Organizing My Linen Collection

It wasn’t until I wrote the title of this blog post that I realized I had a linen “collection.” Actually, I think I have a linen hoarding problem.

I realized I had a linen collection when I took all my linens from our butler’s pantry and counted over 200 cloth cocktail napkins. That is pretty ridiculous. I think that these linens were secretly multiplying behind my back. I certainly couldn’t ever have bought this many … right?

Table linens are an essential element of any dining experience, adding a touch of elegance and sophistication to gatherings with family and friends. However, organizing your collection of tablecloths, napkins, and placemats can often be daunting, leading to frustration and clutter.

One of my goals this year has been to get organized. Get rid of the clutter to get rid of the stress. So I started organizing our butler’s pantry, which meant I had to remove every cloth napkin, placemat, and tablecloth first.

Don’t get me wrong. My linens were pretty organized. They were just packed in the drawers so full they barely opened. And there were so many napkins in the drawers I could never find matching ones.

Assessing Your Collection

The first step in organizing your table linens is to take stock of your collection. Gather all of your tablecloths, napkins, placemats, and table runners in one place and assess their condition and usability. Note any stained, torn, or no longer in use, and set them aside for donation or repurposing.

As you can see, I emptied all the drawers in our butler’s pantry and moved them to the dining room table.

Sorting and Categorizing

Once you’ve assessed your collection, it’s time to sort and categorize your table linens. Consider organizing them by type (e.g., tablecloths, napkins, placemats), size, color, or occasion (e.g., everyday use, formal dinners, holidays). Use bins, baskets, or dividers to keep similar items together and make it easier to find what you need when setting the table.

Creating Dedicated Storage Space

To keep your table linens organized and easily accessible, designate a dedicated storage space in your home. This could be a linen closet, a cabinet or drawer in the dining room, or a designated shelf in the kitchen pantry. Consider the size and quantity of your table linens when choosing a space that is easily accessible and large enough to accommodate your collection.

I like having all of our napkins in the drawers in our pantry. They are so easy to access.

Utilizing Storage Solutions

Once you’ve designated a storage space for your table linens, consider investing in storage solutions to keep them tidy and organized. Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Shelving Units: Install shelving units in your linen closet or pantry to create vertical storage space for your table linens. Use baskets or bins to corral smaller items and keep them organized.
2. Drawer Organizers: Use drawer organizers to keep napkins, placemats, and table runners neatly folded and sorted by size or color. This makes it easy to find what you need when setting the table.
3. Hanging Storage: To prevent wrinkles and creases, hang tablecloths and runners on sturdy hangers. You can also use hanging organizers with pockets or compartments to store napkins and placemats.
4. Rolling Carts: Consider using a rolling cart with shelves or drawers to store your table linens. This allows you to easily move the cart to different areas of the home when setting the table for meals or gatherings.

I considered using drawer organizers but opted to tie the napkins together instead.

I may sometimes use affiliate links on this blog, which means a small commission is earned if you purchase via the link. The price will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link.

Sorting the Cocktail Napkins

Seriously, who has eight different sets of sage green cloth napkins? Anyone other than me, that is?

For a few years, I have been occasionally buying cocktail napkins. I always thought serving a glass of wine or a cocktail with a cloth napkin would be way cooler. Right?

It’s a good thing I now own over 200 cloth cocktail napkins.

Or maybe it’s sad!

I think these vintage rooster cocktail napkins are my favorite.

How I Organized My Linens

After I had organized everything, I sorted it by pile. First were the matching linen piles. Then there was the throwaway pile, which consisted of old napkins, torn napkins, and random single napkins.

Then, I had a pile of stained napkins. Those were soaked in hot water and Oxyclean for two days. They all look great now. If you don’t use Oxyclean for your vintage linens, you need to get some because it’s the best stuff to get rid of old stains.

Next, I ordered some 1/4″ plain white cotton seam tape from Amazon and tied all the matching napkins in bundles. This will help keep the napkins sorted and make it easy for me to select napkins when needed.

The last step involved returning all the linens to the butler’s pantry drawers.

It was necessary to lay them on their sides because some piles were tall, but I am pleased with my new organization.

I put all of my tablecloths in the second row of drawers.

Now that I can find everything, I am confident I will use these cloth napkins and tablecloths more often. They are so organized and easy to find.

In the future, I need to use cloth napkins and tablecloths for casual dinners, even when serving dinner tacos!

Gorgeous Decor for your Spring Kitchen!

You can pin the image below to your Entertaining, Collecting, or tablescape boards on Pinterest (click the Pin button in the top left corner). You can also follow along with me on Pinterest!

For more real-time updates, follow me on Instagram @My100YearOldHome