Make These Pretty Place Cards for Thanksgiving

Make these pretty DIY place cards for Thanksgiving inspired by the beautiful linens, mini teak pumpkins, beeswax candles, and pink ceramic plates from Terrain.

I’ve made watercolor place cards several times, and the season or the flowers always inspire the colors. This time, it was the plaid linen napkins that inspired the color palette.

With just a few inexpensive supplies, it’s so easy to make these one-of-a-kind place cards that can be used on the Thanksgiving table as part of the decor or on parting gifts as tags.

They can be used in birch branch place card holders at each place setting. Or tied on the stem of the mini teak pumpkins with twine or raffia ribbon. You could add a sprig of rosemary for something fresh.

You could also tuck them into the rolled napkin or attach them to napkin holders. You could even tuck them into a pine cone for a more rustic table setting.  The ways to use them are endless.

Supplies Needed for DIY Thanksgiving Place Cards & Other Paper Crafts:

• Watercolor paints and brushes
• Watercolor paper or card stock
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Painters tape
• Marker (I love this marker with a brush tip on one end and a fine tip on the other)
• Paper cutter
• Pair of scissors (I could go on and on about how much I love this pair of scissors)
• Hole punch
• Raffia ribbon

How to Make Them

1. Start by measuring and marking the place cards on the watercolor paper. Cardstock can be used, but the result will be much better using watercolor paper. You’ll only need one sheet to make several. The common size of a place card is 2″ x 3.5″, according to Place Card Me.
2. Add a small piece of tape in the center of each place card, which will be the box for the name. Use tape that is easy to remove, like painter’s tape.
3. Mix your paints and test to make sure you like the color. Paint stripes in one direction, turn and repeat painting stripes in the other direction, creating a plaid pattern.
4. Using a thin paintbrush, paint narrow stripes in a contrasting color, turn the paper, and repeat, continuing the plaid pattern.
5. Allow to dry for a few minutes. Cut the paper using a paper cutter for best results or a sharp pair of scissors.
6. Remove the tape and write each name in the box.
7. Punch a hole and attach it to a gift or mini pumpkin (real or like this one from Terrain) as we did, or skip the hole and use it in a place card holder or on a napkin.