Place cards are great decorative additions to parties, providing a personalized touch to the occasion. This season, impress your guests with this classy home-made place card idea inspired by The Frugal Crafter.

Image courtesy of Pixomar | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Items you need:

Card stock
Decorative ink stamps
Scoring board and scoring knife
Ruler
Scissors
Decorative punchers

Step One:

Select card stock in a color that goes well with your table décor. For an autumn-inspired table setting, you may want to choose pastel shades of orange, yellow, or red. A winter-themed dining table is best complemented by shades of off-white. Stick to paler shades as they highlight the decorative details of the card. Cut the card stock into 4×4 inch squares, or larger depending on your table arrangement. Score them down the middle to make folding easier later on.

Step Two:

Now, it’s time to decorate with the help of season-inspired ink stamps and decorative hole-punchers which you can purchase at your local craft store. Create a beautiful decorative pattern near the scored line using your favorite ink stamps. Keep the pattern straight, clean, and uncluttered. After all, the key to creating an elegant design is delicate simplicity.

Photo from okalkavan via flickr. CC BY-SA 2.0

Step Three:

With a calligraphy font on your computer, print out all the names of your guests and cut them out to fit the front of your card. Another alternative is to stamp the letters with a calligraphy stamp set. Although this may be time-consuming, it will allow you to adjust the spaces between the letters to suit the card stock. If you have excellent penmanship, you can always elect to hand-write the names.

Step Four:

Once the names are in place, incorporate decorative details into your design with decorative hole-punchers. Layering a couple of these punch designs along the two bottom corners of the card creates an elegant customized look suitable for any gathering. Once you are satisfied with the design, fold the card in half. You now have an elegant home-made place card to adorn your dining table.

DIY place cards can be incorporated into a variety of occasions. Simply alter the stamps and decorative details according to your party’s theme and your personal taste, and you will be able to add a sweet, personalized touch to each of your events.