Card Stock

• Tent-style place cards are the most common and easiest to make yourself. Cut a piece of heavy card stock into a a 3.5-inch-by-4-inch rectangle and fold in half so it is 3.5 by 2 inches. Once folded, the place card stands on its own. Print the guest's name onto a piece of coordinating paper and cut out with scissors or decorative-edge scissors. Glue to the front of the place card.
  
  Add pizzazz to your tent-shaped place cards with embellishments. For instance, glue a silk flower blossom to one corner. Other embellishments include fabric butterflies, sea shells or charms. Punch two holes side by side across the top of the tent and thread a ribbon through them. Tie together in a bow on the front.
  
  Alter the basic tent style by using a single layer of card stock. Instead of folding it to stand, use a cut flower in a water pick as the stand. Cut out a 3.5-inch-by-2-inch piece of card stock. Print the guest's name on clear label paper and attach to the front. Punch a hole in the top left corner of the card. Place a live bloom inside a floral water pick and slip through the hole. The water pick acts as a stand to hold up the place card and the flower doubles as a wedding favor.
  
  

Objects

• Place cards don't have to be made from paper. Use small objects instead for a three-dimensional effect.
  
  For a beach-themed wedding, write each guest's name on sand dollars or seashells. Use pretty script and a permanent marker. For a winter wedding, wrap a ribbon around a pine cone and write the name on the ribbon. Personalize plain winter or holiday ornaments for place cards that double as favors.
  
  A real or silk leaf in bright summer green or bold fall colors is striking in the center of a white plate. Write the name on the leaf with a gel pen in silver or gold. A smooth river rock is another option that can be used year-round.
  
  

Playful Styles

• Use this butterfly template as a guide for your place card.
  
  Use a bit of whimsy in your place-card designs. Make small paper pinwheels in your wedding colors (see Resources for instructions). Write each guest's name on one of the pinwheel arms or attach a flag-style paper tag to the stick. Stand in a small flower pot or lay on their plate.
  
  Make a butterfly place card to set atop the rim of a wine glass. Fold a piece of card stock in half. Trace a butterfly wing on the paper with the fold in the middle. Cut out the butterfly then write the guest name on one wing. Cut a notch perpendicular to the fold in the middle of the bottom edge. Set the notch on the glass's rim. Unfold the wings slightly so it appears the butterfly just landed on the glass.