How to make a Christmas tree napkin fold
Christmas Tree Napkin Fold: try all 11 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
The Christmas tree napkin fold for a holiday table: a square napkin folded in quarters, its loose corners stepped up into four tiers and its sides tucked behind into a tall tree.
- You need
- One square cloth or paper napkin. An iron helps with cloth napkins.
- Start
- Use a square cloth or paper napkin, about 45 cm across, ironed or pressed flat; green works best. Lay it wrong side up with an edge at the top. The drawings show the wrong side in white so the layers are easy to tell apart.
- Tips
- Keep the gaps between the tier points even; a ruler or the width of two fingers helps.
- Starched or ironed napkins hold the points far better than soft ones.
Your model is ready
Press the tree flat and lay it on the plate with the top point away from the guest. Set a small ornament or a name card at the top as a star. The finished napkin tree, with its four layered tiers.
Step-by-step diagrams
Steps 1–6
- 1
Fold in half
Fold the top edge down to the bottom edge.
- 2
Fold in quarters
Fold the left edge over to the right edge. All four loose corners of the napkin are now together at the bottom right.
- 3
Point the loose corners down
Turn the folded square so the loose corners point toward you and the closed corner points away, like a diamond.
- 4
Fold the first corner up
Take only the top layer at the bottom point and fold its corner up, so its tip stops a little below the top corner.
- 5
Fold the second corner up
Fold the next layer's corner up the same way, so its tip stops a hand's width below the first tip.
- 6
Fold the third corner up
Fold the next layer's corner up the same way, so its tip stops a hand's width below the second tip.
Steps 7–11
- 7
Fold the fourth corner up
Fold the next layer's corner up the same way, so its tip stops a hand's width below the third tip. All four points now stand one above another.
- 8
Turn over
Turn the napkin over from side to side, keeping the tiers in place underneath.
- 9
Fold the left side in
Fold the left side over along a line from the top point to the left end of the bottom edge.
- 10
Fold the right side in
Fold the right side over the same way, along a line from the top point to the right end of the bottom edge. The outline is now a tall tree.
- 11
Turn back over
Turn the napkin back over. The four pointed layers now stand one above another as the tiers of the tree.
- ✓
Finish
Press the tree flat and lay it on the plate with the top point away from the guest. Set a small ornament or a name card at the top as a star. The finished napkin tree, with its four layered tiers.
Fold next
House ↗
The traditional flat house from Froebel's paper folding, with a long roof and two gate pockets.
Cutlery pocket napkin ↗
An Origami Tutor cutlery pocket with a deep front flap and a clearly open, hemmed mouth. The sides fold behind first, then the lower end folds up into a tall sleeve.
Candle napkin ↗
The candle napkin fold for a holiday table: a square napkin folded to a triangle and rolled up from one corner into a tall candle whose top ends in a flame-like point.
Fan napkin ↗
An Origami Tutor fan napkin with twelve radial panels: a doubled square with folded rim corners, pleated around one pivot and opened into a broad fan. Use a paper napkin that holds a sharp crease.