Name Game

The holidays are coming, and many of us will entertain at home during the next few months. Place cards can be a fun addition to the table - letting people know where they should sit and encouraging conversation among like-minded guests. Place card holders can even double as creative party favors . . .


"For a less formal place setting, use wood Florentine trays as chargers underneath gold Wedgwood dinner plates and vintage glass dessert plates."
Fabric pouches: by Becky Vizard.
Hostess: Melissa Rufty, MMR Interiors.
Photography by Laurey W. Glenn.


"Purchase a wide-nib calligraphy pen for printing guests’ names on place cards. Or print them from your computer using a fancy font."
Photography by Charles Walton IV.
Styling by Rose Nguyen.


"Place cards take the guesswork out of where to sit. Split up couples, and place people with something in common near each other. Writing names in your own handwriting makes it personal."
Photography by Jennifer Davick.
"Table Setting Tips" by Atlanta hostess Danielle Rollins.

"A graphic white dinner plate looks just right paired with embellished heirloom silver. The menu card is actually fabric. Maria cut pieces of thin linen and ran them through an inkjet printer for menu cards. Do this a day or more ahead of time to allow the ink to dry properly."
Tablescape by Maria Cooke of Ritzy Bee Events in Washington, D.C.
Photography by Jennifer Davick.


"Maria chose a letterpress cutlery motif as her theme. For the place cards, she simply folded over the card stock and wrote each guest’s name in an elegant hand."
Tablescape by Maria Cooke of Ritzy Bee Events in Washington, D.C.
Photography by Jennifer Davick.

"Traditional toile in bright orange and hot pink is an unusual colour combo for the holidays.
A brushed-gold charger dresses up simple white dinnerware, and a luxe patterned salad plate introduces blue to cool off the warm colour scheme. The enamel butterfly napkin ring and handwritten placecard (shaped like a gift tag) keeps the look fun and whimsical while staying formal."
Tablecloth fabric: Manuel Canovas Bengale in Paprika.
Designer: Anne Hepfer.
Photography by Donna Griffith.
Canadian House and Home (December 2010).

"A neutral backdrop of white linens and dishes puts the focus on punches of orange and green."
Photography by Laurey W. Glenn.

"Welcome guests to the table with custom place settings. Use acrylic paint or brightly colored paint pens to inscribe each friend's name on a petite white pumpkin. Set each pumpkin beneath a rustic orange napkin and position it inside a small soup bowl. Garnish this debonair dish with a neat fall leaf."
"Easy Decorating with Pumpkins" by Courtney Wilson.

"Balance a whitewashed table with graphic hits of black and navy, such as black candles and leather chairs, slate-gray woven place mats, and navy-rimmed dinner plates."
Hostess: Christy Ford of And George and The Scout Guide.
Photography by Laurey W. Glenn.

"Place cards are tucked in an array of silver saltcellars filled with moss, turquoise stones, and butterflies for personalized, individual versions of the centerpiece."
Hostess: Christy Ford of And George and The Scout Guide.
Photography by Laurey W. Glenn.


"Write the name of each guest on a leaf place card attached to a little felted acorn that doubles as a fun party favor. Scatter loose felted acorns—or real ones—up and down the table to play up the natural theme."
Photography by Jennifer Davick.

"Provide a bit of whimsy to your gathering with a cute little critter. Pewter place card holders paired with letterpress cards pay homage to the humble squirrel."
Event design by Todd Fiscus.
Photography by Jennifer Davick.

"The rustic good looks of natural birch add woodsy charm to the fall table. Cross-section of pure wood is slotted to hold placecards or food markers. Sizes will vary in width and height as a natural characteristic of randomly cut pieces of natural wood."
"Stump Placecard Holder" offered by Crate and Barrel.
Photo and text via Crate and Barrel website.

A vintage toasting bell holds a place card.
Photography by Laurey W. Glenn.

"Incorporate family pieces into your setting for a sentimental mix. James tops a contemporary blue-and-white toile pattern with Mimi's vintage transferware turkey plates and then adds a mismatched setting of his aunt's silver and new mother-of-pearl flatware.
Bundle several thin twigs, such as curly willow, hypericum berries, and a sprig of seeded eucalyptus. Wrap everything with twine, and add a handwritten tag."
Designer: James Farmer.
Photography by Hector Sanchez.

"Give humble materials a high-end treatment. Here, a kraft paper place mat anchors each setting, while extra-large grain-sack napkins and a simple burlap runner complete the elegant yet rustic look."
Photography by Erica George Dines.

"Place a tiny evergreen seedling at each seat to serve as both a placecard and a thank-you gift for guests. Bundled in black burlap and tied with twine, the offering is a gesture that's both eco- and economically-friendly."
Designer: Stacey Smithers.
Photography by Michael Graydon.
Canadian House and Home (November 2008).

"Filled with tiny trees and snow, the scene within these bottles seems almost touchable. They’re perfect for a woodland tree, or as a textural contrast to glass ornaments and tinsel."
"Snowy Tree Cloche Placecard Holder, Set of 4" offered by Pottery Barn.
Photo and text via Pottery Barn website.

"Attaching names to baubles and putting them in bowls rather than standing them upright is a quirky way to do place settings. Layer mismatched crockery - it looks sweeter than using a matching set."

"This holiday hostess enlisted her childhood collection of Steinbach nutcrackers to hold gold-scripted place cards that match the menu cards. A gold foil holly sprig adorns both."
Photography by Erica George Dines.

"The one-of-a-kind placecard holders are made from gold-leaf 18th-century Italian fragments mounted on fossils and rock crystal." 
Interior design by Lisa Luby Ryan. 
Photography by Werner Straube.
"Christmas Present" written by Candace Ord Manroe. 

"Why we love this idea: Because it’s so simple; the runner was made from wide velvet damask ribbon embellished with a tassel for a finished look. Placemats are from Kravet’s 'Geller' silk dupioni fabric. The 'place cards' are actually pears spray-painted gold and inscribed with a marker. They echo the look of the table’s pear-shape salt and pepper shakers by Michael Aram."
Photography by Peter Krumhardt.
"Beautiful Holiday Table Settings" produced by Krissa Rossbund.

"Metallic Place Setting. Why we love this idea: Because the place settings glow with color, shimmer, and texture: blue and green salad plates with gold accents, gold dinner plates with a textural scale motif, and shimmery textures that include corduroy-like placemats on top of a basket-weave tablecloth."
Event Planner: Rachel Hollis.
Photographers: Peter Krumhardt and Colleen Duffley.
"Beautiful Holiday Table Settings" produced by Krissa Rossbund.


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