These easy-to-make ties -- satin cord trimmed with starlike dried sweetgum fruits -- are an elegant accompaniment to hemstitched napkins embellished with silver or lavender fabric paint. The "stars" are spray-painted white and attached to the cord's ends with a hot-glue gun.
Tools and Materials
Hemstitched napkins, made of cotton or linen
Fabric paint (one 2 1/4-ounce bottle covers about 3 napkins)
Small paintbrush
White spray paint, Design Master, available at crafts stores
Dried sweetgum fruits, from Dry Nature Designs
Metallic cord, (No. 9512), width S, color 3, from Shindo
Glue gun
Napkin How-To
1. Wash and dry napkins to remove sizing, which can cause paint to adhere poorly.
2. Paint napkin edges using brush. Let dry completely, 2 to 3 hours. Flip napkins, and paint other side.
3. Heat-set paint (ironing is the most common method) according to manufacturer's instructions.
Napkin Ties How-To
1. Lightly spray-paint sweetgum fruits; let dry.
2. Cut cord into 12-inch lengths. Dab hot glue into openings of 2 sweetgum fruits, and insert end of a cord into each. Repeat to make additional ties. Let dry.
3. Wrap cords around folded napkins.
silver or lavender paint is what instr. says..........is that suppose to be PEARLized paint??
The napkins in the picture look like they have been dyed overall and then the pearlescent fabric paint added to just the borders. The directions don't say anything about dyeing the napkins first.
You can get the napkins for not too much at dharmatrading.com and a matching table runner too.