Napkin Holder
Napkin Holder

TIME REQUIRED: full day (time needed for cutting,building, and assembling project; does not includedrying time of glue or finish)

Useful as well as good-looking, our napkin holder is crafted from solid oak. Both master craftsman and apprentice will be challenged by this project. Working with hardwoods is slightly more demanding than working with pine because all fasteners require pilot holes. Both you and your apprentice should complete another project before attempting this napkin holder.

The holder is made from scrap pieces of oak that can be purchased from your local lumberyard. If they don't have the 1/2 inch thick stock called for to make the ends, substitute the 3/4 inch thick stock used for the base. The screw holes are filled with oak plugs; if you can't find them, buy more of the 3/8 inch dowel stock used for the napkin weight, and cut your own plugs.

Begin construction by cutting the base (A) and ends (B) to size, following the Cutting List. Sand the sides of the ends smooth, and round the edges slightly. Sand the base, but don't sand the ends where they will be glued.

Next, lay out the screw holes in the ends. Locate the center of these 3/8 inch holes 3/8 inches
from the bottom edge and 3/4 inches from the sides. Use a combination square to draw a line across the ends 3/8 inches from the bottom, then make a mark along this line 3/4 inches in from the side. Lay out the other ends in the same way.

Two holes are drilled through these points. First, drill a 3/8 inch hole 1/4 inch deep through your
layout marks in all the end pieces. Then drill a 3/16 inch hole in the center of the larger hole completely through the ends. The larger hole holds the wood plug that conceals the screw head; the smaller hole is for the screw.

Put the ends in position aligned with the bottom edge and outside corner of the base (A). Hold it in place while one partner marks the pilot-hole location on the end of the base by making pencil marks through the holes in the ends. (B).

To ensure accuracy, make small starting holes for your drill by putting the point of a nail set over your pencil marks and giving it a blow with a hammer. Then
drill 1/8 inch deep pilot holes through these points.

Spread glue on the ends that will be attached to the base, and put a small amount of soap on the screws to help ease them into the hard oak. Place the ends in position, and insert and tighten the number 6 by 1 inch flat headed wood screw. When the ends are in place, put a small amount of glue on the 3/8 inch oak plugs, and insert them in all the screw holes. After the glue has dried, cut the plugs off close to the side.

Drill a 3/8 inch hole 3/4 inches from the ends of the napkin bar (C) in the 3/4 inch side. Drill another hole in the opposite end, and insert a 2 inch section of doweling into each of these holes.

Give your napkin holder a thorough sanding with number 120 sandpaper. Use sandpaper wrapped around a block of wood to sand plug stubs flush with the end.

We gave our napkin holder a coat of golden oak stain to highlight the grain. After the stain dried, we applied several coats of paste wax to protect the finish.

Click here for the full sized building diagram:

Click here for diagram






Shopping List
Materials Quantity
1x8 oak2'
1/2" X 3" oak2'
3/8" hardwood dowel1'
3/8" oak plugs12
Flat headed, #6 1" wood screws12
carpenter's wood gluesmall bottle
number 120 sandpaper2 sheets
paint, stain or finish1 pint
bar soapsliver
Cutting List
Part/Name Quantity Size Material
A/Base1 3/4" X 7" X 7"oak
B/End4 1/2" X 3" X 5 1/2"oak
C /Bar1 3/4" X 1" X 9 1/2"oak
D/Dowel2 3/8" dia. X 2"dowel


Build It Together by Gene and Katie Hamilton (Stackpole Books)
copyright HouseNet, Inc 1996









Back to Home Improvement Preview Lawn And Garden Preview Home Decorating Shopping Center