Claverie Cruising: Christmas Dinner Prep: Place Card Holders

Christmas is one of the special times of year when we break out the "good dishes", cloth embroidered napkins and silverware actually made from silver. I love setting a really fancy table for dinner parties and there is no shortage of ideas on the internet to made your Christmas feast fabulously fashionable. Now is the time to plan out your spread and table settings, especially if you plan on making special items.

Even if your dinner is low-profile, it's fun adding little last-minute tidbits for some flair. I made these leaf place cards in about 3 1/2 minutes.

Supplies: leaves + Sharpie = the end!

Instructions: gather leaves from outside, write names. Done!

Here are some other place card holder ideas that I just LOVE. Many of these you can make yourself!

Caroling Snowmen place card holders will serenade your guests with delight! 2 Styrofoam balls with some pins and ribbon and you're practically done!

styrofoam balls + pins + ribbon

Instructions: glue 2 styrofoam balls together, wrap ribbon around head and pin in place. Decorate face. Pin name cards in place. Done!

Martha Stewart has several great ideas, like this Tree place card holder. Quick, easy, free.

greenery sprigs + branches + name stars

Instructions: saw narrow branches into rounds for the base. Drill holes through rounds. Insert and glue greenery sprigs. Glue name stars to top. Done!

I'm not gonna lie, these Pop-Up place card holders might be reserved for the more talented crafter - with a lot of time on their hands! But take on the challenge and your guests will gush about your creativity.

Super-easy Ornament Place Card Holders

Ornament + wire + name card

Instructions: glue the name card to the ornament wire. Done.

Curl the ornament hook to make a place to slip in the name card. Done.

(photo from Beau Coup)

Cookie place cards. Yum!

Cookie + Icing + Name Card

Instructions: bake or buy cookies, decorate, then place on dinner plates and tuck name card under a corner.

Use the icing to write guests' names right on the cookie. Done!

(photo from Country Living)

paper plate + pen

Instructions: cut out Angel Place Cards according to instructions and template from Martha Stewart. Write guests' names. Done!

Pottery Barn offers these adorable silver-finished reindeer place card holders and they're on sale right now!

Not ready to spend your party budget on silver place card holders? Make them from acorns for FREE! :)

acorns + twigs + name cards

Instructions: glue twigs to acorns and shape like photo. Glue name cards to reindeer. Done!

Twig place card holders from Kindling.

wood limbs + name cards

Instructions: using a saw (electric or handheld) cut small wood limbs to 2"-3" lengths, all the same or vary for interest. Then cut a slit in one end about 1/4" deep. Insert name cards. Done!

I'm loving smooth river rocks for all sorts of projects lately - they're just so soothing to me. Little Things Favors brings us these river rock place card holders.

river rocks + tile cutter + name cards

Instructions: wearing safety goggles and gloves, use the tile cutter to slice a groove deep enough into the river rocks to hold a name card. Insert name cards. Done!

Having lived on an island twice now, I can't help but include these seashells in the mix. They may not scream "holidays" but not everyone lives in snow-filled winter wonderlands and these seashell place card holders from Beau Coup just might be the right touch to your Christmas Luau. :)

seashells + tile cutter + name cards

Instructions: similar to river rock place cards, don your safety gear and cut small slits into various seashells either found on the beach or purchased from a craft store. Insert name cards. Done!