We all have our turn, at least now and then, hosting a dinner party. Chances are, you will have guests over for dinner at least once in a while. Whether it’s a formal event or something more casual, napkins are an absolute must on any table. The problem, however, that many people face is just how they should roll or fold their napkins up so that they look as great as they are useful. Napkins may be rolled and slipped inside napkin rings but those plain, ordinary rings tend to be nothing short of boring. A wonderful way of transforming otherwise unoriginal napkin rings into something more interesting is by decorating them with some colourful flowers. You can take your pick from artificial flowers available at your local craft shop or you could pay your local florist a visit and ask them about their selection of silk flowers or other artificial blooms.
What you need:
- Simple wooden napkin rings
- Artificial flowers of your choice (silk if you like)
- One pair of scissors
- Hot glue gun and glue
Instructions:
- Take all of your flowers and twist the stems just below the flower so that the stem snaps off. It’s easier to twist than to cut the plastic.
- Using your pair of scissors, carefully cut off any extra green plastic around the base of the flowers. Make sure that the base is as flat as possible.
- Use your glue gun to warm the glue and put one drop on a wooden napkin ring. Position the glue wherever you want to secure the flower.
- Put your flower in place and hold it there until the glue dries enough to hold it in place.
- You will need to let the glue dry even more so place your napkin ring aside where it will not be disturbed.
- Continue this same process with each of your napkin rings until you have completed them all. Let them stand for some time before you use them. Gently test them to make sure that the flower does not fall off.
Extra advice:
- If you like, you can use fresh flowers. However, you would have to make your napkin rings at the last minute so that they don’t wilt before the night is over.
- Artificial flowers are usually the top choice because you can store them and use them over and over again.
- When choosing your flowers, you need to choose flowers that have a flat shape. Consider something like a daisy, chrysanthemum or gardenia. Roses are extremely difficult to work with.
- If you prefer to use smaller flowers, then simply stick more than one on each napkin ring. If you do this,however, you need to allow each flower to dry properly before attaching the next one. If you do not allow the glue to dry and harden, your first flower can slip out of place while you’re trying to glue your next flower in place. You could also end up with glue on your hands and fingers which could transfer to your other flowers.
- When you trim the base of your flowers, you need to make sure that they are as flat as possible. Flat surfaces are known to bond better so this will ensure a more secure bond.
When hosting a formal event, you might be inclined to a more black and white theme. If this is the case, then you might want to avoid using a plain wood color napkin ring. This can be solved very easily by painting them black or white. After covering them completely with paint, you should paint a clear layer on top too. This will give your napkin rings a bit of a glossy look. Let the paint dry properly before gluing your flowers into place. You can use white flowers on your black napkin ring or use a bright coloured flower on a white napkin ring. If you place a flower arrangement in the middle of your dinner table, you can make sure that the flowers used on your napkin rings match the color scheme of this bouquet.
