How to make napkin rings for paper napkins? Shhh…from toilet paper tube rolls! Call me crazy, but I’ve seen all these projects on Pinterest for toilet paper tubes. Intrigued, I’ve been collecting ideas on Pinterest and saving them to my special board:
Here’s a link to this board on Pinterest plus a link to our Pinterest page:
So, I thought, “heck, why not?” and started saving my toilet paper rolls. Soon, it was like the Star Trek episode, “The Trouble with Tribbles”, because my toilet paper rolls were multiplying! Maybe they were secretly propagating {grin}!
But, before I gave up and threw them all in the trash, I wanted to try to come up with my own toilet paper roll project, even if it’s deemed a Pinterest failure!
You see, I was having a very special birthday celebration for my mother and her twin. One likes pink (Mom) and the other likes blue (twin). To make each feel a little special, I came up with a pink and blue tablescape theme centered around a beautiful piece of fabric from the fabric store that made me think of peacocks.
Check out these posts for details about that party:
- A Peacock Tale: Decorating the Table for a Special Celebration
- How to Make an Easy No Sew Tablerunner
- How to Make Easy Party Placecards using PicMonkey
Anywhoo…
Here’s what I did:
I gathered my supplies. For this project you will need:
- empty toilet paper tube rolls
- ruler and a tape measure
- pen
- regular scissors and small scissors (not shown)
- double-stick tape
- ribbon (I used two colors of grosgrain ribbon in 2 different widths plus rick-rack)
- silk flower embellishments (not shown)
- glue gun (not shown)
- napkins
Using the ruler, I measured the toilet paper rolls, drew a line, flattened them out and then cut them in half with the scissors.
Using the tape measure, I measured the diameter of the toilet paper tube and cut enough ribbon in both colors and the rick-rack. My toilet paper tubes measured 5 1/2 inches in diameter, but I cut the ribbon longer for the “fudge factor” plus I didn’t know what the heck I was doing {grin}!
Then I taped 3 lines of double-sided tape to one side of the flattened toilet paper tube. Now, a word (or two) about adhesives: I ended up using double-sided tape because hot glue applied with a glue gun made the ribbon a lumpy mess! And, fabric glue wasn’t the answer either because it didn’t stick immediately, requiring someone or something to hold it in place until it dried (not me! no time!). I even tried Elmer’s glue! So, unless you have the time and patience for glue, or can find a product that is “tacky” but doesn’t make your ribbon puckery, I’d stick with double-sided tape.
In the photos above:
- Lay one ribbon in place as close to the edge of the toilet paper tube as possible.
- Add another piece of double-stick tape on top of the first ribbon.
- Add the second ribbon on top.
- Turn your toilet paper tube over and place 3 rows of double-sided tape on the back. Press the first ribbon into place and add another piece of double-sided tape.
- Both ribbons pressed into place. You can see my seam is not so pretty! That’s when I decided it was time for “Plan B” – adding the flower embellishments!
- Turn your napkin ring over. Add double-sided tape to the length of rick-rack. Using small scissors, trim the double-sided tape in the hills and valleys of the rick-rack so that no tape shows.
- Press the rick-rack into place on your napkin ring.
- Package of flower embellishments.
- Using hot glue gun, glue flowers over the seam to disguise flaws (or not! If you don’t care because they are only going to be displayed face up on your table, skip this part!).
Fold your paper napkin into thirds and insert in the toilet paper tube napkin ring.
One way…another way (with blue polka-dot paper napkins).
One way…another way (with pink polka-dot napkins)!
This is my “peacock” table setting. I’m a dinnerware “collector” or maybe a “hoarder” {grin} – I used to entertain more frequently than I do now, so over 25 years of marriage, I’ve collected many different types and sizes of dinnerware. Eight of this, 10 of that. Plus, I’ve inherited dinnerware from my mother and aunt (both still alive, but have downsized to assisted living) and Charlie’s aunt (sadly, she passed away 13 years ago). I like to mix and match them depending on the party.
Anyway, I have glass chargers in pink and blue, so I alternated them on the table. I have several different patterns of cream stoneware, so I alternated the dinner plates, too. I have pink, blue and green dessert plates, so I alternated them! And, I have pink, blue and green wine glasses, so I used all of them, too! A truly colorful, eclectic table for 2 eclectic twins (my Mom and her sister).
My place setting close-up! How to make napkin rings for paper napkins using toilet paper tubes is an easy project! The hardest part was the concept (what ribbon to use? colors?) and figuring out how to make the ribbon adhere without too much effort. Once I solved that problem, I made them in a snap – 20 in about an hour. Easy peasy and now I have 10 less toilet paper tube rolls in my “Tribble” stash {grin}!
Tootles,
Related Posts:
(other party and tablescape posts)
- Decorating the Table for an Easter Celebration
- Decorating the Table for a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
- Easy Valentine Candyand Cookie Buffet
- Ice Cream Sundae Dessert Buffet
- Peppermint Peeps
- Princess Palooza
- Samantha’s Christmas Table
- Samantha’s Table
- The Charms of Afternoon Tea
- The Post-St. Patrick’s Day Post
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