• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The DIY Mommy
  • Decor
  • DIY
  • Clean + Organize
  • Printables
  • Recipes
  • Life
  • The Academy
  • Shop My Home
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Decor
  • DIY
  • Clean + Organize
  • Printables
  • Recipes
  • Life
  • The Academy
  • Shop My Home
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » DIY Crafts » DIY Parties & Holidays

    Sew Linen Napkins (+ How to Make a Rolled Hem with a Serger)

    Published: Dec 17, 2013 by Christina Dennis · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 3 Comments

    Linen napkins are so sophisticated and gorgeous, and they're a pretty way to formalize a table setting for Christmas dinner.

    I'm hosting my first ever Christmas Day dinner at our home this year (hooray for a house that can actually fit company in it!) and I wanted to make our Christmas table extra special. I have a decently sized fabric stash (*guilty*!) and found a piece of off white linen that would be perfect for cloth napkins. With the help of my serger, I whipped up 8 DIY linen napkins in less than an hour!

    DIY Cloth Napkin Tutorial + How to Make a Rolled Hem with a Serger - The DIY Mommy

    If you don't have a serger, you could easily make these with your sewing machine (just fold the edges ¼", then fold them ¼" again before stitching), but if you DO have a serger, this is such a quick & professional looking way to finish napkins!

    Not only are these fun to make for yourself, but wouldn't they make a lovely hostess gift?

    DIY Cloth Napkin Tutorial + How to Make a Rolled Hem with a Serger - The DIY Mommy

    The narrow rolled hem feature on my serger is so simple to do, and it makes a nice, tidy finished edge on my new linens. If you have a serger at home, I encourage you to try this feature - it's so useful for all sort of applications!

    Materials:

    • linen or cotton fabric
    • serger
    • cutting mat
    • rotary cutter
    • hard edged ruler

    Directions:

    Cut a perfect square from your fabric using a ruler, rotary cutter and mat. I've seen all sorts of different sizes used for cloth napkins, but I chose to cut my squares at 19" wide so that the napkins would measure approximately 18" wide when they were finished.

    Now, you can finish the edges by pressing them and sewing with a sewing machine, OR you can do it with your serger's narrow-rolled hem feature like I did.

    I have a Janome serger, but this method will probably work for most sergers. If not, consult your serger's manual for the directions on how to do a narrow rolled hem.

    DIY Cloth Napkin Tutorial + How to Make a Rolled Hem with a Serger - The DIY Mommy

    First, take out the left needle on your serger. You only need the right one to make the narrow hem.

    DIY Cloth Napkin Tutorial + How to Make a Rolled Hem with a Serger - The DIY Mommy

    Next, disengage the blade by folding it down (there's a button on the left of my blade that I press as I fold the knife down). You won't be cutting fabric as you serge a narrow rolled hem, your serger will fold it under.

    DIY Cloth Napkin Tutorial + How to Make a Rolled Hem with a Serger - The DIY Mommy

    Then, change your serger's setting from "standard" to "rolled". On mine, there's a knob that I move to "R".

    DIY Cloth Napkin Tutorial + How to Make a Rolled Hem with a Serger - The DIY Mommy

    Adjust your stitch length to the smallest there is (on mine it's "1"). You may have to adjust the tension of your lower threads too if you're sewing with a thicker fabric like linen. For my serger and this project, I had to tighten the tension on both lower threads to make the fabric fold under properly. Test your hem on a scrap piece of fabric before doing the real thing.

    DIY Cloth Napkin Tutorial + How to Make a Rolled Hem with a Serger - The DIY Mommy

    Starting at a corner, lift up your presser foot and slide your fabric in so that it's a half inch or so in front of the presser foot. On my serger, I place the raw edge of the fabric so that it just touches my guide, as above. Put the presser foot down and sew. You should see the fabric folding under as you stitch a narrow, finished hem.

    DIY Cloth Napkin Tutorial + How to Make a Rolled Hem with a Serger - The DIY Mommy

    For corners (like on these linen napkins), I found it looked the best to sew right off of one corner, trim the thread, and then begin again on the next corner. Trim all of your threads when you're finished, and your project is already complete!

    Not only is this technique wonderful for cloth napkins, but I've used it to hem ruffles on my girls' clothes and many other projects too.

    DIY Cloth Napkin Tutorial + How to Make a Rolled Hem with a Serger - The DIY Mommy

    Happy napkin sewing!

     

    More Inspiration

    • Beautiful Backyard Party Decor Ideas
    • Thoughtful Mother's Day gift ideas can make all the difference, and so many options are available! Here are 22 that are easy and budget friendly!
      22 Thoughtful Mother's Day Gift Ideas
    • Easter Basket for Teens: A Self-Care Themed Idea
    • How to make an epic Christmas charcuterie cheese board in red & green
      Make a Christmas Charcuterie Board in Red & Green

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. slab leak San Dimas

      July 09, 2014 at 6:13 am

      Most sump pumps have a pressure valve or float activator.

      Most plumbers either do residential or commercial work.

      With the help from clientele documented support, the
      company is proficient to take care of all your residential plumbing
      requirements.

      Reply
    2. Lori Fischer

      December 06, 2018 at 3:23 pm

      I was working with linen today and deeply regretted using the right needle for a rolled hem because linen frays so easily. If I would have chosen the left needle, it would have made a wider stitch and would give the hem something a little deeper to hang on to in order to counteract the tendency toward fraying.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Make a Snow Day Survival Kit Christmas Gift | The DIY Mommy says:
      December 18, 2013 at 9:00 am

      […] one small mason jar (also from Greenmunch) […]

      Reply

    What do you think? Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Christina Dennis, The DIY Mommy

    I'm Christina and I'm sharing budget-friendly DIY & decor ideas to create a cozy home and life you love!

    Read more about me

    Latest Posts

    • RV Tips 101 - RVing Guide for Beginners
    • Build a Bench Seat for the Kitchen Table - DIY IKEA Hack
    • 5 Kitchen Floors that Go Perfectly with White Cabinets

    What's my home decor style?

    Discover the home decor style that best fits your personality and lifestyle. This two-minute quiz is going to give you the direction you need to start the big, bold room makeovers that you've always wanted to try!

    Find out now!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About The DIY Mommy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Terms of Service

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2009 - 2023 The DIY Mommy. "The DIY Mommy" is a registered trademark.