Reviewed by Eric Rose

Wait! This isn’t a trick! This is some kind of goofy origami thing! Why is it being reviewed in by a magic reviewer?!?

Because it has impact. I, too, discounted the concept of napkin roses until I learned to make them a few years ago. Here’s the true story of how I stopped worrying and learned to love the napkin rose. I was in Irma’s Room at the Magic Castle. A friend of mine introduced me to a lady he’d known for years and we struck up a conversation between the three of us. During the conversation she picked up a cocktail napkin and absentmindedly twisted it into a rose. I noticed, but did not particularly take interest. Then she did something that caught my attention. She turned to a woman standing in the room and gave her the rose. The woman looked at it and her face absolutely lit up! She was thrilled to receive the rose and she gingerly placed it into her handbag. At the end of Irma’s song, the woman turned to the lady and said goodbye to her as the woman and her date left the room. With one stinking napkin, the lady had made a connection with the woman and really impacted her. I was sold. I learned to make the roses there that night and the lady and I spent the next half hour repeating our little psychological play with strangers. Every woman who received a rose was thrilled and took it with them when they left the room. What a testimony!

Well, that introduction convinced me that napkin roses have a magic all their own. That’s why I was so pleased when Michael Mode introduced his new napkins that are custom printed for making napkin roses. The napkins are solid green with a 2” band of deep red at one edge. The napkins are perfect for making the flowers. The paper is high quality and holds the twists beautifully. Mr. Mode also has a DVD available that teaches you how to make the rose as well as different tricks to do with them. I haven’t seen the DVD, but on his website he also has free photo-illustrated directions on how to twist the basic rose. The roses are lightweight (especially if you separate the plies and discard the white inner ply as shown on the website) and lend themselves to invisible thread animations. I don’t know that I’ll ever do a magic trick with these, though, because the look on a person’s face when I just make and give them the rose is good enough for me.

I love giving these things away. Granted, it’s got an extra benefit for me since my last name is Rose, but these are great for anyone who wants to look classy. Easy to do and these silly little napkins will make them remember you. Highly recommended.