Festive Napkin Folding

Let the flower napkin inspire a water theme for the table -- perhaps a low centerpiece of floating flower petals.

• Square cloth napkins

1. Download the free pattern for this project. (Downloading requires Adobe Acrobat software.)

Water Lily Napkin folding diagram

Download Adobe Acrobat

2. With a square napkin on a flat surface, fold each of the corners to meet in the center. Fold the corners to meet in the center a second time.

3. Hold one hand over the folds to hold them in place and gently turn over the napkin. With the folds on the underside of the napkin, fold the four corners to the center of the square.

4. Use the fingers of one hand to securely hold two adjacent center points. Use the fingers of the opposite hand to bend up the outer corner, freeing a point on the underside of the napkin. Gently tug the loose point, folding it over the corner to form a lily petal. Continue with the remaining three corners to form the inner petals of the water lily.

5. Hold the center of the water lily with the fingers of one hand. Reach between two inner petals to the underside of the water lily, and gently pull one point at a time to the outer edge of the lily, encircling the inner petals made in Step 4, for a completed water lily.