Cinnamon Stick Place Cards

Last week I posted a link to one of Sweet Paul’s projects on this blog's Facebook page (Click here to become a follower.), this one to make place cards using cinnamon sticks. I thought it was such a cute and simple idea that I decided to try it for my next tablescape. It was incredibly easy, looked suitably autumnal and rustic, and scented the table with wonderful spicy cinnamon.

I printed out names on tan cardstock using one of my favorite fonts, Two Peas Mr. Giggles, cut them out with a paper cutter, and carefully stuck them down into the splits in the cinnamon sticks. In a couple of cases, I added a bit of glue (my favorite all-purpose glue is Fabri-Fix), and they worked out very well.

For the future, I would recommend Melissa’s Canella sticks. They are a bit more loosely coiled, and would take well to this kind of treatment.

This is a great craft to do with kids because it’s simple, easy, and makes them a part of your special meal. If you are a Cub Scout den mother or Girl Scout leader preparing for a banquet, this would be a wonderful project in which to get your scouts involved.

This post contains affiliate links.

Ceramic Place Cards...This Week's Find

This week’s find is this sweet set of place cards. They are ceramic with lovely, delicate porcelain flowers in pink, yellow, and blue. As with so many things I have uncovered, I never remember my mother using these. That’s not to say that she didn’t, it’s just to say that I don’t recall if she did.

What these have me wondering, though, is whether or not people still use place cards?  I can actually envision myself using them, but I’m wondering what type of non-permanent marker would work on ceramic. If any of you have any suggestions or ideas, I would appreciate knowing.

To my great disadvantage, these are rather small, only about 2½ inches wide. To my further disadvantage, my hands are quite large, so I think it would be tricky for me to use these to write a name longer than three or four letters. Still, I will not be deterred! You can expect to see these at a table setting at some point in the future.

To see my previous find, click here.

Name Your Poison (You know what I mean)

On a whim, I decided to make up little place cards for all of the dishes that I served on Thanksgiving. Truth be told, it was more for my benefit than for anyone else's. You see, I often don't allow enough space when setting up the buffet on the counter that borders the island, and then it's a mad dash right before people are ready to eat, to move things around in order to accommodate that one casserole that I've completely forgotten about.

These little labels served guests as well, because it saved them from asking their harried hostess what certain dishes were to find out if it's something that they may not like, or perhaps were allergic to. So, the night before the Thanksgiving dinner, I made up some labels, laid everything out on the counter in a logical order, and didn't give it another thought. I did take a picture of the labels, again more for my own benefit, to remind me of what I served this year so as not to repeat next (as I did with the cornucopia centerpiece, sigh).

I posted the label photo on social media, and received far more interest than I ever imagined. Not only were people interested in the dishes that I served, but also in the labels themselves. A number of people asked me how I made these, and it really couldn't be simpler, so I'm going to share that with you here. 

I used Microsoft Word to make the labels, and I printed them out on a medium tan card stock.

Open up Microsoft Word, and click on the column icon, it looks like this; then click on two columns.

Select your font (I used 2 Peas Mister Giggle. It's adorable, no?), and type away! Leave about three lines separating each title to give you some folding room.  Then simply cut them out, fold in half, and Bob’s your uncle!

This post is linked to:

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Make it Pretty Monday

Celebrate Your Story

Inspire Me Tuesday

Reader Tip Tuesday

Tuesdays with a Twist

The Scoop

Dream, Create, Inspire

O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

Weekend Inspiration Party
Share Your Style

Simple Saturday Blog Hop

Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party