Buying paper napkins and paper towels is a huge waste of money and resources so at our house we almost always use cloth – even for picnics.
Cloth napkins are usually sized from 10 to 22 inches depending on if they are cocktail or dinner sized ones and they are usually square, but they do not have to be. The great thing about cloth napkins is they can be used and then washed over and over again with the regular laundry (bleach will keep white ones white, oxiclean and pre-soaking help with tough food stains.) We keep ours in a drawer in the kitchen to keep them handy.
If you are not crafty, you can find reasonably priced cloth napkins at the following places:
- Salvation Army
- Goodwill
- Dollar Stores
- Restaurant Supply stores
- Bath & Linen stores (use coupons)
- Your mother’s attic (yes -really)
- Yard Sales
- Antique Stores (again, yes, really)
- JoAnn’s and other craft stores (use coupons and buy after a holiday, solid colors are usable year round)
But if you are able to use scissors then you can very easily make your own napkins by cutting cotton or cotton/polyester fabric into 10×10 or 12×12 inch squares with a pair of pinking shears or by using a rotary cutter. Make sure to use a ruler and pencil to get your lines straight.
If you enjoy sewing, check out the guide here at sewing.org for making cloth napkins. It is a great reference for showing you how many napkins of what size you can get from a fabric yardage and several different finishing methods.
Did you know making napkins can be a money maker? Yep, if your church or social club has a bazaar or craft show around a holiday, making napkins from holiday themed fabric can be a good seller. Just keep them reasonably priced.
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