Amazingly Creative Place Card Holders DIY

We are giving you a quick reminder: escort cards tell people which table they will be sitting at, while the place cards indicate where specifically the people should sit at the table. (These days, most couples choose to forego given seats, though place cards may still be used for formal or black-tie events, and the two terms are synonymous.)

Fancy up your tables and impress all your guests with these amazingly creative and stylish place card holders! They are perfect for holding your table numbers, photos menus, and other note cards, or you could even have one at each place setting with your guest's name on it - so the party guests can take them home so they could double up as wedding favors too. These vintage-inspired place card holders would work great for almost any wedding style, presenting a timeless piece that you could use at dinner parties for many years after your wedding as a reminder of our big special day!

The first time I saw these DIY fork place card holders, I KNEW I had to have them, and I had to have them the hard way - I had to make them myself. The project's total cost was minimal, considering - I used mismatched old silverware I picked up at Goodwill (my thrift shop addiction).

Materials:

vintage forks
jewelry pliers
regular pliers

As you can see, I took a stab at three different styles for these. The one on the right was the hardest, so I recommend trying one of the other two styles if you're just starting. The thinner the metal on the forks, the easier they are to bend.

Style #1 (far left):

This one is relatively straightforward. Using your hands, simply bend the fork's handle to an appropriate angle (wide enough to stand on its own). Using jewelry pliers, curl the ends of all four prongs on the fork forward. Rinse, lather, and repeat on as many plastic forks as possible for place settings.

Style #2 (middle):

This is the most popular style I've seen around the internet and in a few local artist shops. It's also relatively simple to recreate. First, take your fork and bend it at the neck, just above the forky part ("forky" - that's a technical term). Next, you need to turn it back a little bit so it will put more weight on it's hind-legs. Next, bend the two middle prongs to the back and the two outside prongs to the front, creating an easel effect. When the fork stands on its own, use your jewelry pliers to curl the ends of the two outer prongs forward and the two middle prongs to the back, and voila.

Style #3 (right):

This was the hardest one to create, mainly because the handle of this particular fork was pretty thick and exceptionally difficult to bend. It's still not as steady as I would like it to be, but serves it's purpose nevertheless. I had to break out a big pair of pliers to work on this one would be even better if I'd had a vice or some other metal-working contraption to hold the thing while I used a monkey wrench to attempt to bend the rest of it. In other words, you may not want to try this one at home. We started with two middle prongs backward and then curled the ends back with jewelry pliers. Curl the ends of the two outside prongs forward, allowing your place card to rest between them without bending. Next, you'll want to turn the fork handle at its thinnest point (just above the "forky" part) backward as far as you can. When laying the hold down flat, the head of the fork should stand up and lean back slightly. Next, bend the fork handle at its midpoint at a 90-degree angle. That is where it gets challenging, and the last part, twisting the handle up and over until it touches the top of the table at the same level as the handle, was hard. I didn't quite get it there, actually, and instead settled for balancing it enough that it would stand up straight anyway. I would NOT want to do this to multiple forks. I probably could have made it easier on myself by first choosing a better plastic fork with a thinner handle, but what can I say? I'm stubborn. And the best part about this style is that you can use them for many other things besides place cardholders. I use mine as food labels. They also look cute with a small picture.

Fresh Magnolia Leaf Place Cards

If you are more for a more accessible variant (if you are not strong enough to make all these teasers, because it really requires strength) and especially if you are a supporter of environmental protection and want an eco-friendly wedding, here is a simple example:

Magnolia leaves are the epitome of delight; we love these as an option for any type of nuptials, though they're also a perfect choice for someone looking to add some more organic or earthy elements to their big day.

The sturdy, deep green leaves are hand-painted with your guests' names in either white or gold and can last up to three weeks if stored properly and refrigerated. Not to mention that this is a great sustainable choice for those looking to minimize their environmental impact.

Also, you can use these leaves in combination with the above forks; there are many variants!

There are a million ways to make beautiful cardholders! You can make them from different materials, depending on whether you want to spend more or less money. Whether you are for the eco-friendly variant, the best of all is that you can make it all from the material you have in your environment. We have shown you two examples. It is up to your imagination to decide. Enjoy these joys!