Safari Napkin Rings

These safari napkin rings are so cheap and easy to make – you won’t believe it! Plus, you can make them any color you want!!

I was working on a safari-themed tablescape and really wanted to incorporate safari animals on the table. I stumbled upon a pack of eight safari animals at Dollar Tree, and knew instantly what I was going to do.

I was going to use them for DIY napkin rings!

Check out how cheap and easy it is for you to make 8 safari napkin rings and then use them on your safari table setting.

Safari Napkin Ring Supplies

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Safari animals: $1 at Dollar tree
¾” PVC coupling: $.50 ea
Ivory spray paint: $5-7
Jute twine: $4
Sandpaper and Glue
- Total: $14-16 for 8 napkin rings

Step-by-Step Instructions to make Safari Napkin Rings

Step 1: Go to your local hardware store for the PVC couplings. You can buy them individually or in a pack. The PVC couplings probably have raised numbers and letters on the ends. You will want to remove these and make the ends smooth.

Take medium grit sandpaper and sand them down until you can’t feel any raised edges.

PVC-pipe-before-and-after sanding — before and after image

Step 2: Set up your area for spray painting. Be sure and do it in a well-ventilated space and lay down newspaper or a plastic drop cloth. Cover a wider area than you think you will need, as spray paint can travel.

*Tip: put the PVC couplings on paint sticks, so they wouldn’t stick to the newspaper. I figured this out the hard way (grr).

Ready-to-spray-paint-safari-animals-and-pvc-couplings

Set up the couplings and safari animals, so you can spray them all together. Since I used a light color, the couplings needed only two coats of spray paint, but the animals needed 3-4 coats of paint. Be sure and let the paint dry in between coats.

1st-coat-of-spray-paint. — after 1st coat of spray paint

Step 3: Once the spray paint is dry, take one end of the twine and glue it to the PVC coupling.

*Tip: I glued the end of the twine at a bit of an angle, facing down. I did this so when I wound the twine around the coupling, it would hide the end and have a more finished look.

Start the twine about a ¼” from the top of the coupling and continue to wrap it around until you are a ¼” from the end of the coupling. Cut the twine and glue the end of the twine.

Step 4: After your twine is attached to the coupling, determine where you would like the safari animal to go on your napkin ring. I wanted mine centered, horizontally, but you can center it vertically if you prefer. Glue it onto the twine.

Safari-napkin-ring-final-rhino-overhead-view

Fini! Aren’t these safari napkin rings the cutest!! And SO easy and cheap to make!

~Nicole

PS: do you want to see what the napkin rings look like on a tablescape? Check out my Safari table setting and see how cute they look. Here’s a sneak peek…