Dinner Party And Thanksgiving Place Cards: Ideas And Wording
We design and print cards and prints in the UK and post them first class. We don't print place cards to order - everything below is free to copy, whether you make your own or buy the card that goes with the occasion.
At a dinner party the place card isn't about formality, it's about mixing. You get to decide who talks to whom, and the evening lives or dies on that.
Thanksgiving ideas, autumn materials and a few cards that start the conversation for you.
Cards for whatever you're celebrating
Thank you, birthday and just-because cards, printed in the UK and blank inside.
You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card)
£3.87
Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Him
£3.87
Fifty & Even More Fabulous Than Ever (50th Birthday Card)
£3.87
Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Her
£3.87
I Wish You Looked At Me Like Any Can of Strongbow Dark Fruits Ever (Valentines Day Card)
£3.87
Happy Valentines Day, Bab (Valentines Day Card)
£3.87
Autumn and Thanksgiving ideas
- Name written straight onto a small pumpkin or squash in white pen.
- A pressed autumn leaf with the name in gold marker.
- Name card tucked into a slit cut in a conker or acorn cap.
- A cinnamon-and-orange-slice bundle tied to a folded card.
- Kraft card, brown string, one sprig of rosemary. Cheap and looks considered.
Cards that start the conversation
- Write one thing each guest is thankful for on the back, read out before pudding.
- Put a question on the reverse: 'best thing that happened to you this year?'
- Everyone writes a compliment for the person on their left and swaps cards at the end.
- Add how the host knows that guest - 'we met in a queue in 2009'. Instant conversation.
Seating a dinner party properly
- Split couples. They can talk to each other any night of the week.
- Alternate people who talk a lot with people who listen.
- Anyone who knows nobody sits next to the host or the most sociable guest.
- Keep the host nearest the kitchen, even if the seating plan looks nicer otherwise.
- Don't put two people who share a profession together - they'll talk shop all night.
Prints that suit a laid table
A5, A4 and A3 art prints, drawn in house and printed in the UK.
All You Need Is Love / Love Is All You Need Print (A5 - A3)
£8.00
Look At The Stars Song Lyrics Print (A5 - A3)
£8.00
Music Sounds Better With You Music Print (A5 - A3)
£8.00
99 Problems but Excel Ain't One (A5 - A3)
£8.00
12 Days of Christmas Lyrics Print
£6.00
Play That Funky Music Print (A5 - A3)
£8.00
99 Problems, Prompting Ain't One A6 Postcard
£3.00
Play That Funky Music Print A6 Postcard
£3.00
How to write it so it lands
- Decide the seating the night before, when you're not also cooking.
- Write the host's card too - an empty-looking chair unsettles people.
- Natural materials beat glitter: they cost nothing and photograph better.
Where to shop next
- Place cards: the complete guide
- Wedding place cards
- Christmas table name cards
- How to make name place cards
- Place card wording and etiquette
- Free printables
- Wall art and prints
- All guides
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
Frequently asked questions
How do you make Thanksgiving place cards?
Write names on small pumpkins, pressed leaves or kraft tent cards in gold or white pen. Add the thing each guest is thankful for on the back.
Should you split couples at a dinner party?
Usually yes. Couples see each other constantly; a dinner party is the one chance for everyone else to talk to them.
How many guests before you need place cards?
About eight. Below that people sort themselves out; above it, the shuffle at the door takes ten minutes and the food goes cold.