If there’s ever a time that you want to set a pretty table, it’s Christmas dinner.

This is because the table sets the mood for the entire meal. You want it to look amazing for your loved ones, not to mention for the family photos (especially if you’ll be posting them online.)

There are many possible ways to pretty up your table, and many different elements that could enhance you table settings and make them spectacular.

Of course, if you have a set of fine china or holiday dishes, it’s the ideal time to get them out and put them to use. Christmas is also the ideal occasion for using a pretty tablecloth or table runner. If you own a beautiful vase, it would be lovely to fill it with flowers and create a unique centerpiece.

And once you’ve done all that, you’d feel pretty silly putting paper towels on the table to use as napkins, wouldn’t you? Of course you would.

Cloth napkins are admittedly more of a hassle than paper napkins are, but there are 3 excellent reasons you’d want to make the effort:

1. Cloth napkins look so much prettier and more festive on your holiday table (or everyday table, for that matter).
2. Cloth napkins are more sustainable and environmentally-friendly than paper napkins are.
3. Over the long term, you’ll save a bundle by using cloth napkins. Yes, cloth napkins cost more upfront than paper napkins or paper towels do — but over the long term, you’re likely to save a substantial sum by eliminating your long-term expense of paper towels / paper napkins.

So if you’ve come to the conclusion that you really want to increase your use of cloth napkins, this realization could lead you down a whole new rabbit hole: How do you fold cloth napkins and keep them in place?

The answer, of course, is that you’ll want to use napkin rings to do that.

For you DIY types who like to make creative pretties to dress up your home decor, I invite you to consider the following free patterns for crafting your own napkin rings:

• Free Pattern for Beaded Christmas Napkin Rings
• How to Make Napkin Rings With Wide Ribbon
• Free Pattern for DIY Bead Crochet Napkin Rings
• Free Pattern for Wire Crochet Napkin Rings (not pictured)

If you like the idea of making napkin rings, but the ones pictured above aren’t quite what you have in mind for your table, you’re invited to check out this list of 7 ways to make napkin rings. The list includes bunches more ideas, some of which involve craft techniques other than knitting or crocheting.

More Ideas for Christmas Table Settings

• Get the free pattern for the crochet placemat pictured above
• Get free edging patterns for finishing off cloth napkins (or other projects)

I wish you a joyous holiday season this year, filled with peace, love, light, creativity and blessings.

If you found this blog post helpful, I invite you to return to this site often for more posts, craft tutorials, project ideas and inspiration! You can make sure you keep this site on your radar by signing up for my newsletter and community at Substack. .

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By Amy Solovay

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About the Author:

Amy Solovay is a real, live, human content creator and educator who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Sweet Briar College; she has also earned a separate Associate of Arts degree in textile design from FIDM LA (The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles). She is NOT a robot and does not use artificial intelligence (AI) to write book reviews or articles for this website.

Amy learned to crochet as a small child, and she still enjoys crocheting all these years later.

As an educator, Amy Solovay used to teach in-person college courses in trend forecasting, marketing and surface design at California Design College in Los Angeles.

If you’re interested in reading Amy’s personal blog, she invites you to visit her official website, AmySolovay.com; and, if you’re interested in earning income while spending time crafting, she encourages you to check out Crafterprise.com.