The main purpose of place cards is obviously to help guests know where to sit without much confusion, but for me, I think they can do much more than that.
For one, personalizing each guest's place, can make them feel welcome, like that spot was created just for them.
If used strategically, especially when guests may not know each other, they can help also help with the guests' comfort level, socializing, and the flow of conversation.
Finally, place cards don't have to simply be a little piece of paper with a name, they can be a work of art.....an outlet for creativity. In fact, who says they even have to be made out of paper? Depending on the occasion, they can be written on a piece of fruit or a hard-boiled egg. They can also serve as party favors if attached to a little gift, maybe a small plant or little bag of candy or cookies or a Christmas ornament. Another idea is use picture frames.....you could even put a picture of the guest in it, rather than writing the names. And I could go on & on. The possibilities are endless. But I'll save that for a later post.
Since Easter is this week, I thought I'd share this super easy tidbit on how I dressed up my place cards last Easter.
(Of course, it can be used for other occasions, too!)
First, using my computer, I found a fun font that I liked & typed each guest's name in brown, allowing a little space in between & on either side of each name. Then I printed it on cream-colored cardstock.
Then, using a brown ink pad & a rubber stamp (from Hobby Lobby), I stamped the little bird's nest by each name.
Using a paper cutter, I cut each place card to the desired size, leaving a little room on the left to punch a hole.
Using the same brown ink pad, I simply rubbed it here & there along the edges to give it a worn, distressed look.
I used colored chalk to color the eggs, & then simply tied some green ribbon through the hole.
And voila! In about 10 minutes, I had completely dressed up the place cards!
As you can see in the above photos, at one table, I chose to place them in a goblet filled with faux eggs.
At the other table, I left off the ribbon, & simply tucked them into some raffia tied around the napkin.
Now that you've seen a little sneak peek of my upcoming tablescape(s), check back on Thursday to see the whole thing!
{I'll be linking to The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.}
