32+ Place Card Holder Ideas: Interesting Non-Traditional Options

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Whether it’s an intimate gathering with family and friends or a larger party, every small design detail counts for the overall experience. This includes details as small as your place card holder ideas.

The good news about planning for and designing a venue for a party is that you can always save on your buck if you get creative. So, to cover one of the important small bits of your party design details, we’ve shared 32 interesting place card holder ideas.

Check Out These Non-Traditional, Aesthetically Unique Place Card Holder Ideas

1. Use Cards

Simplest Idea

You can always use the place cards as the holders. Go for cards that twist to support themselves and place each card on the respective guest space. This idea is not only simple but, very cost-effective. If you are on an extremely tight budget, use heavier (sketchbook) plain paper to cut the cards and print the guest names using colored markers or a black fountain pen!

2. Add A Little Color To The Cards

Best For A Livelier Budget Friendly Design

You can instantly transform your dinner table into a livelier one by using colorful/color contrast cards.  The good thing about this design is you can take it a step further. It doesn’t have to be the standard unthemed blue, green, purple, pink, yellow, and orange combination.

Instead, you can go for a more characteristic, bodied theme and pair pastel or nude colors. It makes the décor more sophisticated too!

3. Go For Dollar Store Card Holders

Budget Friendly Idea

If you don’t want to spend long hours stressing over your cardholders or spend hundreds, a dollar store or similar card holder will do. The best part is you can find a wide range of design options in your local store.

A small pre-designed notebook or personalized cards from a Staples or similar store pair well with the stand for a complete budget-friendly place card holder look.

4. Minimalist Plate Card Holder

Best For Minimalists

If you want a minimalistic setup, you can take advantage of the table’s starter plates or dinner plates. Now, what will mostly impact this design setup and make it stand out is the card’s design.

The cards’ design will be the focal point of the look. So, you can go for anything from floral to patterned designs or a simple minimalistic design to complement the overall look. This is also an excellent budget-friendly option.

5. Add Flowers

Best For Budget Weddings

This idea is great for themed weddings on a budget. If you don’t want to splurge much on the décor, go for the plate place holder design but with a small twist. After placing the card on a serving or dinner plate, add a small flower of the wedding theme to complete the minimalist but elegant look.

6. Or Go For Modern Calligraphy

Best For Minimalists

Alternatively, you can use your cloth table napkins to achieve the minimalist place card holder setup. Print the names of your guest on a plain card or ringed card and place it on top or dress it around the napkin.

7. Get Creative With Wood Laying Around Your Home

Best For DIYers

If you are a home improvement or woodworking DIYer, you may have leftover wood planks lying around. Alternatively, you can use wood logs for your fireplace. The best part about this idea is you can use any type of wood, be it clean laminated wood or rustic fireplace logs.

You can always take advantage of the wood to design your own place card holders. Cut the plank into smaller 4-inch pieces and then, make a slight cut into each of the smaller pieces using a power saw. You can use these slots on the wood pieces to place your cards.

8. Use Soaps

Best For Creatives/Formulators

Now, this design is any formulator’s dream. It’s also a great way to gift your loved ones or guests with your own creative invention. Use homemade soaps (you’ve made) and stamp guest names.

For a more budget-friendly option, you can print a small paper strip printed with the guest names and stick it to each soap. Then, place each bar on the respective guest’s table space. You can also use a bar soap holder as the cardholder – after all, the soap is the card!

Also Check: 70 Mind-blowing Kitchen Wall Décor Ideas

Tip: For an even fun experience, formulate moisturizing, silky hand bar soaps your guests can use to wash off after dinner!

9. Or Use Foot Soak

Best For Bridal Or Baby Showers

Another great non-traditional place card holder idea is a foot soak bag. Simply attach your guest name cards and place the bags on the table to act as the card holders. The foot soak bags act as a 2-in-1 place card holder and gift for guests.

Tip: Don’t limit your options to foot soak alone. You can venture out with other ideas like lotions or perfume.

10. Replace Traditional Place Card Holders With Centerpiece Candles

Best for Décor

You can use candles as place card holders while they also double as the overall décor for the table setting. The candles can act as mini centerpieces for each table space. Simply attach the name cards to the candle and place them on the guest table sitting spaces.

11. Design Escort Cards for Open Sitting

Best for non-strict sitting

You don’t always have to approach the traditional place card holder setup. This particular place card holder design works great for gatherings that don’t have strict sitting. Simply place the cards and card holders on a tray and let each guest pick out their name and place it where they choose to sit.

The escort cards don’t really need a standard holder. The floral bundles attached to the card act as the holders while their slight weight helps to hold down the card and prevent it from flying away.

12. Seasonal Décor Card Holder

Best For Festive Celebrations Or Gatherings

Use festive plants, like rosemary to DIY makeshift holders for your guest place cards. Use a rosemary spring and tie each end using twine or string to create a wreath.

13. Succulent Card Holder

Best for Plant Lovers

Use Mini-succulent pots that double as guest gifts to hold place cards.

14. Artisanal Gift Place Card Holder

Great For Home Cooks Or Chefs

Go all out and share your pantry favorites with your loved ones. Use your favorite artisanal oil and vinegar pack from the farmer’s market or your DIY project as the holder for your guest place cards. When done with the gathering, your guests can keep the sample bottles as souvenirs – delicious souvenirs!

15. You Can Also Use Corks As Primary Card Holders

Best For Rustic Themed Décor

Alternatively, you can make your place card holder design simpler and use the wine cork as a base holder. Make a shallow slit that runs the length of the cork and slip in the guest name place cards.

16. Add Floral Details To The Corks

Give life to your cork by adding floral details.

17. Use Photos Instead of Cards

Replace the floral details and guest name cards with guest photos!

18. Decorative Place Card Holder

Custom-designed place card holders work pretty great too. While this is not the cheapest option, it gives you the freedom to pick a piece that goes with your décor theme.

Also Check: 30+ Quirky DIY Window Plant Shelve Ideas

Tip: Depending on the design, your guests can get to keep the decorative pieces with their names on them!

19. DIY Craft Box Card Holders

Great for DIY Crafters

If you don’t have the budget but want to stick to your décor theme, opt for DIY crafted card holders. The best part about this design is that the craft box acts as both the name place card and holder.

20. Get Inventive With Wooden Cloth Pins

Use cloth pins as make-shift place card holders. Wooden clips tend to have more weight to them compared to plastic ones. So, they offer better stability and help hold the name cards in place. All you need to do is attach each card to its pin and place it on the table.

21. Cloth Pins On Wine Glasses

You can take your cloth pin décor idea an extra step. Instead of using name cards, use the cloth pin as the name card and print your guest’s name on the sides of each pin. Then, instead of a traditional place card holder, use a wine or champagne glass as a holder by clipping the pin to the wine glass stem.

22. Get Personal Using Gift Bags

Place gift bags with individual guest name cards clipped to the name on their respective table sitting place. It’s a great way to get more personal with your guests by adding their names to the gift bags instead of the generic “Thank You”.

Tip: You can even go a step further by adding a small personal message to show your appreciation to every guest.

23. Goody Place Card Holder

This is one of the most interesting place card holder ideas. Use simple snacks like candy or cookies to hold guest cards. For this particular design, use a Ferrero candy as a base for the stand.

Next, attach the guest place card to a toothpick and insert the toothpick into the Ferrero candy, and VOILA – you have a perfectly edible place card holder.

24. Boozy Card Holder

If you have a grown ups celebration, replace the candy with booze. Use long shooter glasses as the place card holder base, cover the rim with salt, and fill it up with crisp tequila. Next, Cover the shooter opening with a half lime, make a small insertion into the top of the lime, and insert the place card.

25. Or Try A Bottle Opener Idea

This is another great idea for non-strict sitting.  Attach name cards to bottle openers and attach the openers to a stand that guests will have access to.

26. Or Cork Key Holder

Alternatively, you can use wine corks as place card holders. Use small paper slips to print your guest names. Attach the slips to a key holder ring and use a small hook inserted into the cork to hold the key holder ring.

Tip: This is a perfect DIY key holder gift guests can take home with them as a token of the celebration.

27. Glass Frame

Use a mini glass frame as a holder for your place card. You can insert a regularly printed name card or let it be part of the table setting décor and use see-through name cards.

Tip: Go for a golden metallic frame and pair it with floral and leafy centerpieces for a clean, modern “gardeny” theme.

28. Decorative Place Card Bottle Holders

Decorative bottle holders don’t require that much effort in designing them. In fact, you can purchase ready to use bottle – just pick a unique finish. For example, you can purchase clear glass bottles with golden caps. Use a fountain pen to write guest games on place cards or simply print them and insert them into the bottle.

Tip: For a wedding feel, add a small flower stem into the bottle. For a more festive season feel, add festive herb spring like rosemary.

29. Boxed Desert Card Holder

Now, who doesn’t love cake? So, what better way than to use a take away cake box (with a slice of cake inside, of course) as a 2-in-1 place card and card holder?!

30. Or A smaller Open Cup Cake Card Holder

Alternatively, get your deserts ready to eat by opting for a cup cake as a place card holder. Use thin paper slips as the name cards and glue them to toothpicks. Insert the toothpick into a cupcake and you will have your place card holders ready for placement.

31. Make Use of the Table Utensils

Go for a more elegant, clutter-free table setting and use the utensils of the place settings as holders for the place card holders.

32. Use Bigger Thank You Gift Bags

Lastly, you don’t have to keep your place card holders on the table. Instead, go a little creative with bigger guest goody bags with personalized names printed on the front of each bag. Then, drape the bags on the chairs so each guest can find their assigned seating.

FAQs

How Do You Make Stand Up Place Cards?

To make stand up cards, use heavier paper from a sketchbook, manila sheet, or stock card. Cut them into about 5 inches by 8 inches or 4 inches by 6 inches. Fold the card into two, print the guest name at the front end of the folded card, and use either end of the card to support its stand.

How Do You Make A Wire Place Card Holder?

There are plenty of ways you can use wire to make a place card holder. For example, you can use pliers to wrap a wire strip around a wine cork twice for a secure hold. The cork should act as the base for the place card holder. Next, use each of the wire’s ends to extend it straight. Glue the place card onto the straightened wire to form a complete place card holder.

How Do You Make A Wine Cork Into A Place Card Holder?

To make a simple wine cork place card holder, make a slight slit (about a quarter of an inch deep) across the length of the wine cork. Lay the opposite side on the table and insert the place card into the slot.

What Goes On A Place Card Wedding?

Print the bride and groom’s name and at the bottom or center of the cars, print the guest’s name in a  large legible font. you can also add the table number and other details like meal preference symbols, depending on the wedding arrangements.

Way Forward

When it comes to place card holder ideas, you don’t always have to take the traditional route. You can have as much creative freedom as you want. With any of the 32 non-traditional ideas for place card holders above, you can transform your gathering décor into an elevated design masterpiece!