Stunning Cocktail Napkins: Small Details with Big Impact

Shopping for Treasures

1. Why cocktail napkins deserve their spotlight

It’s easy to treat napkins as an afterthought — but here’s the thing: they’re part of the experience. Think about it: the glass, the drink, the hand reaching for the napkin. The napkin should match the mood.

• Paper napkins today are doing so much more: better quality, richer prints, eco-friendly materials. For example: the ones I’m sharing are printed in Germany using non‐toxic, water-soluble dyes and food-safe ink, and they’re FSC-certified, biodegradable & compostable
• You, as the host/designer, get to pick the details that feel right — whether that’s relaxed garden cocktails or elegant evening hors d’oeuvres. The napkin becomes part of your color story.
Triple-ply means they look and perform better — less flimsy, more upscale. In my world, if I’m going to pull out a good drink, I want the napkin to step up.

Photo space: Insert a photo of a cocktail napkin elegantly placed next to a glass on a table.

2. My current favorite: Redoute Floral

Here’s the one I’m recommending right now (and using in my designs).

• Use the cocktail size for drinks and hors d’oeuvres, the luncheon or dinner sizes when you’re doing full-plate service or buffet.
• Pick up a pattern that ties into your tabletop: maybe your bar cart has brass and navy, so choose a napkin with navy accent or gold touches.
• Stack them casually in a low dish near the cocktail station rather than folding rigidly — that relaxed seated-back style works great for a home in Lambertville or a south-Florida retreat.

3. A few more beautiful options worth considering

Because variety is good and sometimes your mood or season changes: Here are a few of my favorites:

Garden Fern

Wild Hydrangea

Porcelain Blooms

Poppies

Olive Grove

Water Lilies

Lady Slipper Orchids

4. Styling & entertaining tips from the trenches

These are a few of the ways I use napkins in my own entertaining and when I occasionally help my clients with an event in their beautiful home.

• Layering: Place a napkin under a cocktail glass on a tray with a small garnish or herb — instant elevated look.
• Mix & match: Try mixing a patterned napkin with a plain glass or neutral barware — everything else stays calm, letting the napkin pop.
• Seasonal update: In spring/summer, go for lighter florals, pastels; in fall/winter, deeper tones like indigo or cranberry florals work.
• Table setup tip: On your bar cart, stack napkins in a decorative box or arrange them beside a small flower arrangement to refresh the look from “just drinks” to “an event”.