I’m convinced hosting a great dinner party is made up of 80% natural talent and 20% memorable details.ย There’s something special about having a spot at the table reserved just for you, and it’s even more exciting when it’s shiny! These metallic place card holders are a quick way to add a little more charm to your tablescape without worrying about whether your guests will have anything interesting to talk about with each other. Shiny things help keep awkward pauses at bay, didn’t you know?
I played around with a few shapes before landing on something simple and something holiday specific. You could easily do each guest’s first initial, an easy icon such as an arrow, or maybe another short word such as ‘hi’. I experimented with the shape of a hand pointing to their name, but it was over before it really even started. Pro tip: Don’t over think your design.
Supplies:
–20 gauge metallic wire
–3 in 1 jewelry making pliers
Cut a length of wire that is about 15″ long so that you can maneuver it easily. I curled up my sharp end and then gently started bending my wire in the shape of a ‘J’ using the widest round part of my pliers. Then I made an ‘O’ a little more round by using the handle of the pliers themselves.
Next, I created a ‘Y’ and pinched the wire together where it doubled back on itself. Then I finished the tail of my ‘Y’ and bent it back up and behind the word in the shape of a mountain. This provides your card with something to get pinched in between or lean back on.
You’ll need to finish with a flat length that ends in another curl to help stabilize your shape. You can see how the finished design only shows the word and not the stand behind it.ย
I suggest experimenting on a piece of wire to get comfortable with how your pliers work so you don’t bend or scratch anything you’re wanting to use for a place setting.
Choose a different shape for each guest or make a handful of the same. They’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness and compliment you on your natural talent! –Rachel
Credits//Author and Photography: Rachel Denbow. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess Actions.
42 Comments
I love, love, LOVE this, Rachel! So charming, and your table looks pretty too! -Mandi
Yes! Gold. Useful. Unique. LOVE this so much!!
Super cute!! Great for your guests to take home with them!
http://www.tuskstails.blogspot.com
so cute! i’ve been wanting to try these but for use as a taller photo center piece! thanks for sharing!
This diy card holder is so amazing! Love it. It’s perfect for special dinners and events. Thanks for sharing. I’ll use this idea.
This is such a great post! What a cute idea! Would be so fun to try and twist the wire into the person’s name!
http://sometimesgracefully.com
Added to my DIY to-do list! Such a great idea.
Me apaixonei por esse tutorial, que meigo, que lindo, que EU!
rsrs
Adorei o seu cantinho, se puder me visitar tambรฉm, ficarei muito feliz, muitos beijos.
futura-noiva.blogspot.com โฅ
So cool, they look so good!
Wow, this is so simple and yet so gorgeous! Awesome idea, thanks for sharing!
Love, Laetitia
http://www.twocraziesoneblog.tk/
So simple and cute, love it!xx
http://www.creativityandchocolate.com
This is so creative! I love it! Thanks for sharing ๐
http://www.endlesshouseaffair.com
That looks amazing and cute! Would definitely go for this when hosting a party. Maybe even for something permanent, like a postcard holder ๐
That’s so cute!
These are wonderful!
I bet they’d be fun on a larger scale too.
-E
amie-eo.blogspot.com
This DIY could also be a great handmade gift, and I love that you can use it again and again at the holidays. It would be hard to find anything this unique in store!! Awesome.
Jill
Champagne for Everyday – A San Franciscoย Based Lifestyle and Fashion Blog
I love this! Also I recently saw some of your photos on an etsy shop, not sure if they had permission or not. Just thought I’d let you know! https://www.etsy.com/listing/213935399/5-x-7-instant-download-printable-holiday?
This is a really special touch to add to a dinner party. I love how you angled the photos so I can see EXACTLY what you did. Hugely helpful. Great DIY. Thanks for sharing.
http://absolutelytara.com
What a charming idea and you make it look so easy!
http://www.southernfolly.com
This is so cute ๐ You guys are so adorably creative!
This is so cute! Your posts seriously just make me happy ๐ I read your blog all the way from Egypt!
This is sooo cute and simple and elegant and I love it! ๐
http://szkorso.blogspot.ro/
Such a wonderful idea!! I fear it would take a long time to get my wire writing skills up to the greatness if yours though. ๐
http://www.mahogany-closet.com/2014/12/bright-colors-to-brighten-your-mood-fit.html
This is really cute and I cannot wait to try this ๐
http://inspiremeland.com
This is so sweet and perfect for holiday parties!
Simple & gorgeous!! Love.
Thanks Rachel ๐
this is absolutely adorable~~ thanks for the share~~
These are so cute!
This is such a lovely idea! Will be trying this one out for sure ๐
sooo simple and cute!
xx nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
I love this idea! I’m going to have to come up with some of my own ideas and try it!
These are so cute! I love how simple and shiny they are. Shiny is always good. ๐
xo
Kristina
http://www.eccentricowl.com
This is lovely!
Winter OOTW (Outfits of the week) + IPAD MINI GIVEAWAY
These are sooo beautiful! I absolutely love them!
xo
Love this..so cute…and so pretty…
xo
Hems
agoldentulip.blogspot.com
These are so simple but so beautiful! I love the holiday themed ones that you’ve created here, but you’ve also got me thinking … so many options! There’s a lot of potential here for birthday parties, bridal showers, or even a small wedding!
yours turned out so nice! i love the ‘joy’ one. I don’t think I’d be able to wrap them as nicely!
Gorgeous! This looks so fun and easy ๐
Super Idea !!!
love your diy
congrats pretty
http://www.normcoregirl.com
Super cute idea!
Just wondering how the wire went from a dark brown to bright gold? i didn’t see anything in the instructions about it. maybe it was just the lighting in the pictures?
I really like these. They’re simple but add an elegant and personalised touch. I might try them in silver for my table though!
Are you sure this is 20 gauge wire? This looks a lot bigger. Twenty gauge wouldn’t really stay in place like a larger gauge would.