Wrapping gold plastic silverware and silver plastic cutlery for events and parties might seem like a secret practice everyone knows but no one has learned. They just seem to know how to wrap silverware in paper napkins. However, rolling plastic cutlery in paper napkins is simple enough that once you learn, it'll stick with you for a long time, and you can pretend to have always known how to do it.

Pre-Rolled Vs. Bulk Sets

Pre-rolled sets of cutlery, where you get a package of plastic cutlery that’s been rolled for you, with a napkin wrapped around a knife, fork, and spoon, can be a huge time saver. If you’re rushed or have a last-minute event that you’re short-handed for, buying your gold plastic silverware like this can be the hack that saves the day. However, does the convenience of pre-rolled cutlery outweigh the benefits of a bulk package?

While buying silver plastic cutlery in pre-wrapped packages has a definite benefit, the drawback is the lack of variety and extras you receive. With bulk packages where the cutlery isn't rolled, you receive 250 individual pieces that you can group in the best way for your party's needs.

For example, if your menu features a selection of soups and salads, you can prioritize soup spoons and  salad forks rather than a knife your guests might not even use during their meals. This is also great because it leaves extras for when someone inevitably drops a piece of cutlery on the ground accidentally. No muss or fuss; just pull an extra out of the box.

Ultimately, you have to decide what's more important for your event, budget, and available time when it comes to disposable cutlery; the convenience but restricted options of pre-rolled plastic cutlery or the extra work but wider variety and options of bulk sets.

Guide on How To Wrap Silverware in Paper Napkins

Taking the extra time to wrap your own gold plastic silverware and silver plastic cutlery can save you money and add a personal touch. Wrapping your own cutlery rolls makes it easy to select exactly which three pieces of silverware go into your napkin, tailoring your selections to your menu.

Wrapping silverware in disposable linen-feel dinner napkins is straightforward and ranges from ultra-simple to fancier and more impressive.

Where To Start on How to Wrap Silverware in Paper Napkins

Materials Needed for Wrapping Silverware

Paper Napkins

Paper napkins get a bad rap as being scratchy or low quality, but disposable technology has come a long way. Disposable linen-feel paper napkins feel as soft and luxurious as any other real napkin, but they’re the perfect addition to your table setting; quick, easy, and hassle-free.

Silverware

You can roll cutlery bundles with permanent metal silverware or disposable plastic cutlery. What you'll need depends on your event and restrictions for your space. While the classic is obviously real silverware, gold plastic silverware or silver plastic cutlery can save you a lot of time and effort while still looking flawless.

Additions and Flourishes

Wrapping silverware in paper napkins is simple and quick and looks so classic and elegant you don't need more. However, if you want to get fancy with it or add little touches that tie in with your theme and elevate your event, you can add ribbon to the outside of your roll, tying it off with a flourish and a bow.

Steps On How To Wrap Silverware in Paper Napkins

Creating a Simple Silverware Roll

1. Lay your napkin out in front of you and open it up to create a square.
2. Put the bottom piece of cutlery (usually the knife) on the napkin. You want the knife to go diagonally from one corner of the napkin to the other corner. Try to place the knife, so the center of the blade rests on top of the napkin's corner.
3. Stack the rest of the cutlery. It's best to stack the bigger cutlery first so the smaller rests inside it, quite literally spooning. The most common version of this is with the spoon on top of the fork, which is on top of the knife.
4. Fold the bottom corner over the end of the silverware. Use one hand to hold the cutlery tightly while folding the corner with the other hand. Press it flat.
5. Grabbing one of the free corners to the side of the cutlery roll, fold it all the way over the cutlery, so it almost reaches the opposite corner. Getting it tightly folded over the cutlery will make it neater and more tightly bound for later.
6. Roll the cutlery over the folded napkin all the way to the end.
7. You can leave it like this (it will retain its shape) or secure it with a cutlery band or ribbon.

Making a Decorative Silverware Pouch

1. Unfold your napkin completely, so there are no folds. You'll create the folds yourself later.
2. Fold in half to create a rectangle. If there is a decorative side, it should be on the inside of the rectangle.
3. Fold in half again, creating a square. If it feels like you’ve gone back to the beginning, don’t worry, you have. Only now, the pattern is on the inside of the napkin, so it will show when you’ve created your pouch.
4. Fold the topmost layer in half diagonally. The corner should come from where it rests and flip backward to the opposite corner.
5. Flip the napkin over. Fold the right side of the whole napkin inward, about ⅓ of the way across. Then, fold the left side over the right side about ⅓ of the way. You want an overlap so that you'll have a rectangle with overlapping napkins in the middle. One side of the rectangle should have a piece of the fold you made before, usually over a corner. That is the side you want on the bottom of your overlap.
6. Insert the top part of the overlap into the folded corner on the bottom of the overlap.
7. Flip the napkin over to see the pouch where you can insert cutlery.

Tips on How To Wrap Silverware in a Paper Napkin

Positioning the Napkin

Laying your paper napkin out on a flat surface such as a table is essential for getting a crisp fold and a tight roll. Make sure your workspace is clean and dry and that you have lots of room to lay the napkin out and manipulate it. The different ways of wrapping your paper napkins will need them to be in front of you in either a diamond or square shape, and having more than enough room to move them around is crucial.

When laying the napkin out, make sure it's flat, with no wrinkles or folds. This will make wrapping easier and ensure that the napkin looks clean and crisp when unrolled.

Folding the Napkin

The first few times you wrap your cutlery might be a little tough. So it's good to do a few practice wraps to make sure you have the technique down before doing the important ones.

When folding, make sure you crease the folds strongly. This will make them stay longer. The other side of this is being careful not to fold in extra spots. Do a soft bend to start with to ensure you have the fold in the right spot. Once you're sure, crease it sharply, so it has a lot of staying power.

Frequently Asked Questions

I need to know how to wrap silverware in paper napkins so they look great. How do I do that?

Wrapping silverware is an art form that requires crisp, clean lines. Your biggest concern is ensuring no wrinkles, unnecessary folds, or stains on the wrapped cutlery. Keeping the cutlery in a decorative basket or bowl is a great way to protect them from getting stained or folded wrong, and it has the added benefit of looking great too. Don't be afraid to play around with different ribbons and cutlery wraps to add a touch of fun or whimsy to your table settings.

How Do You Display Plastic Silverware for a Party?

There are a handful of ways to display your gold plastic silverware and silver plastic cutlery for a party. If you have set tables, a classic look is to have cutlery rolled or folded in napkins and placed either on or beside the plates. This gives guests all the utensils they need in a neat show.

If you have a buffet-style party, you can also provide a basket of pre-rolled plastic cutlery so guests can grab their own on their way past.

How Do You Wrap Silverware Without Tape?

Using a pouch wrap for your silverware, where you fold and flip the napkin to create a pouch in the napkin, makes a simple wrap that doesn’t require tape. However, even choosing to roll the napkins doesn’t mean you’ll need tape. If you tuck, roll, and press the napkin tightly while you do it, you should achieve a tight pack that doesn’t need tape.

How Do You Wrap Silverware in Napkins For a Buffet?

The best cutlery wrap for napkins in a buffet is a Simple Silverware Roll. These are quick and easy to accomplish, stack great at the end of a table, and your guests can scoop them out of a basket on their way back to their seats.

How Do Restaurants Wrap Silverware?

While restaurants use a lot of the same methods we've gone over, like the roll or the pouch, there's another classic roll that restaurants use. This will work best with very large, cloth napkins. If using disposable linen-feel dinner napkins, try unfolding them entirely, so you have enough napkin for cutlery.

1. Lay the napkin out flat in front of you in a square, then rotate it to look like a diamond in front of you.
2. Set your three pieces of cutlery side by side in the center of the napkin.
3. Fold the bottom point of the diamond completely over the cutlery.
4. Fold the top point of the diamond completely over the cutlery.
5. Fold the left corner completely over so it almost meets up with the opposite corner.
6. Rotate the napkin, so the two pointed corners stacked on top of each other are pointed away from you.
7. Grip the cutlery in both hands and roll tightly towards the points.

Buy Disposable Elegant Napkins at Select Settings

Paper napkins used for wrapping silverware must be of high quality to ensure the silverware doesn’t tear through it. The higher quality also translates to a better experience for your guests. With disposable linen-feel paper napkins, you can get the elegant luxury of a linen napkin without spending the next day in the laundry room cleaning up. Select Settings provides a range of styles, sizes, and patterns so you can find the perfect napkin for your next event.

How to Roll Silverware inside a Paper Napkin?

Rolling silverware in paper napkins is simple, straightforward, and yet still impressive for guests. Check out our full catalog to see how plastic cutlery can help you hit your event goals.