No-Cut DIY Cloth Napkins

Here's a great DIY for those of you who may be like me: you have basic ironing and sewing skills, but little to no patience for cutting even pieces. A friend of ours clued us in to a great way to make bright, fun, colorful cloth napkins with little to no fuss at all. The secret?

Fat quarters.

Fat quarters are pieces of cotton fabric normally used for quilting. They measure 18 by 22 inches and can be bought in packs or solo at most fabric stores. Best of all? They're normally sold in an array of fabrics rather than in just one pattern, so you can mix and match as you please to achieve a completely unique look at the table.

From Stacey, the handmaker extraordinaire of Bean And Noodle, who was inspired by Amy Karol’s Bend the Rules Sewing, here's how to make no-cut cloth napkins in three easy steps:

1. Using a fat quarter, fold one edge in 1/8” and press, fold edge over one more time 1/8” and press.

2. Do this to all four edges.

3. Sew up each side.

(Image: Stacey Van Landingham, used with permission.)

Comments (8)

I've been using dishtowels for napkins. No cut, no sew, no hem.

Love this idea! Those fat quarters usually come in really cute patterns as well.

There's a pretty substantial variation in the size of FQs, so if you fail to trim them all to the same size know that your finished napkins won't be exactly the same size.

The variation is due to the say the fabric is manufactured (not all fabric is a full 44" wide) and how it's cut (the person in he fabric store may be mingy or generous -- or just not very accurate -- when she cuts).

Good tip - I'd rather cut than hem any day though...

I love using fat quarters! I also buy sheets on clearance in pretty patterns but that does involve cutting, just alittle though if you fold it right and then cut! Beautiful and yay for cloth napkins!

Cute idea.......and endless patterns to choose from.

You can also rip the squares if you use cotton or another natural fiber and it is woven. Just clip and rip. Always cut the pieces just a little bit larger, as the edge gets wavy and it benefits from a slightly large hem, such as 1/4".

What if you pinked the edges to avoid fraying? The sewing is more problematic for me than the cutting...