on this fold with your hands to crease it. ^{[6]
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- You will see the pocket beginning to appear along the bottom of the napkin when you make this fold.
7
Tuck the right corner into the small pouch on the left. Grab the right edge of the napkin and fold it into the center as well. Insert the bottom corner into the open pocket along the bottom of the left flap that you created with the previous fold. ^{[7]
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- Smooth it out a bit and make sure that the corners are aligned so that the right and bottom edges of the napkin are all straight.
8
Flip the napkin over and insert utensils or other items into the pocket. The pocket is most often used to hold forks, spoons, and knives. But you can easily slip in a printed menu, a name card, or even a bunch of thin breadsticks for an appetizer! ^{[8]
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- This is the most basic technique for folding a napkin with a pocket.