Making your own cloth napkins is one of the easiest sewing projects for beginners. In about 20 minutes, you can sew reusable fabric napkins that look beautiful on your table, save money over disposable paper napkins, and make great handmade gifts.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn which fabrics work best, what size to cut your napkins, and how to sew neat mitered corners that give homemade napkins a professional finish.
I love using cloth napkins. Cloth napkins are better for the environment than paper napkins, and they make the table look pretty, too. It’s easy to make fabric napkins, and there are several different ways to make them.
Quick DIY Cloth Napkin Guide:
Skill level: Beginner
Time: 15-20 minutes per napkin
Fabric: Cotton, linen, batik – recommend washable fabrics
Finished size: 18″ square
Best for: Everyday dinner napkins
In this article I’ll cover:
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- Best fabrics for making cloth napkins
- Sizes of cloth napkins
- Basics of making a mitered corner on a napkin
- Making an heirloom linen napkin
- Tips and ideas for making DIY napkins
Soon, you’ll have a wonderful collection of napkins for every occasion – in just your style! Enjoy pretty napkins every day!
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Can beginners make cloth napkins?
Yes! Cloth napkins are one of the easiest beginner sewing projects. If you can sew a straight seam, you can make a set of reusable napkins in less than 20 minutes each.
What fabrics are best for cloth napkins?
100% cotton, linen, and batik fabrics are the best choices because they are absorbent, washable, and easy to sew.
You will be washing the napkins, so the most important is that the fabric is washable! Natural fibers are best – they are absorbent and easy to toss in the washer and dryer.
Quilting cotton fabrics have a wide range of colors and prints and are suitable for making napkins. If the fabric is a print, your napkin won’t be reversible.
Batiks are great for napkins – stains don’t show with their designs and the fabrics go through the washer and dryer beautifully!
Fat quarters are the perfect size for a napkin. All you need to do is cut it into a square napkin and finish the raw edges.
And, real linen is always a lovely choice for a napkin.
You can use a linen blend, cotton blend fabric or polyester blend fabrics, but I find that sometimes they get ‘balled up’. I prefer 100% natural fibers.
Pick out some beautiful fabrics and get started making these easy DIY cloth napkins!
| Fabric | Pros | Cons |
| Quilting cotton | easy to sew | wrinkles |
| Linen | elegant | a little more expensive |
| Batik | hides stains | slightly stiff |
| Cotton-linen blend | soft | may shrink |
What size should cloth napkins be?
Whatever size you like!
Most everyday dinner napkins measure 18 to 20 inches square, although smaller sizes work well for lunches and larger sizes are nice for formal meals.I make mine 18″ so I can get 4 to a yard of fabric.
Some people love a really big napkin, and sometimes a special occasion calls for a smaller napkin. Generally, napkins are between 16-20 inches square. If you start with a fat quarter, it makes one napkin. Or, a half-yard of fabric makes two (2) napkins.
Napkins come in different sizes. Here are the finished sizes for commercial fabric napkins:
- Cocktail napkin: 6 – 10 inches square / 15 – 25 cm
- Tea napkins: 12 – 16 inches square / 30 – 40 cm
- Lunch napkins: 16 – 18 inches square / 40 – 45 cm
- Dinner napkins: 18 – 20 inches square / 45 – 50 cm
- Formal large dinner napkins: 20 – 22 inches square / 50 – 55 cm
I find starting with an 18-inch square is a good size for a standard dinner napkin size.
All you need are some squares of fabric and choose a way to finish the edges of the napkin to make your own cloth napkins.
How many napkins can I get from a yard?
| Fabric amount | 18″ square napkins |
| Fat Quarter | 1 |
| 1/2 yard | 2 |
| 1 yard | 4 |
| 2 yards | 8 |
What’s the easiest way to finish cloth napkins?
A double-fold hem with mitered corners creates a clean, professional finish, but reversible napkins and serged edges are even faster options.
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Tips for mitered corners for napkins
Let’s start with some tips on how to make a mitered corner for a napkin. It’s easier than you think. And once you’ve done one or two, this will be one of your favorite go-to methods.
Here I’m showing you on a small sample of fabric, and below on a real napkin – so it is easier for you to see the simple steps to make a mitered corner.
For a 1/4-inch hem, mark 1/2-inch from the corners on each side of the napkin. Line your ruler up with the two marks.
Trim along the diagonal line. Next, fold and press to the inside 1/4-inch. Some people like to use a dab of glue stick to hold this fold in place. I find a good press is perfect.
Next, fold the sides in 1/4-inch and press.
Now, you’ll fold both sides in another 1/4-inch, forming a double fold and a mitered corner. This is referred to as a double-fold hem.
Give this a good press. And, you are ready to stitch. We’ll apply these basics to make a batik napkin and an heirloom linen napkin.
Here is our easy tutorial for making a mitered corner napkin:
How to Make a Mitered Corner Napkin
Let's start with how to make a mitered corner cloth napkin. Once you make one or two, this will be your go-to method.
You can make a napkin in 15-20 minutes!
Batik fabrics are perfect for making napkins. They are the same on both sides and hold up well through multiple washings. And, their designs generally camouflage any stains. Always a plus!
Materials
- 1/2 yard of fabric for two (2) napkins, or one (1) napkin from a fat quarter
- Coordinating thread
Tools
- Sewing machine
- Ruler
- Scissors or rotary cutter
- Removable fabric marker, I used a Frixion pen
- Iron
- Ironing board or pressing surface
Instructions
Step 1: Cut your napkins
Start by cutting your fabric into an 18-inch square. 
Step 2: Mark your corners
Using your removable fabric marker, make a mark 1/2 inch from each corner.
Step 3: Trim the corners
Trim the corner at a diagonal between the two dots.
Step 4: Press the diagonal fold
Fold the fabric to the inside 1/4-inch with the wrong sides of the fabric together and press.
Step 5: Press the hem in place
Next, turn both sides to the inside 1/4-inch with the wrong sides together and press. 
Turn both sides in another 1/4-inch, which covers the raw edge to form the mitered corner. 
Press well. Use a WonderClip to hold the corner closed until sewing.
I like to hold all of the edges down with WonderClip. Pins can distort your nice, pressed folds.
Step 6: Stitch around all four sides
Now, go to your sewing machine to stitch the hem. I like to use my topstitch foot and move the needle 3 positions to the right. If you have needle-down option, now is the time to set it. It will make going around the corners easier. 
Stitch along the edge of the fold. I'm stitching with a straight stitch. If you are using a decorative stitch, make sure to use the appropriate presser foot for the fancy stitch. When you get to the corner, stop a few stitches before the edge of the napkin with your needle down.
NOTE: This is the time that some of the decorative stitches on your machine could be fun to use! Make sure to use the app
Lift your presser foot and shift the napkin 90-degrees. Now stitch down the next side. Do this for all four sides of the napkin. Give the napkin a good press, and it is finished!
Here is what the inside corner looks like on the mitered corner on a batik fabric napkin. Isn't it nice?
I was able to make four (4) napkins in less than an hour.
Make an heirloom linen napkin with a mitered corner
Now that you know how to make the mitered corner, let’s bump it up a notch and make two different versions of heirloom linen napkins.
To make the heirloom stitching, you use a Hemstitch needle, also referred to as a Wing Needle. That’s the secret to this great hem finish!
Here is a close-up of the needle. See the ‘wings’ on the needle? Here is how it works. The needle goes through the fabric and moves the fibers to the side creating a larger hole. You sew from the RIGHT side of the napkin and choose a stitch that goes over itself several times.
The perfect fabrics are linens or other very loose woven fabrics. This doesn’t work well on tightly woven cottons like batiks, or regular woven quilting fabrics.
Here is how lovely it looks on a finished napkin.
Start by prepping your napkin like we did above by marking and trimming the corners to a diagonal. This time, mark and trim at 1-inch for a finished 1/2-inch hem. This larger hem works well on linen. I used Essex linen for both of the linen napkins.
Go through the stitches on your machine and find ones that stitch over several times. For the lavender linen napkin, I used a triple stitch straight stitch. I lengthened the stick as long as I could and moved my needle to the right. (Side note: Get to know your machine stitches. That’s when you’ll discover these working beauties! Read the article about your built-in machine stitches.)
The variation from the regular napkin with the mitered cover above, is that you sew this from the RIGHT side. This makes the holes from the right side. Just like above, put your needle down to turn the corners.
Tip: Use WonderClips right on the edge and corner of the napkin to hold everything in place while stitching – especially on the corners.
Here are two finished lavender linen napkins, stitched with the wing needle for the hem, creating a nice finish to the edge.
There is another stitch that works well for linen heirloom napkin – a triple stitched square.
I prepped the green linen for the napkin the same as above for a 1/2-inch hem. Mark the diagonal line at 1-inch from each corner, turn under 1/2-inch, and press. Turn again at 1/2-inch and press the mitered corner. Now you are ready to stitch from the RIGHT side.
Here are the finished green linen napkins stitched with the square stitch. When stitching, make sure that one stitch goes to the right of the fold and one stitch to the left of the fold so that on the wrong side the stitch covers the fold.
Tips and ideas for making cloth napkin
Mix up different fabrics that go well together for a shabby chic look on your dining table!
For special occasions, look for novelty prints that speak to the occasion. Like barbeque tool fabrics for a summer BBQ, or fish fabric for a Fish Bake! Have fun making your own napkins.
Dress up your dining room table by learning a few ways to fold your napkins like they fold restaurant napkins! Turn these fabric squares into a decoration on your table!
Visit your local quilt shop or fabric stores and browse around for some fabrics that speak to you! And have fun with this super easy sewing project to make your own napkins.
There’s no reason to use paper towels when you can make a set of napkins in an afternoon. Just go through your fabric stash and make some reusable cloth napkins!
Why are reusable napkins eco-friendly
First of all, reusable napkins are just that – reusable. Most people use the same napkin for several meals before washing. This reduces paper waste. And, it’s not use once and toss – cloth napkins can be used for years and years. Just wash, fold, and ready for another meal!
Common mistakes
Forgetting to prewash fabric > Natural fibers shrink. Wash and dry fabric before cutting.
Not pressing the hems > A well-pressed hem makes stitching much easier and makes crisp corners
Cutting fabric off grain > Square cut off grain may twist after making.
Skipping Wonder Clips or pins > Holding the folds place helps keep your stitching even
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Cloth napkins will be washed often. Prewashing prevents later shrinkage and helps remove the sizing and other things that were used on the fabric to deter insects in warehouses. Also, you’ll then know that the fabric will hold up to washing before doing the work of making them into napkins!
I prefer cotton, linen, or batik.
See my chart above with the different sizes of napkins. I generally make mine 18″ square.
If you are making 18″ square napkins, you’ll get 4 from a yard of fabric.
It depends on what you want! For cute and fun prints – go with cotton. For traditional and elegant – go with linen!
I’d make enough for your immediate family, and a few extra for guests – especially if you regularly have guests.
Yes. A fat quarter makes one everyday dinner napkin.
A rolled hem is the fastest finish if you own a serger.
Yes. They can be hand sewn, although machine stitching is much faster.
All-purpose polyester thread works well for everyday napkins.
Most families reuse them for several meals unless they become soiled. This helps reduce paper waste while extending the life of the fabric.
You can make cloth napkin rings to keep track of whose napkin is which.
RELATED: How to make cloth napkin rings
Handmade cloth napkins are one of those projects you’ll use almost every day.
They’re quick to sew, make thoughtful gifts, and are a great way to enjoy favorite fabrics instead of keeping them tucked away on a shelf.
Once you’ve made your first set, you’ll probably find yourself sewing another for every season, holiday, and special occasion.
Browse through more home dec project ideas and inspiration. Make some reversible placemats to go with your new napkins!
