DIY Acorn Napkin Ties

These easy DIY acorn napkin ties make wonderful napkin rings or holders for your Thanksgiving table and are cute enough to use all year long. Made with real acorns for a rustic look that takes advantage of the beauty of nature for a gorgeous addition to any table setting.

Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays where I really like to decorate the table. And of course, if I can add a little nature in I'm all for it. A while back I made real pine cone napkin rings that doubled as a place card holder as part of my table decor.

Today, I'm sharing a fun fall craft that uses acorns (we are inundated with them), to wrap around the napkin. I love the shape and color of the acorns that we get in the yard. I'm not sure but I think I've identified the oak trees as red oaks from the shape of the acorns and leaves.

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How to Make Acorn Napkin Ties

Prep Acorns for Crafting

Who knows what lurks in and on the acorns you find on the ground? Start by washing them in some water to get as much of the surface dirt off as you can.

Next, bake them in the oven on the lowest level of heat for 1-2 hours. This should kill any bugs or other nasty stuff.

Making the Napkin Ties

Step 1. You will find that many of the caps will fall off when you bake them, however, that's great because you need to pull them off anyway. I found that a tiny flathead screwdriver worked well for prying off any of the caps that were still attached.

Step 2. Next, match the acorns with their caps, to another one of similar size so that you have sets of two.

Step 3. Use some wire cutters to clip off the stem of the top of the cap.

Step 4. Then use a 7/64 inch drill bit to make a hole in the top. You could use a different sized drill bit depending on what you have and how thick the cord you buy is. If you are unsure, I suggest starting smaller. Test it to see if the cord will thread through the hole. You can always go larger.

Step 5. Thread one end of the cord through the acorn cap from the top. Then use a bit of hot glue to glue the cord to the inside of the cap. You can make the cord length as long or as short as you want. I chose 30 inches to make sure that it would wrap around the napkin a few times.

Step 6. Once it dries, make a knot at the top side of the cap. This is purely for decorative purposes. I think it looks a little like the stem that was cut off, so that's why I added this step.

Step 7. Next, glue the nut to the cap. Then attach the other end of the cord to the first acorn's mate.

I really love the natural look of this acorn napkin tie, especially for our Thanksgiving holiday table, although they would be pretty for any dinner setting all year long.

However, you could take it a step further and paint your acorns. Paint the hat gold and leave the nut natural. Or, leave the hat alone and paint the nut in gold or other bright colors like I did for this mini Christmas tree last year.

And, if you want to be especially generous you could give them as a favor to your guests after the party is over.