When I got engaged one of the first things I did was pick out my china. My Mom has a beautiful antique china cabinet displaying her heirloom dishes. It was always SO special to get to eat on those plates with the fancy gold-rimmed goblets and the gorgeous silver, and all of the accompanying trinkets that only got pulled out on major holidays like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. We sat on upholstered white chairs which sat on top of white carpet (seriously, she’s a mother of four- what was she thinking?!) in the fancy dining room where we only ate on those occasions. In fact, when we go home for major holidays we still do this, and I love it. I love that it causes people to be just a little more polite, and maybe take just a few more minutes to chew their food and sit around the table to chat. It reminds me that there’s something special about that day.
Now…next week I will be celebrating my 7th wedding anniversary. Ask me how many times I’ve had a fancy dinner on my fancy China. Zero. It’s wrapped up safely in boxes in my garage like it has been since it was given to us at our wedding reception. My husband reminds regularly that he thinks the whole idea of fancy china is lame. I DO intend to use it. In fact, I’m super excited for when I have room in my house for a beautiful hutch to display it in, and kids old enough to appreciate it. I really look forward to those days. But that’s going to have to wait until I don’t have 3 boys under the age of 5. Or the age of 10. Or who knows when really. For now, we stick to adorable paper paper plates from Target- because if I’m going to slave away on food all day, the dishes should at least be easy, right? When my boys are old enough for me to trust them to wash my china, maybe we’ll eat on it 🙂
So in the spirit of cute and easy holiday table decor- you’ve got to know how to make carrot napkins. They’re a classic! And they seem to be everywhere these days. I love how a lot of these cute old-time classic crafts are popping up again on blogs. If you’re having a casual pot-luck type meal, these are perfect- AND I’ve even done them on a formal table with real silverware and they look super cute sitting on each plate. Even better- the kids can put them together!
Here’s what you’ll need:
– Orange napkins (the large sized napkins)
– Green plastic cutlery
– Ties: ribbon, twine, twist ties, pipe cleaners, etc.
Hit a party supply store for a good selection of colored cutlery and napkins, or the Walmart party supply section is usually well stocked as well.
Open up your napkin and lay it flat on the table with the fold opening at the top
Take the bottom right hand corner and fold it up to the middle of the napkin
Place your cutlery on the opposite side. I always put the knife in back, and the fork on top of the spoon. Partially because the fork sits in the spoon nicely, and partly because I like that the fork looks the most like a carrot top 🙂
Start rolling from the left-hand side and roll the cutlery right up to the middle
Then grab the other side of the triangle and roll it the rest of the way around so you have a nice little carrot shaped bundle:
I like to tie them with a little green ribbon
But twine looks cute too, or if you want to go the super quick and easy route you can use pipe cleaners or even twist ties! That last option is definitely the best if kids are putting these together. I’ve used all 3 and they all look cute.
Lay them together in a basket and it doubles as adorable Easter decor on the table!
I’ve also used these as place cards before and they look great on both formal dinnerware (with real silverware) and disposable plates. If you are doing something formal, I love these cute bunny napkins from Martha Stewart.
Isn’t it cool that target designed this whole line of dinnerware to match our blog?? They’re so nice.
Lastly, I’m going to leave you with this video.
You’ll have to tell us if it’s any good because Kate and I are both too weirded out watching ourselves to make it all the way through! I do know you can hear lots of fun stuff like when I stabbed my own foot with a huge knife.
Good times people, good times!
Questions & Reviews
These are so cute! I just put some together for my son’s 1st birthday party. It’s a week before Easter this year, so we’re going with a springtime theme, complete with the Chick Cupcakes from the cookbook too! 🙂
I love the video…and I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one who has stabbed a knife right in to their own foot, lol!
Had a very odd experience this Christmas. I was in Walmart & saw your cookbook. I was drawn to it. Didn’t buy it. Every time I was in the store I was drawn back to that book. I finally broke down & bought it. Best. $20 ever spent when I saw a recipe for teriyaki sauce that has no onion! I am allergic to onion but LOVE teriyaki! And all the store bought ones have onion.
And as I am preparing to make these napkins my son looked at my monitor from across the room & asked if I was going to make carrots! Can’t wait to make these! (But now I have to as dinner is apparently ready.)
Just as an FYI, ‘fine china’ is actually more durable then your everyday dishes.
Hey Ladies,
I didn’t know anything about you, until I was out in West this summer and a young saleswomen at Seagull Book recommended your Best Bites Cookbook. Can I just tell you that my family has LOVED everthing that I’ve made. Thanks for delicious recipes, that aren’t super hard to make. It’s definately my inspiration for good, homemade meals for our family of 5.
The Charlotte Bush’s Thank YOU!!!! 🙂
I love this idea, but I have to put in a plug for fancy china! Don’t wait until your boys are grown to use it! I have five kids (4 boys) from 10 down to 1 and we eat off of good china every day. On holidays and birthdays we go a little more fancy with crystal goblets and real silverware. Guess who has broken the most dishes…me, when they slip out of my hands as I’m rinsing them in my porcelain sink! Anyhow, the kids love sitting up to a nice table. It makes them excited for every meal–not just holidays. And how else are they going to learn how to use the good stuff if they never practice? I spend a good amount of time making delicious food. I want the presentation to show the love and effort that went into making it. I once heard a chef say, “You eat with your eyes first.” And it’s true. A beautifully set table just makes the food taste better, and paper plates and plastic silverware just aren’t the same no matter how cute and festive they are. Just my two cents…
the video was awesome! it was fun to get to meet you both- even with your kitchen bloopers- we all have them. for my mother’s birthday one year she had been requesting this apple crumb cake all year long. so i made it for her. but i grabbed whole wheat bread flour instead of cake flour. it was horrible. i don’t think the dog even ate it. my mom laughed all day long though- she thought it was hysterical.
Hey….what happened to the comment I left on the 20th? It’s gone! I had commented on the fabulous little carrot napkins and how much I like this site that I just got introduced to. And I also said that ‘Life is short and break out the china!’…..the kids will learn that special things get special care, etc. Is that why I got deleted?? 😮
I’m sure I would figure this out as soon as I get the supplies, but…when you put down the cutlery and start rolling do you just start rolling from the bottom corner of the napkin, then keep rolling towards the middle once you get to the cutlery? Does this even make sense?
Ya, when you actually do it you’ll see how easy it is. You don’t really roll to get to the silverware like you’re asking. You just kind of fold the corner over the utensils and then keep on going. I promise when you do it, it will be super easy!
Your video was adorable-you should really watch it all the way through-it’s so cute! Thanks for all of your inspiration!!