Organizing Table Linens

Love these napkins organized by color in Mary Alice’s magical linen & tabletop storage room!

Setting a beautiful table should be easy and fun even if it’s just for a regular weeknight family meal. Eating dinner together around a table set with cloth napkins, placemats, and a centerpiece are a tradition in our family that continues no matter how many people are there.

It’s little details like a napkin ring (each one is unique and assigned to a guest at my sister’s house), silverware, glasses, and china that come together to make a collective statement of welcome and hospitality. It's another small way to express who you are with your table ware choices. Organizing the table linens so that it’s easy to find the ones you want at the time you want them makes setting a beautiful table easy and effortless.

Folloiwng Neatsmart’s organizing principles, here are my tips to help you get your table linens organized:

  • Sort by type. Always group like items together:

    • Cocktail napkins

    • Dinner / luncheon napkins

    • Place mats (fabric/ hard/ paper)

    • Table cloths

    • Runners/ toppers

  • Store them close to where you use them. Whether they are in a drawer near your dining table or in a basket in your pantry, keep them close to where you will use them. Less distance means you’re less likely to forget where you stored them.

  • Contain by color. If you are storing them in a closet, group them together by color in a labeled container. The picture at the top shows Mary Alice’s collection of gorgeous napkins in clear bins and sorted by color. These help you see exactly what’s inside and easily pull out what you need. The bin keeps them all contained so your stack isn’t falling over.

  • Keep the patterns together. If you have a set of 6, group them together. Don’t just have them in one location: group similar styles together. This saves time when you go to set your table for 6.

  • Store cloth placemats flat. Or as flat as possible to minimize having to iron them again. Fold the set over a hanger and put in a closet if that’s the only space you have. Just don’t fold them into smaller sizes. And don’t use clip hangers which will leave marks.

  • Store hard placemats vertical. If you are storing hard placemats in a closet, you can go vertical so it’s easier to pull them out. Use magazine holders to group styles together and keep them from falling over.

  • Hang tablecloths & runners. Unless you are blessed with Martha Stewart’s space and linen inventory, it is best to hang your tablecloths on a wider hanger designed for this purpose. Using a regular hanger doesn’t give you enough space to minimize wrinkling. Use these blanket hangers instead.

  • Store napkin rings together, close to the napkins. I keep mine in the drawer with the napkins but you could put them in a separate basket or clear container in a closet.

Stacks of napkins organized by color

If you have the shelf space, use these clear shoe bins like Adrienne did at Hen House Linens. Folding them and grouping them by color makes them much easier to find and keep wrinkle free.

Having everything close together means you spend less time finding the pieces you need when you go to set your table. You also are less frustrated because you’lll actually be able to find all of your options effortlessly, not by sending out a search party.

Closet, KitchenCarrie Peeplesorganizing table linensComment