Thanksgiving Place Cards for Every Style

Anchor each setting with a pear. It's a nice way to introduce green, a color not generally associated with fall, to the palette. For those who prefer more traditional autumn hues, consider other seasonal produce. "If pears don't mesh with your decor or color scheme, try pumpkins, gourds, or pomegranates," says Mariée Ami owner and founder Neillie Butler. Plus, guests can take home their fruits or vegetables as favors.

Make the Place Card
Cut small leaf-shaped tags from card stock. Write names on the tags with a gold pen or marker, and then attach them to the pears with T-pins.

Complete the Look
1. Clear stemmed glassware and tablecloth; shophammett.com
2. Calligraphy by Grace Davis Hall; gracecalligraphy.com

Skip the names, and place pictures of guests at their seats instead. "It makes for an extra-special conversation starter," says Mary Baugh, Mariée Ami's graphic designer, whose grandmother appears in the portrait above. We love the nostalgia of a black-and-white photo, but full-color family snapshots are equally memorable.

Set Up
Small frames that measure about 2 by 3 inches work best, as they won't take away valuable table space from the food.

Complete the Look
1. Dinner and salad plates, flatware, and frame; brombergs.com
2. Napkin ring; shophammett.com
3. Feather place mat; table-matters.com

Weave organic elements, like sprigs of rosemary and improvised leather napkin rings, into the setting for a textured look. "We like to include something that's unexpected in a tablescape to keep people guessing," says Neillie Butler of Mariée Ami. Feel free to substitute whichever herbs or flowers are growing in your own backyard for the rosemary.

Make the Place Card
Use a fine-tip paint marker to write names on strips of leather (find these at craft-supply stores). Then tuck in a sprig of rosemary.

Complete the Look
1. Table runner and napkins; erikampowell.com
2. Candles; shophammett.com
3. Dinner and salad plates; brombergs.com
4. Calligraphy by Grace Davis Hall; gracecalligraphy.com

A quick, easy craft project amps up the playful tone of kids'-table place settings. "They're fun to create with children, whether you're hosting dinner or not," says Butler of the little gobblers. Melamine or paper plates and bamboo utensils help guarantee a worry-free time for everyone.

Make the Place Card
Cut feathers from paper, and use a glue gun to attach them to a wine cork. Add black beads for eyes, along with a paper beak and wattle.

"There's nothing better than getting an invitation with a wax seal in the mail," says Senior Style Editor Rachael Burrow. She re-created that excitement on a table inspired by blue-and-white ginger jars.

Make the Place Card
1. Start out with a rectangle of light blue card stock and a monogrammed wax seal. (Try fresh-ink.com for personalized seals.)
2. Place a piece of ribbon (Dusty Blue Double Face Velvet Ribbon; moodfabrics.com) at the top center of the card. Squeeze a quarter-size amount of wax on the bottom of the ribbon, and stamp with the seal. (We used sticks of gold sealing wax, which work in a glue gun, from Paper Source.)
3. Let the wax dry. Write the name under the seal. Snip a triangle from the bottom of the card to finish.

"This is the perfect setting to complement a bright and crisp November day," says Rachael, who stuck to an all-natural display by choosing an earthy green-and-brown palette. She layered the pieces to create a warm, textured look.

Make the Place Card
1. Begin with a basic gift tag (such as JAM Paper Gift Tags; amazon.com) and two pieces of solid ribbon (Studio Carta Wood Spool of 5 Yards Cotton Ribbon in Sage; shopangelaliguori.com). Wrap each piece of ribbon around the base of the tag; secure to the back with white glue.
2. Once it's dry, write the name on the front of the tag, and insert a fresh sprig of greenery through the ribbons at the bottom.
3. Finish off by tying a loop of ribbon through the top of the tag.

"The kids' setting needed to be easy, fun, and unbreakable," says Rachael, who covered the table in white paper (she drew the "place mats" and "place cards" directly on that) and added an orange paper runner. Yellow plates brighten the holiday's usual color scheme. "Dark shades would have taken away from the playfulness," she adds.

Make the Place Card

1. Mark out the place mat's lines using a ruler and a pencil. Then trace over the outline with a paint marker (Fine Nib in Cadmium Red Light Hue; liquitex.com).
2. Write the guest's name at the top of the place mat, and let it dry for an hour before using.

A cluster of dried yarrow brings color and texture to this pretty place card. You can find dried yarrow at your local florist or at any crafts store. Cut pieces of scrapbook paper into squares, and fold them in half. On the front of the card, write your guest's name in calligraphy, and paste the cluster of yarrow next to it. Voila!

These pear place cards are simple and seasonal—and perfect for a Thanksgiving table setting. You can use either artificial or fresh pears to re-create this look. Cut a thin slice in the top of your pear with a knife, and slide in a place card with the name of a guest. Repeat until each guest has a pear for their plate.

Bookend your Thanksgiving meal with apples. Add apple place cards to welcome guests, and top off the meal with a warm apple pie. These are sweet, seasonal touches that will make guests feel right at home. Use either artificial or real apples, and make a thin slice in the top of the apple (from near the stem to just over the highest point of the curve). Write your guest's name on a piece of pretty scrapbook paper, and slide the scrapbook paper into the slice you made in the apple.

The first step of this place card how-to involves gathering fallen magnolia leaves from your yard. Gather and dry the leaves, and write your guests' names on them using permanent marker. Tie twine around the stems of the leaves for a crafty touch, and place them on your table to invite your guests to take their seats.

Choose pieces of scrapbooking paper in seasonal patterns, and write your guests' names on the squares in permanent marker. Paste a small stem of dried wheat, which you can find at crafts stores, to the paper. Fold the paper in half and set it on your table to charm your guests with its Thanksgiving colors and textures.

This place card features a floaty feather, a pretty touch that you can find at your local crafts store. Paste a small feather on a square of folded grasscloth, and write your guest's name on it with permanent marker. You can source pieces of grasscloth from wallpaper retailers, but you can also use any textural material that is sturdy enough to fold in half and stand on its own.