This post presents some DIY napkin ring ideas so you can customize napkin rings for any season or give them as gifts. Although these were created with summer in mind, the concept can be adapted to any occasion or time of year.

A quick note that this post includes affiliate links and I will receive a commission from items you purchase but at no additional cost to you. I am presenting you with my own opinion and honest review of the information provided. If you want to read the entire disclosure statement, please click HERE.

Backstory

Many of you know that I have been partnering with MMS Milk Paint, which is a dream come true for me. I love their products and have been using them for years. Recently, I did a live video demonstrating how to customize wooden napkin rings using MMS milk paint and some basic supplies. You can read the blog on making these customized daisy napkin rings by clicking on the link.

The purpose of this post is to elaborate on the concept presented and to give you another napkin ring idea. Towards the end of the video, I show you how to create napkin rings with fern fronds attached to them. Several people reached out and said they really liked those napkin rings. So, I will walk you through how to create them in this post.

You can really apply this concept to any dried or artificial flower/foliage item.

Napkin Ring Ideas

Supplies

As with any project, the first thing we need to do is gather our supplies.  Below is a list of supplies you will need:

• Set of wooden napkin rings.  I recommend purchasing a set of at least 4 up to 8. 
• 120 grit sandpaper
• A small 1” paint brush
• MMS Milk Paint in any color you choose.  I used Farmhouse White.
• MMS Milk mix EZ
• MMS Milk Grip bonding agent
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Artificial ferns
• Wire cutters/ snips

Since I have an affiliate link, you can purchase MMS milk paint products here and you can save 10% on your purchase by using the code: 10OFFSH

The remaining supplies I have linked for you below. Having said that, if you wander over to your local craft store, there is probably a great selection of dried florals and artificial flowers you can also choose from.

Step 1 -Prepare Napkin Rings

When you take your wooden napkin rings out the their packaging, you will notice that they are sealed with a clear coat. The first order of business is to remove, or at least scuff up, that shiny surface. I used 120 grit sandpaper to thoroughly sand the exterior and interior of each napkin ring. Milk paint doesn’t adhere well to shiny surfaces so you want to rough up the surface to create some “tooth” for the paint to stick to.

Step 2 Paint the Napkin Rings

Now is the time to mix up your milk paint! For this project, I used the color Farmhouse White but you can use any color you choose.

Since Farmhouse White is a light color, I ended up giving each napkin ring 3 coats of paint. However, they were easy to paint since they are so small. I allowed 30 minutes of drying time between each coat of paint.

When your napkin rings are dry, give them a quick coat of Milk Wax to protect the paint. I used a small rag to apply the wax to the napkin rings. Don’t forget to coat the interior of the napkin rings!

Step 3 Attach the Fern Frond

Once your napkin rings are dry, it’s time to attach the fern frond. (Or any other dried /artificial flower of your choice). I purchased a larger bunch of artificial ferns from a local craft store and then using some wire cutters, I snipped off the tips of the fern fronds.

I snipped off about 1.5 inches of the tip of the fern frond. Then I plugged in the hot glue gun and set it on a piece of aluminum foil. TIP – whenever I use a hot glue gun I use aluminum foil to protect the surface of the table and to catch any glue drips.

Place a dollop of hot glue on your napkin ring and attach the end of the fern frond. Then place hot glue on the remainder of the fern frond and wrap it around the napkin ring.

When you are done attaching the fern fronds, your napkin rings should look like these pictured above. See that napkin ring with the daisies?

You can pin the image below to your Pinterest board.

Step 4- Share your Napkin Ring ideas with Others

No doubt by now you have had your own ideas as to how to create your own napkin rings. Here are some other ideas that I thought I would share with you:

• Dried lavender
• Pressed dried flowers
• Small pine cones
• Dried wheat

What ideas do you have? Please share them with me!

Summary

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. I hope you found some inspiration and a way to celebrate the summer season.