Napkin Art for Setting the Perfect Holiday Dinner Table

Janet Ramin - A sign of the well-dressed table setting is the use of napery or table linens. Yes, it’s that time of year to take out those cloth napkins from the recesses of your cupboard drawer and practice the age-old art of folding napkins. 

Napery may seem antique, so nineteenth century, but every formal dinner table still shows off its crisp napkins. We’re displaying here some of the popular styles of folded napkins, including some holiday versions. 

Our first napkin fold on top is the fleur-de-lys napkin, after the French lily. Below is a video on how to create the fleur-de-lys napkin. 

For the everyday table, there's the standard pocket or envelope napkin. A half fold creates a pocket to place your flatware or a few decorative touches like flowers or evergreen (see photo above).

We also have a more elaborate napkin, the rose napkin, also called the basket napkin. Its folds create petals but the napkin could also hold decorations in its center like a basket (see photo above, and see link below to Design2Share's first post on napkin folding and Irwin's video demonstration of folding the rose or basket napkin). 

For the holiday table, we have a tree napkin from Better Homes and Gardens. Its folds stand up to resemble an evergreen tree. Place a small tree topper on the napkin and voila - a Christmas tree!

(Tree napkin, courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens)

DESIGN2SHARE RESOURCES: Read our Napkin Folding Resources column and watch Irwin fold the Rose or Basket Napkin. 

Thanks to the Sheffield School in NYC for permission to reprint this article. Are you interested in learning more about decorating and accessories?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you'll learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories. 

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Wish List: Gold Dinnerware from J.L. Coquet

Irwin Weiner ASID - Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family - and thanks for sharing your holidays with Design2Share. In our pursuit of the Ultimate Wish List for home goods, we're taking a tabletop turn ... fittingly on a day we celebrate a holiday with food around a formally set table. I'd like to think that entertaining will come roaring back into fashion - the state of the economy be damned - and we'll focus more on celebrating each day with special friends, neighbors, and loved ones. We "struck gold" recently and discovered the deliciously bold (and expensive) gold dinnerware patterns from premium china manufacturer J.L. Coquet. Click on each pattern to see the broader assortment of J.L. Coquet collections; then click on each collection for more information on the individual piece and place setting prices.

Opulent: Samoa Gold Full Band

Mod Squad: Hemisphere Gold Stripe

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Quick-and-Easy Entertaining Basics

Irwin Weiner ASID - You can never have too many accessories on hand to pull off last-minute home entertaining stunts. A spur-of-the-moment dinner for 10? Unexpected call from the new neighbors? Don't be caught with your hospitality pants down! This fun video from Curbly/Get Nested's host Meg Allan Cole and her article on Quick Tips for Easy Entertaining should help you pull it all together - when an entertainment emergency arises - and come across like the gracious host I know you are. Like the Boy Scouts, homeowners need to Be Prepared ... and it's time to bring gracious, generous, good-spirited home entertainment back into vogue.

FOR MORE ADVICE: Design2Share also has some quick entertaining and tabletop decor tips. Watch the video that Nicola and I put together called How Do I Set a Great Table?

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Fall Wine Tours & Parties - Coming Up!

With Labor Day coming, it's time to be thinking about the upcoming wine season this fall. Summer is a time for outdoor parties, white wines, BBQs, and delicious snacks. But with fall getting closer, wineries are gearing up to harvest their grapes for the fall wine tours, and you should start thinking about planning as well.

To enjoy great wine doesn't mean a vacation to international wineries in France and Italy. Napa Valley, California is one of the most noted wine regions in the United States - but there are many more wine producing regions in the country worth visiting. The Finger Lakes in upstate New York is another distinguished wine region. (And on and on....)

A great way to try new wines and decide what your preferred wine will be is to take wine tours and go to wine festivals. Here are a few tips.

• For any wine aficionado, a great vacation idea is to visit wineries instead of visiting resorts. For example, on Long Island in New York there are many wineries to visit near the coast. 
• A vacation idea would be to rent a Long Island property, tour a few wineries, and enjoy anupcoming festival like the Long Island Wine Country Annual Harvest Fest Celebration.
• When planning a wine tour, make sure there's a responsible driver for all those who are drinking. 
• A lot of folks trekking to wine country prefer to order a limo or bus service. 
• Do some research on what wineries are nearby and the most popular to visit. Plan to go wine tasting at 3 to 5 wineries for the day and that should suffice. 
• Wine touring doesn't have to be expensive; as a matter of fact, most wineries offer samples of 5 to 8 wines for $5 or less!

Hosting your own wine tasting party is a great way to try new wines from a region and to spend time with family and friends. Host a theme party by either choosing one type of wine served or by choosing different wines produced by the same winery. Depending on the wines chosen, certain types of cheese and chocolates can be paired for an even greater treat. 

Share any other great ways to enjoy the upcoming wine season with us!

Thanks to guest blogger Megan Gates, who is an active blogger and handles communications on behalf of Elliman.com. She provides written work to the blogosphere pertaining to New York City Real Estate, Long Island Rentals, and the latest in architecture, design, and fashion. Follow her on Twitter @ MEGatesDesign.

Design2Share Video Pick: Here's a great basic how-to video from The Cheese Impressario on pairing wine, cheese, and condiments for your next wine tasting party at home.

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