Cheap and Easy: Ribbon Napkin Rings

But this field trip wasn't just an exercise in appropriate social boundaries, it was a brainstorming session, too. I've been tying ribbons in my hair and around my waist for a while, but I finally wanted to use these beauties for more than just personal adornment. I would highly recommend walking into a notions store armed with nothing more than $5 and a keen imagination. Home sewers (even bad ones, like me) are sort of a relic of the past, and these stores are bustling with an old-fashioned creativity that is really unmatched. And so the ribbon napkin ring was born!

These are so ridiculously simple to make before a dinner party, you can assemble them as your hair is drying and you're debating between liquid or pencil eyeliner. I also decided to throw place cards into the mix, since I think they're a really simple way to make guests feel special. Plus, I find that when people are first shrugging off their coats and settling in, they really do like to be told what to do ("Hey, Lucy, crack open this bottle of champers, will ya?") and where to sit ("Right next to me, handsome.") And it just may be that what's true for an hourglass figure is true for a napkin, too: they both look pretty great cinched tight in the middle.