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Hardwood Napkin Holder[4/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 5 napkin holders
Shop Black Walnut 4/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak (QS)
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
A simple, sturdy napkin holder for the table or the counter: a solid base and two curved uprights with a 2½" slot between them. Every board makes one complete holder, so a 2ft pack gives you five — one for the kitchen and four ready-made gifts.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bases | 5 | Every board, 1 each | 7" × 4" × ¾" | 7" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Uprights | 10 | Every board, 2 each | 6" × 4" × ¾" | 6" × 3½" × ⅞" |
Uprights to base: end grain, so two ¼" dowels each (glue in the dowel holes) plus one #8 screw up from below.
Slot: uprights stand 2½" apart, centred on the base.
Tops: optional curve, 1" lower at the corners than the centre.
Finished size: Each holder, S4S: 7" L × 4" W × 6¾" H · S2S: 7" × 3½" × 6⅞". Holds a stack of standard folded paper napkins up to about 2¼" thick.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 20 × ¼" × 1¼" fluted dowel pins and a ¼" dowel-centre set
- 10 × #8 flat-head screws: 1¾" (S4S) or 2" (S2S)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly
- 20 self-stick felt pads
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Jigsaw or bandsaw (for the curved tops)
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits, ¼" brad-point bit with a depth stop
- 2–4 bar clamps, 12" or longer
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first, and finish ⅞" thick instead of ¾". No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 23½"/47½" long with ¼" to square an end, 4" wide, ¾" thick · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean), ⅞" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 One board, one holder. Clamp a stop block and cut each board into a base at 7" and two uprights at 6". Square ends matter here — the uprights stand on them.
- 2 Shape the tops. Tape each pair of uprights together. Mark the corners 1" down from the top and bend a thin strip through the marks and the top centre. Cut the curve with a jigsaw or bandsaw and sand both at once so they match. Prefer square tops? Skip this step.
- 3 Mark the base. Draw lines across the top of each base 1½" and 2¼" in from each end. The uprights sit between each pair of lines, leaving a 2½" slot in the middle.
- 4 Drill for dowels. In the bottom end of each upright, drill two ¼" holes ¾" deep, 1" in from each edge. Push dowel centres into the holes, stand the upright on its lines and tap it to mark the base. Drill the base holes ½" deep — not through.
- 5 Drill for screws. From underneath, drill and countersink one pilot hole through the base, centred under each upright. Hold the upright in place and drill the pilot on into its end.
- 6 Assemble. Put glue in the dowel holes only, tap in 1¼" × ¼" dowels, and set the uprights on the base. Drive a #8 × 1¾" screw up through the base into each one. Check they stand square and parallel.
- 7 Sand. Sand 120 → 180 → 220 and round every edge so napkins slide in without catching.
- 8 Finish. Wipe on 2–3 coats of oil or hardwax oil. Stick 4 felt pads under each base. They also cover the screw heads.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish ⅞" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 One board, one holder. Clamp a stop block and cut each board into a base at 7" and two uprights at 6". Square ends matter here — the uprights stand on them.
- 3 Shape the tops. Tape each pair of uprights together. Mark the corners 1" down from the top and bend a thin strip through the marks and the top centre. Cut the curve with a jigsaw or bandsaw and sand both at once so they match. Prefer square tops? Skip this step.
- 4 Mark the base. Draw lines across the top of each base 1⅜" and 2¼" in from each end. The uprights sit between each pair of lines, leaving a 2½" slot in the middle.
- 5 Drill for dowels. In the bottom end of each upright, drill two ¼" holes ¾" deep, 1" in from each edge. Push dowel centres into the holes, stand the upright on its lines and tap it to mark the base. Drill the base holes ½" deep — not through.
- 6 Drill for screws. From underneath, drill and countersink one pilot hole through the base, centred under each upright. Hold the upright in place and drill the pilot on into its end.
- 7 Assemble. Put glue in the dowel holes only, tap in 1¼" × ¼" dowels, and set the uprights on the base. Drive a #8 × 2" screw up through the base into each one. Check they stand square and parallel.
- 8 Sand. Sand 120 → 180 → 220 and round every edge so napkins slide in without catching.
- 9 Finish. Wipe on 2–3 coats of oil or hardwax oil. Stick 4 felt pads under each base. They also cover the screw heads.
Why dowels and a screw? The uprights meet the base on their end grain, and glue alone won't hold end grain. The dowels keep each upright from twisting, and the screw pulls it down tight. Glue goes only in the dowel holes.
Why a stop block? Ten uprights have to be the same height, and both uprights of each holder must stand square. A stop block makes every cut match without measuring.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Finger notch: instead of a curve, cut a 1½" wide, 1" deep U-notch in the top centre of each upright.
- Mix species: walnut uprights on a maple base — swap parts between boards before you assemble.
- Mail sorter: widen the slot to 3" and it holds letters and bills on a desk.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Cut the curves with the upright clamped or taped to its partner. Keep fingers clear of the blade on small parts.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
Standard folded paper napkins (about 6½" square) and folded cloth napkins. The slot is 2½" wide, so it holds a full pack.
Not really. One screw into end grain lets the upright twist loose over time. The two dowels are what keep it square.
Yes, with sanding, gluing the dowels and finishing. Keep the sawing and drilling for an adult.
Planned offcuts only: about 4" at the end of each board, plus the curve scraps. All 5 boards go into the holders.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes ten holders: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice.
