How to Fold a Silverware Pocket Napkin
The silverware pocket is a slim napkin fold with a diagonal band across the front that holds a knife, fork and spoon. It is folded flat in seven quick steps from a square napkin, takes about three minutes, and is the most practical fold for buffets, picnics and holiday dinners where guests carry their own place setting.
Quick answerThe origami silverware pocket napkin is an easy model folded in 7 steps and about 3 minutes, using only valley folds. You need a square cloth napkin, 40–50 cm (16–20 in), or a large dinner-size paper napkin.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 3 min
- Steps
- 7
- Paper
- A square cloth napkin, 40–50 cm (16–20 in), or a large dinner-size paper napkin
Printable Silverware pocket napkin diagram (PDF)
All 7 steps with pictures on 3 pages, ready to print in color or black and white. Free, no sign-up.
Lay the napkin flat with the right side up. Fold it in half from left to right.
Tip: swipe the diagram, or use ← → on your keyboard. Space plays and pauses.
All steps
Step-by-step instructions
The same 7 steps as the animation above, written out so you can fold away from the screen.
Step 1
Lay the napkin flat with the right side up. Fold it in half from left to right.
Step 2
Fold it in half again from bottom to top, making a smaller square. Check that the four loose corners are together at the top right.
Step 3
Take only the top layer and fold its loose corner down to the centre of the square.
Step 4
Fold that same layer down once more along the diagonal of the square, from the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner. The top layer is now a neat diagonal band across the napkin.
Step 5
Turn the napkin over.
Step 6
Fold the right third of the napkin over to the left, then fold the left third over on top of it, so the napkin becomes a tall, narrow rectangle.
Step 7
Turn the napkin over again. The diagonal band is on the front.
Finished
Your silverware pocket is finished: a slim rectangle with a diagonal band across the front. Slide a knife, fork and spoon into the pocket under the band, and tuck in a place card or a sprig of rosemary.
About the origami silverware pocket napkin
Pocket folds are the workhorses of napkin folding: they turn a napkin into a holder for the cutlery, a menu or a place card. This version is made from a napkin folded in quarters, so it has four layers to work with. Only the top layer is used for the pocket — it is folded down twice to form a crisp diagonal band — and the rest of the napkin is folded in thirds behind it to give a slim, even rectangle.
Every move is a flat valley fold, so the pocket is easy to fold in a batch and stack until you need them. The band is a little pocket in its own right: the cutlery slides between it and the layer below and is held at an angle, which looks tidy and keeps the setting from slipping.
Use it on long holiday tables where space is tight, for buffets and picnics, or anywhere you want each guest's cutlery, name card and a small decoration together. A sprig of rosemary or a cinnamon stick tucked in beside the fork is an easy seasonal touch.
Seasonal · Thanksgiving
Fold it for Thanksgiving
The silverware pocket napkin works on the Thanksgiving table too. See napkin folds, place cards and gratitude crafts on the Thanksgiving page.
Origami silverware pocket napkin: questions
Where does the silverware go?+
Under the diagonal band on the front. Slide the knife, fork and spoon in from the top edge of the band so the handles rest in the lower corner and the tips show above the band.
Can I make a silverware pocket with paper napkins?+
Yes, with dinner-size paper napkins opened to their full square. Paper is thinner, so the pocket comes out narrower; fold the thirds in step 6 a little wider so the cutlery fits.
Which side of the napkin should face up at the start?+
Start with the right (patterned or printed) side up, as in the first step. After the quarter folds and the two turns, the right side of the fabric is what shows on the front of the finished pocket.
What size napkin works best?+
A 40–50 cm (16–20 in) square dinner napkin. Smaller cocktail napkins make a pocket too short for a dinner knife.
Is this fold good for Thanksgiving?+
It is one of the most useful Thanksgiving folds, because it keeps each setting tidy and lets you add a name card or a small sprig of herbs to the pocket. It also lies flat, so it fits on crowded holiday tables.
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