The unfolding of the napkin marks the beginning of a meal. You can ritualize the moment by tying up table linens as if they were little packages.

For a fall dinner party, fill a small cellophane bag with pumpkin seeds and cinch at the top with waxed linen thread. Decorate with an oak leaf cut from colored paper (or use a leaf-shaped paper punch). 

Sources
Small cellophane bags, $4.51 per 100, from Nashville Wraps

Waxed twine in Butterscotch, $12.95, from The Caning Shop

More Elegant Ideas
To make a napkin pocket for bread sticks, fold the top and bottom edges of a napkin to the center; fold the bottom up again to cover these edges, then fold the two sides to the back.

A sprig of flowering oregano is entwined about a rolled-up napkin with 6 inches of florist's wire bound to the stem with floral tape.