Abstract: A napkin is disclosed that in use may be formed into a mitten-like gripper for protecting the hand from soiling and heat while the hand firmly grips, for example, a hamburger. The napkin comprises a sheet of multi-layer absorbent material with two arcuate slits through less than all of the layers. The slits are disposed about the center of the sheet. In use, the napkin is folded in half with a slit on each of the outer sides. The user inserts his thumb in one slot and one or more fingers in the other slot. The edges of the layers may be bonded together to improve the performance of the napkin as a gripper.