“OK you pompous twit”, I hear you saying, “ where are these amazing and unusual napkin folds that you are going on about?”

Find them below. They are from Mrs Beetons Book of Household Management first published in 1861! The boring old standard folds are on the right in video format >

Originally titled: ‘The Book of Household Management Comprising information for the Mistress, Housekeeper, Cook, Kitchen-Maid, Butler, Footman, Coachman, Valet, Upper and Under House-Maids, Lady’s-Maid, Maid-of-all-Work, Laundry-Maid, Nurse and Nurse-Maid, Monthly Wet and Sick Nurses, etc. etc. – also Sanitary, Medical, & Legal Memoranda: with a History of the Origin, Properties, and Uses of all Things Connected with Home Life and Comfort” the book contains some pretty fancy folding techniques that you don’t see very often these days.

Apologies for the quality of the scanned images but you’ll get the idea. Remember that for perfect napkin folds your napkin needs to be a perfect square and heavily ‘starched’ when being ironed  or pressed (for those nice crisp edges). Click on any of the napkin folds below to see  a larger image. For a modern take on unusual napkin folds get David Stark’s book

Have fun with these out of the ordinary napkin folds - but use them wisely!

Our friends at Bowmore whisky sent us the above video on creating the ‘Rose’ napkin fold. As I’m certain that the video cost a bundle to produce it’s a shame they couldn’t find the completely square napkin that the chap mentions as being preferable in the first few frames of the site as it’s apparent to an old hand like me that he’s got a slight rectangle, not a square.

Also it would have been cool if he’d mentioned that this style of napkin fold tends not to be the sort that sits in front of a diner but is rather one in which something sits e.g. bread, crisps/chips, a bowl containg food of some sort. So! Not your best Bowmore!

But good advice re starch. A stiff napkin is a happy napkin!