I love the look of linen napkins and today I’m excited to show you how to sew napkins! This project is part of the Learn to Sew Series, so it goes nice and slow for absolute sewing beginners.

The technique we’ll be learning today is mitered corners. This is a beautiful way to finish corners in your sewing projects. This will also get us some more experience cutting fabric and doing some straight stitches while make something useful like napkins!

*Full video at the bottom of the post.

How to Sew Napkins

Are you on the Learn to Sew email list? It’s a great place to get some additional tips and tricks and be notified when there are new beginner sewing projects.

Check out the other videos in the learn to sew series and beginner sewing projects! The quilted potholders are super fun!

What fabric is best for napkins?

I like using natural fibers for diy napkins. Things like 100% cotton or linen. This striped fabric is a cotton linen blend, the Essex yarn dyed linen.

What size should cloth napkins be?

I like square fabric napkins. These are 17 inches square and you could even go as large as 22 inches square. Ultimately, it’s your personal preference and how much fabric yardage you have to make your fabric napkins.

How do you finish the edges of napkins?

My favorite way is with mitered corners which I will teach you in this tutorial. It provides a very professional finish and isn’t difficult.

If you would like all the the learn to sew patterns and videos in 1 spot, I created an ebook with everything in there for you! I also have a pattern with no photos to make it easy on your printer. Get your Ebook Here.

Do you love Pinterest? Here is an image for you to pin for later.

How to Sew Napkins Written Instructions

Yield: 4 Napkins with Mitered Corners

How to Sew Napkins with Mitered Corners - Learn to Sew Series

Learn how to sew napkins with mitered corners in this tutorial! If you are a beginner, I recommend watching the full length video. I go nice and slow and cover all the steps. It's like spending 20 minutes in the sewing room with me while I walk you through how to make these napkins. If you have a little experience, these instructions will get you on the right track.

Active Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour

Difficulty absolute beginner

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Prewash fabric and iron.
Give your fabric a fresh cut on both side and then cut in half, should be about 17 inches.
Cut off selvedges and then create 2 cuts from each half yard, creating 4 squares that are roughly 17 inches each.
With the wrong side facing up, use a seam gauge to iron 1 inch all the way around the fabric square.
Open up and make a small mark at all of the corners with your water soluble marking tool.
Using the seam gauge again, now iron over ¼ inch around your square.
Open up the creases and using a ruler, measure 2 inches from the corner and make a mark on both sides. Draw a line from mark to mark, going right above that corner mark you initially made. Do this on all 4 corners.
Start with 1 corner. Place the right sides together so that the marking line up and it creates a point. Make sure the point lies flat and the two adjacent sides of the square are lined up as well.
Flip down that ¼ crease that we ironed and finger press in place.
Take that corner to the sewing machine and sew down the line we made with our marking tool back stitching at both ends.
Trim excess and repeat this step for the remaining 3 corners.
Use your finger to flatten out the seam and flip it to create the hem. Press in place well.
Use an edge foot if you have one or a standard foot to sew down the hem as close to the fold as possible. Back stitch at beginning and end. Trim any threads.
Optional: sew around a 2nd time for an added touch.