Nice cloth napkins are a quick way to make any meal seem a little fancier — and they also come in handy on New Year’s Eve for trapping champagne corks so they don’t fly off and injure anyone.

The latter task’s what I last used my Ecolution Hemp Napkins** for. I got a pair of these eco-friendly napkins at Whole Foods Lifestyle a few years ago, and despite the many messes they’ve prevented and cleaned up since that time, they’ve happily retained their original color and linen-like texture without accruing any stains.

Hemp, by the way, is a very eco-friendly material. As Umbra points out in Grist:** “Hemp can be grown with very few pesticides and herbicides, partly because the height and density of the plant creates too much shade for weeds to thrive. In that way, it is a clear choice over conventional cotton, which could win awards for the volume of pesticides and herbicides typically doused on it.”

Want a pair of hemp napkins for yourself? Buy Green** and Nubius Organics** both have them for sale. If hemp’s too hippie for you, here are a couple other eco-friendly options you might like:

Upcycled napkins** from picnicbasketcrafts. Made from a recycled soft cotton tablecloth, these napkins are handmade by a mom in Littleton, Colo., who wants to get everyone off of paper towels and napkins. People with kids may especially like these napkins, since they’re specifically made for cleaning up messes. Says picnicbasketcrafts: “You can feel good about yucking these things up. They’ll wash, and they’ll get clean, and you’ll keep using them, no matter how ‘used’ they get.” The set of 6 only costs $6 at Etsy.

Organic cotton napkins** at BTC Elements. Made in the U.S. by Fiberactive Quilts, these napkins come in 7 different rich colors — created with low impact dyes. The owner of Fiberactive Quilts, Julie Mullin, wants to promote environmentally-friendly textiles while also bringing textile workers back to North Carolina, where she lives and works. A set of 4 costs $37.

Nixing paper napkins and towels will not only help the environment but also save you money over the long run, since you’ll no longer have to keep buying those paper products. If you’re trying to cut costs during this economic downturn, getting nice napkins is one way to do it painlessly and stylishly.

Top photo by Siel; other photos by picnicbasketcrafts and BTC Elements

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