At first glance – looking at the pattern for this week’s Craft Corner project – you might think we’re making dog bones.
Not so; the pattern is for a butterfly napkin ring.
You can make these napkin rings using a variety of materials and decorations. For our samples, we used craft foam and rhinestones, heavy decorative paper and themed stickers, and lightweight themed, decorative paper.
The theme, of course, is Independence Day.
You can find patterns for these easy-to-make napkin rings in just about any craft magazine. A recent edition of Living (Martha Stewart’s monthly publication) featured clip-art ring patterns with square and round shapes.
We opted to try and design our own butterfly pattern, and although we must confess we’ve seen similar patterns in magazines in the past, this one was drawn freehand and tried out numerous times until we achieved the look we wanted.
So, to make the napkin rings, you can either use our pattern, check out other designs in craft magazines or get creative and design your own.
The first step is to make a pattern out of heavy craft paper so that you can trace around the edges, whether using craft foam, paper or cardboard. (If you use cardboard, make sure it’s lightweight enough to bend without creasing.)
For our first set of samples, we used lightweight craft foam in red, white and blue colors.
We traced around the pattern, then (using quick-dry tacky glue) attached decorative rhinestones around the edges of the butterfly.
Next, we purchased some heavy, textured, decorative paper in solid red, white and blue colors, and adorned the butterflies with a variety of Fourth of July stickers.
And finally, we used just lightweight decorative paper with Fourth of July patterns for an inexpensive set of napkin rings.
When cutting the rings out of whatever material you choose, you’ll be cutting around the outside edge of the pattern, then making an indented cut (one from the top, one from the bottom on opposite ends as shown by the dotted lines on the pattern).
Bend (don’t fold) the ring into a circle and join by slipping the indented cuts into each other.
Craft foam will cost you about 50 cents for a sheet, out of which you can get three napkin rings (approximately 8 inches by 3 inches – our butterfly pattern is about 3 inches tall at the design; 1 inches for the back band).
Decorative papers will run between 59 cents and $1.99 for a 12- by 12-inch square. You’ll be able to get three to four rings out of a sheet, depending on placement of the pattern.
Rhinestones vary in price, but you can get a decent bag of multicolored stones for less than $5.
Stickers, depending on material (foil, beaded, etc.) and style, will range in price from $1 per sheet of multiple stickers to $5 and up for fewer stickers – the choice is yours. You’ll find a wide selection in the scrapbooking section of craft and hobby stores.
Liquid beads, which we highlighted in one of our Mother’s Day Craft Corner columns, are seed beads mixed into a clear-drying glue-gel. They come in small, but ample, jars for about $3 each.
You can also use your imagination and use decorative beads, baubles, feathers and other adornments, as well as fabrics or metals in place of papers, to make one-of-kind napkin rings to suit any occasion.
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