For a casual table setting, and particularly for outdoor settings, it's nice to have an alternative to napkin rings.
A while back I spotted some leather ties at San Francisco's Bar Bambino and decided to recreate them at home. I sourced some leather laces, doubled them, knotted the ends together, and voilà—an instant napkin ring.
Above: A dark navy napkin is secured with leather at Bar Bambino. Photo by Eden Hensley Silverstein, via Flickr.
Above: The leather napkin tie keeps an oversize linen napkin in check.
Above: Check your local leather supplier for remnants; a fabric store also should carry leather lacing. Amazon offers 20-yard spools of Tandy Rawhide Lace for $21.99.
N.B.: This post is an update; the original ran on November 9, 2011.