Wedding Gown Reception Napkins

Do you know why wedding gown napkins are one of the best choices you can make for your own reception? Actually, there are a list of reasons. They're very elegant, really easy to make, and they save you a ton of money over purchasing nice, cloth napkins from a catalog. Run to your nearest fabric store and you'll quickly make beautiful wedding gown napkins.

Purchase white linen - or another color - to use for the dress skirt. Cut the linen into circles that are 18" in diameter, each. You'll need just one circle for a single-layer napkin skirt, or two circles for a double-layer version.

If you're making the doubled napkin, stack two circles so that their right sides are facing each other. Use a straight stitch to sew around the circle but stop a few inches short of where you started. Use this opening to turn the napkin right-side-out.

Sew narrow lace around the very edge of the circle - whether it be a single or double-layer napkin. Sew it so that the lace hangs a little lower than the edge of the circle. If you want, go above this lace piece, and sew another row of the lace. That will complete the skirt itself.

To make the bodice of the dress just cut heart shapes out of white paper - or another color. Once you've cut the hearts, just cut straight across the bottom of each one, so that you cut off the point. Make sure the hearts you cut will be proportionate to the skirt.

To do the easy assembly, fold the napkin in half. Hold the cut end of the heart shape against the back of the half-napkin, so that almost the whole top of the bodice is showing. Fold the right half of the napkin behind it, then fold the left half behind, to finish.

If you want, you can embellish the dress to your liking. Use a small piece of double-sided tape to attach a silk flower, a tiny bow, or a piece of ribbon, right at the area where the bodice meets the skirt. Lay one of the finished dresses on each dinner plate at the reception.

To use the wedding dress napkins guests just have to pull off the embellishment and remove the paper bodice. You can bet these will be some of the fanciest and most elegant napkins your guests have ever seen.