Bamboo is as handsome as it is versatile. So it seems only natural that the material should join us at the table in the form of sturdy napkin rings. 

1. Start with a 2-inch-diameter bamboo pole (available at garden centers and some hardware stores for a few dollars apiece). Using painter's tape, mark off a 2-inch section of the pole, making sure a joint (1 of the raised lines along the bamboo) lies in the middle of the section. Repeat process, taping off one 2-inch section for each napkin ring. 

2. Place the pole in a miter box, and secure with pegs. With a miter saw, cut out each section, cutting on side of tape nearest joint. 

3. Remove the crisscrossing fibers inside the joints using a drill fitted with a 1 1/2-inch paddle bit.