How to Set a Christmas Table With Gold Elk Napkin Rings

Set a Christmas dinner table with gold elk napkin rings: layout ideas, folds, pairings and how many to buy. Free delivery.

By MyBitzz editors 11 October 2026 5 min read

How to Set a Christmas Table With Gold Elk Napkin Rings

Gold elk napkin rings dress a Christmas dinner table in about a minute per place: fold a napkin, slide it through, set it on the plate. The metal elk catches candlelight, and it gives each seat something to look at before the food arrives. This guide walks through how to lay the table, which folds suit a ring, and what to put around it so the elks stand out.

What you are working with

These napkin rings are made of metal, in a gold finish, with an elk as the motif. The listing gives the packed weight as 144 g and the packed box as 200 x 200 x 20 mm. That is a flat box, so it slides into a drawer with your table linen and comes out each December without taking up a shelf.

Detail	What it tells you
Material	Metal, so it holds its shape and has a little weight on the napkin
Finish	Gold, which suits candles, glass and dark green or deep red linen
Packed size	200 x 200 x 20 mm, flat enough to store with the tablecloth
Packed weight	144 g

Count the places at your table before you buy, and add a spare or two for a late addition. Check the listing for how many rings come in each pack so the sums work out.

Start with the napkin, not the ring

A napkin ring only looks good when the napkin underneath it is crisp. Iron or press the napkins first, then pick a fold. Three work well with a ring.

A hand with the list Gift finder Who it's for, what you want to spend, and the occasion. Three taps.

The simple roll. Fold the napkin in half, then in half again lengthways, roll it loosely and slide the ring around the middle. Good for a long table with many places.
The fan. Pleat the napkin like a concertina, pinch the centre and push it through the ring so both ends spread out. It reads as more formal and shows off the elk at the pinch point.
The pocket. Fold the napkin into a long rectangle, thread it through the ring off-centre and tuck a sprig of greenery or a place card into the fold.

Cotton and linen hold folds better than thin paper. If you use paper napkins, fold them tighter and let the ring do the holding.

Colours that make gold look richer

Gold on white can look flat. Gold against a colour looks warmer. Here are combinations that work on a Christmas table:

Deep green napkins. The classic pairing. The elk stands out and the table looks traditional.
Burgundy or dark red. Rich and warm, and it hides the odd splash of gravy better than white does.
Navy. A cooler, more modern look. Add white plates and a few gold candlesticks.
Cream or ivory. A softer table where the gold is the only bright note.

If your plates are patterned, keep the napkins plain. If your plates are plain, a patterned napkin gives the ring a busier backdrop and it can get lost.

Where the ring sits

There are three common spots, and each changes the feel of the table.

On the plate

The napkin sits in the centre of the dinner plate, ring in place. It is the tidiest option and the easiest for photographs. It works best when you are serving from the kitchen and plates go out empty.

To the left of the forks

The traditional spot. Lay the napkin flat or rolled at the left of the place setting. This leaves the plate clear for a starter, and the ring is still easy to see from across the table.

On a side plate or bowl

If you are using a bread plate, set the napkin on it. This puts the elk higher than the cutlery, which helps it show up on a crowded table.

What to put around the elks

Napkin rings do most of their work as part of a group. A few things that sit well beside gold elk:

Tapered candles in a gold or clear holder. The flame gives the metal something to reflect.
A runner in a natural fabric such as linen or hessian, with greenery laid along the centre.
Pine cones, rosemary or fir sprigs tucked between place settings. The elk motif sits naturally with woodland touches.
Simple glassware. Clear glasses keep the colour in the napkins and rings.

Keep the centre of the table low enough that people can see each other across it. A single row of candles and greenery does more than a tall arrangement.

Keeping the table to one idea

The elk is the theme, so let it lead. If you have reindeer on the tree, antler-shaped decorations and a stag print tablecloth, the table starts to compete with itself. Pick one animal and let everything else support it: neutral linen, plain plates, natural greenery. A table with one clear idea looks planned, and that is more impressive than one with ten.

Using them beyond Christmas Day

The title lists Thanksgiving, Easter and weddings as uses, and a gold elk is a neutral enough shape to travel. A few ideas:

Boxing Day lunch or a New Year supper. The table is already half set. Swap the napkin colour and keep the rings.
Autumn dinners. An elk reads as seasonal without being Christmas-specific, so it sits well with rust and mustard napkins.
A winter wedding or anniversary table. Gold on white or ivory suits both.

Wipe the rings with a soft dry cloth before they go back in the box. Metal picks up fingerprints, and a quick polish means they come out clean next year.

As a gift

Napkin rings suit a particular kind of recipient: the person who hosts. Think of a parent, a grandparent, a friend with a dining table that gets used for every celebration, or a couple setting up their first Christmas in a new home. It is a small gift that gets used every year, and it does not add to clutter because it lives in a drawer. Wrap the flat box with a napkin in a colour you know they use, and the gift is ready to use on the day.