how to make resusable napkins for picnics

I made some of these for a picnic basket that I gave to a friend of mine. I wanted to share how easy they were to make. I plan on making more for me.

Gather your fabric. I had a tablecloth I wanted to match to, so picked fabrics of similar color. Lucky for me I had them all laying around. Do note the white is what the napkins will be made out of, and I believe it is cotton. I know it has a nice simple grain that made it very easy to work with.

The napkins are 17" x 15". Tear the pieces. Yes, tear, rip, pull apart, all very brutal ways, but it works. You get a nice straight cut, it is fast, and the edge is already torn so it won't need finishing because, it is already frayed. Trust me, they do it on Project Runway, watch if you don't believe me.

Fold over the edge, and iron flat. Here I have folded over 4".

Cut the ribbons into 12" lengths. I used my handy cutting wheel. Invest in one of these, they are so handy.

I then sewed two ribbon onto the edge of the napkin. Double stick where the ribbon is, this is also where the seam starts, so you should be backsticking anyways.