Artichoke Napkin Fold

Today we are creating the artichoke napkin fold.  It can be a complicated fold to achieve; it takes more time and is more difficult to fold.  This is partly because turning it over may disturb the pattern.  Accurate folding is required to that the corners inside each "leaf" are neat and symmetrical.  Give yourself a little time to practice this fold and you will become a pro in no time!

Start with a flat napkin.  We use a 20" x 20" square as a base.

Bring the lower left corner to the middle.

Repeat with the lower right corner.

Repeat with upper right corner.

Fold in upper left corner.  You will have a smaller square.

Fold the lower corner to the center.

Repeat with the left corner.

Repeat with the upper corner.

Repeat with the right corner to create a still smaller square.

Very carefully turn the napkin over without disturbing any of the previous folds.

Fold the left bottom corner to the middle.  You may have to hold the fold in place as you continue folding.

Repeat with the left upper corner, holding the previous fold in place.

Repeat with the right upper corner, holding previous folds as needed.

Finish off with lower right corner, you may need to keep a finger on the middle holding the folds to complete the next couple of steps.

Gently extract the "leaf" from beneath the upper right corner.

Repeat the "leaf" extraction with the lower right corner.  Gently hold each middle point as you extract the leaf to prevent the napkin from coming apart.

Repeat with the upper left corner.

Finish with the lower left corner.

If you would like you could place a dish or small decoration in the center of the artichoke fold.  This fold really looks nice on a dinner or charger plate.  How do you plan on using this fold for your table?  Let us know in the comments below :)