Not-So-Commonplace Place Cards

A great way to make guests feel welcome at Thanksgiving is with custom place cards that designate their special seat. And let’s be honest, it’s also the solution for keeping Aunt Molly away from Aunt Sue (who she can’t stand) and Uncle Chester (who sprays his food) away from you. But sorry, we digress…. Here are some fun ideas for place cards that will not only keep the peace but also deliver some family fun prior to the big feast.

Clean up the yard. Send the kids out to gather some big, colorful leaves that aren’t too dried out. Wipe the leaves off with a damp cloth, then press them under a big book to dry. For a more professional touch, spray the leaves with a sealant such as acrylic craft spray. Then write guest names with a felt-tip marker (try gold).

Use pumpkins and gourds. The miniature kinds are very cute and decorative. Buy a bunch and write a name on each with a marker.

Make some pinecone turkeys. Collect small pinecones to serve as the birds’ bodies. Bend colorful pipe cleaners into feathers and heads, then glue them onto the cone. Or for more style, use pieces of corn husks and vines. Hang a little place card around the turkey’s neck.

Scour the photo album. Find an interesting photo of each of the people at your table. Put it in a simple frame that they can take home as a keepsake or just lay it on their plate. (Use baby photos to make it interesting.)

Fill up a glass. Pull out all your small, clear glassware—bud vases, shot glasses, etc. Fill them with dried corn, candy corn, pomegranate seeds, colorful beans, or a mix. Stick in a wheat shaft or tiny branch of dried berries and rest a simple white place card against the glass.

Give ’em even more to eat.  Make pumpkin cupcakes with their names in vanilla icing. Or supply som e chocolate lollipops (in a Thanksgiving Day theme, of course) with their names written on the ribbon. Or for a Martha Stewart touch, buy some apples or pears and hang a single leaf-shaped piece of cardboard bearing their name off the stem.

Update the traditional. Of course, you can always just go with pretty card stock. And the Internet is full of free templates for Thanksgiving place cards. All you have to do is pick your favorite design, print them out on suitable paper, add your guests’ names, and fold. Google “Thanksgiving place card templates.” But to add a little something extra, write a true-or-false Thanksgiving quiz question inside each place card. Or use fun family facts. The spirit at your dinner table will be festive in no time.