5 Fun Crafts Using Paper Napkins

There are so many gorgeous paper napkins available these days, celebrating everything from birthdays to seasons and almost anything else you can think of.

Though paper napkins might not be the most sustainable thing to buy, it might be the case that you have come across a stash of napkins from past parties.

While you can use these up any time of the year regardless of the pattern, there are also some fun crafts that you could create that make the most of the stunning designs.

Don’t chuck surplus napkins out, have a go at using them in one or all of these fun craft projects.

1. A couple of Tips Before You Start

• There are various adhesives that you can use to stick napkins to surfaces. Some are better for the environment than others. What you need is glue that is suitable for paper and dries clear. If you are going to be getting the final product wet, then you will need glue that can stand up to that.
• Most paper napkins come in two-ply- sometimes three. For most of these crafts, you are only going to need the top ply with the pattern on it. Don’t discard the unused ply. Use them as you would any other tissue or napkin.

2. Terracotta Flower Pots

Source: Judy West – The Painting Nana/YouTube

If you would like to soup up some old and tired terracotta pots, decorating them with patterned napkins is a great idea. After you have created your pot, you could even fill it with a plant and give it as a very personalized gift to a friend.

You can either mold your entire napkin to the terracotta pot, or you can cut or tear specific images from the napkins and apply them individually. The second way is easier as you don’t have an even flat surface.

First apply a little glue to the surface of the pot, enough to ensure that the whole piece of the napkin will stick.  Then, gently paint over the applied piece with more glue. Be sure that all of the sides of the napkin have been stuck down.

You can also simply use water to help the napkin stick to the pot before adding a glue coating to seal it.

3. Table Top

Source: A Handmade Cottage/YouTube

This tutorial shows you how to use napkins to decorate an old tabletop. Just like with the terracotta pots, you can use a whole napkin to entirely cover the tabletop, or cut or tear the bits of the napkin you like and apply them individually.

In this example, the napkins are used whole and any wrinkles in the paper are embraced. After the paper has dried, these raised-up wrinkles can be carefully sanded down to give an aged and distressed look.

If the table is going outside or will be used as a coffee table, be sure to add a waterproof finish to help protect it.

4. Decoupage Clothespegs

Source: Lodi Memorial Library/YouTube

The crocodile-like wooden clothes pegs can be used for so many other things than just hanging up your clothes. If you add a magnet to the back of one it makes a great refrigerator clip.

You can also use them to hold a half-eaten bag of chips closed. They can also make fun place name holders at dinner parties and can be used to display photos and kids’ artwork.

Sure, the wooden pegs can be used as they are, but you could also fancy them up a little with a funky napkin.

Simply cut a piece of napkin roughly the size of the peg and glue it to one side. Once it has completely dried, you can cut the napkin to better fit the clothespeg and use a nail file or fine sandpaper to remove the surplus paper.

5. Napkins on Paper

Source: Natasha Foote/YouTube

Another great way to use those pretty napkin designs is to use them to make your own greeting cards and gift tags. A bonus is that, depending on the size of your card or tags, you can get a whole bunch of them from just one napkin.

Since you are applying paper napkins to paper, here, you don’t want to use wet glue. A regular glue stick should do the trick. Make sure you apply the glue to the paper, not the napkin.

Again, you can use whole napkins, or select your favorite parts of the napkins to add to your creation.

Related Content:

• 10 Unconventional Ways to Use Old Paper Towels and Toilet Paper Rolls Around the House
• DIY All-Natural Art Supplies For Your Kids (With 7 Simple Recipes)
• 4 Autumn Crafts Made From Natural and Recycled Materials
• 10 Kids’ Crafts Celebrating Pumpkins
• 5 Nature Crafts for Your Kids and You

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