Recently, I’ve been reading Kathryn Kellogg’s book,101 Ways to go Zero Waste (review coming soon!). While some of the tips and such are things I know I will never do, others seem more doable for me. One such thing is cloth napkins.
To be honest, I don’t usually use napkins. To reduce waste, I usually keep a hand towel where I’m eating and just use that, then wash it as needed. My husband on the other hand is a bit messier. So I thought it might be worth a shot to make my own cloth napkins to see if we could reduce our use of paper products. Here is the tutorial for making napkins out of old dress shirts.
Supplies:
Old dress shirt (I used a few that had holes in the sleeves that I couldn’t mend)
Scissors
Measuring tape
Thread
Needle
Pins (optional)
Iron
1. Cut the back off of the shirt. This is where the majority of the usable fabric is. You can also use the sleeves/sides of the shirts for smaller pieces or use them for other projects.2. Measure and cut the desired size. For this one, I used a 13 inch square to create a handkerchief-sized piece. This only allowed for about two pieces cut from the same shirt. I also created smaller ones by sectioning off the material of a different shirt into fourths.3. Lay the pieces flat and iron out the wrinkles. Then, fold one side over backward and iron flat.4. Repeat on the other sides. Pin if desired. I personally hate pinning so I rarely do it, just make sure to get a nice crease with the iron.5. Use the needle and thread to sew along all sides or use a sewing machine. Make sure to hide the knots in the extra fabric in the back for a more ascetically pleasing piece.And that’s it! Now you can go and create your own set. I made two larger “lap” napkins (I’m telling you, my husband is quite messy. Also we’re horrible and eat in front of the TV.) and four smaller hand napkins. When the napkins are lightly used, you can keep them at your spot and continued to use until they are dirty, then throw them in the washing machine. This technique can also be used to create handkerchiefs if that’s your style. Right now, I’m taking it one step at a time.
Bonus Upcycling Tip:
To store your clean napkins, you can cut the top off of an empty tissue box. I hot glued some extra ribbon to cover up the brand and set it on the side table near our couch (one day maybe I’ll actually eat at the dining room table) for easy use.
