Holidays & Entertaining Thanksgiving Indoor Thanksgiving Decorating 43 Gorgeous DIY Thanksgiving Place Cards and Napkin Rings By Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Instagram Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for over 8 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on September 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Craft these easy DIY place card holders and fall table decorations to designate spots at the Thanksgiving dinner table. We've also got bonus kids' table Thanksgiving decorations and festive holiday napkin rings. 01 of 43 Natural Place Setting Get the FREE printable menu card. This modern menu card and place card feature minimalist greenery and natural elements. Add them to a simple place setting with a linen napkin and leather tie for a sleek Thanksgiving table. A handmade greenery garland finishes this Thanksgiving decoration. Thanksgiving menu ideas to suit all tastes. Learn how to make a stunning greenery garland. 02 of 43 Faux Flower Napkin Ring A bundle of faux flowers and natural twine are all you need to create this Thanksgiving decoration. Choose seasonal faux flowers and group them together. Add accents like berries and pinecones and wrap the stems together. Cover the stems with twine and slide onto your napkin. 03 of 43 Pumpkin Place Settings These stunning Thanksgiving decorations showcase the beauty of fresh flowers. Choose blooms in fall hues like orange, yellow, and red. Finish the place card holders with a mini chalkboard. Let each guest take theirs home when Thanksgiving dinner is over. Learn how to make pumpkin place settings. 04 of 43 Thanksgiving Napkin Rings Dress up the Thanksgiving table with an activity and table decoration all in one. Download our free Thanksgiving napkin rings and let the kids color around the turkey shapes. Before you set the table, cut out each napkin ring, wrap it around a napkin, and secure with washi tape. Get the Free Napkin Ring 05 of 43 Printable Silverware Wrap Get the FREE silverware wrap printable. This unique place setting starts with a strip of plain paper. Print our sweet sentiment and use it to wrap your silverware. By keeping the individual place settings simple, you can focus on the rest of your Thanksgiving decorations. Festive DIY holiday garland ideas. 06 of 43 Olive Branch Place Setting Extend a Thanksgiving olive branch with this gorgeous fall place setting. Create DIY place card holders with a simple potted olive tree. Add a blackboard plant label and a written name. Continue the theme with an olive napkin ring. 07 of 43 Felt Acorn Napkin Rings Marty Baldwin These DIY place card holders start in your backyard! Dress up a plain acorn top with a colorful felt ball and leaves. Glue the finished acorn to a plain wooden napkin ring for an easy, nature-inspired Thanksgiving table. 08 of 43 Pretty Pinecones For these natural holiday place cards, use a 1-inch wood round as a base. Hot-glue a pinecone to the top. Wrap the base in a sheet of birch bark. Cut small rectangles of birch bark and write guests' names. Cut a triangle out of each end of the rectangle. Tuck the birch bark flag between the spikes of the pinecone. 09 of 43 Charger Place Card Integrate place cards into the table setting. Use a thin wood slice as a place mat. On the blank wood under the plate, write guests' initials or names with a permanent marker. Draw holiday foliage or use an ink stamp for a similar look. 10 of 43 Decorated Plates The key to this stunning Thanksgiving table setting? Simply decorated plates. Look for purchased plates in fall themes or make your own! Use a food-safe paint marker to create a stunning piece of fall home decor. Festive Christmas crafts you can do right now. 11 of 43 Miniature Pumpkin Place Card Custom-made holiday place cards add thoughtful touches to your Thanksgiving gathering and add style to your tabletop. Simple imagery and fanciful lettering marry on this business card-size tag. Choose a fun font or fill in names by hand using a calligraphy pen. Pin each place card to a miniature pumpkin or gourd. 12 of 43 Colorful Menu Card Get the FREE printable menu card. Bold and bright, these printable menu cards add a fresh touch to your Thanksgiving table. Create a DIY place card holder with a fresh clementine. Simply slice a thin piece off the bottom so it sits flat and add a slit at the top. Finish with a piece of clear tape at the bottom of your place card so the paper doesn't soften. 13 of 43 Fabric Flower Napkin Ring A goldenrod fabric flower DIY napkin ring adds a special Thanksgiving touch to this layered place setting. Make this flower napkin ring by cutting folded circles of fabric into rough petals, stitching or hot-gluing their centers together, and tying with bakers twine. 14 of 43 Cute Colored Pencils Use a handful of natural mini colored pencils for this easy holiday place card. Group together one of each color with all points facing up. Tie straw ribbon around the pencils in two bands. Knot to hold in place. On a business card-size piece of paper, use your best calligraphy to write guests names. Tuck the paper into the colored pencil stand. 15 of 43 Gather Menu Card Get the FREE printable menu cards. Celebrate the true meaning of the season with these free printable menu cards. They're the perfect way to showcase your Thanksgiving menu and need little embellishment. Simply print and place. 16 of 43 Simple Place Cards Get the FREE printable place cards. Don't stress over creating a bunch of handmade place cards. You've got enough on your plate! Print these gorgeous paper place cards, add a name, and you're done. 17 of 43 Mini Pumpkin Place Card Make room at the table for everyone by layering each place setting. Start with the dinner plate, place a salad plate on top, add a soup bowl, then nestle a napkin in the bowl. Using a paint pen, write a guest's name on a mini pumpkin and lay it atop the napkin. Tuck in a few leaves for an extra touch of fall. 18 of 43 Wooden Place Cards Start Thanksgiving dinner with soup and hand-lettered place cards. DIY calligraphy is easier than you think, and it makes your Thanksgiving decorations extra special. Get this look by using a white paint pen to add names to varnished wood tags. 19 of 43 Simple Thanksgiving Place Cards Richly colored velvet ribbon elevates a basic place card to elegance. Fold a square of cardstock in half and write a name on the front. Punch two holes, about ½-inch from edges of card, along the fold. Thread ribbon through the holes, tie in a simple knot, and let the ribbon tails dangle. 20 of 43 DIY Cornucopia Place Setting Create a mini cornucopia for each Thanksgiving place setting at your holiday dinner. Create a cone from patterned paper and fill it with faux leaves. Add a mini pumpkin and name marker, and this easy fall decoration is done. 21 of 43 Simple Place Card Get the FREE printable place cards. Sometime simple is best. Allow a pretty patterned napkin to shine with these printable place cards. They feature a sweet note and are the perfect way to add a thoughtful touch to your Thanksgiving table. 22 of 43 Ornamental Grasses Place Cards Simple copper pipe fittings become showstopping table decorations when filled with ornamental grasses. Tuck the name cards in among the grasses to create rustic yet elegant Thanksgiving place cards. Editor's Tip: These arrangements were made with seed heads of reed canary grass, switch grass, and feather reed grass. Visit a florist, greenhouse, or farmers market to find different grass varieties. 23 of 43 Thanksgiving Dinner Menu Card Whet everyone's appetite for Thanksgiving dinner with a menu card set on the table. White ink on dark paper gives this card a sophisticated twist. Look for a white-ink calligraphy pen or chalk-ink marker. Editor's Tip: If your calligraphy lacks style, type your menu in a fun, festive font and print on heavy cardstock. 24 of 43 Numbered Napkin Rings Whip up these fabulous fall napkin rings in less than an hour without going near your sewing machine. From complementary fall colors, cut two strips of felt or burlap: one 4x1½-inch strip and one 4x1-inch strip. Use tacky glue to attach the narrower strip to the wider one, then glue the short ends to form a loop. Add a graphic number to an oversize button. Glue the button to the homemade napkin ring. 25 of 43 Pumpkin Place Card Put a pumpkin on it! This Thanksgiving table decoration starts as a plain foam ball. Wrap it with orange yard and top with a mini cork. Finish the handmade place card with a cut cardstock leaf and a sweet note. 26 of 43 Quotation Napkin Rings Rev up table talk with a few quotes about gratitude and thankfulness attached to paper napkin rings. Print quotes on cardstock and cut out to fit in small vellum envelopes (available with card-making supplies at crafts supply stores). Write each guest's name on the blank side of the card and place in the envelope so the name shows through. Wrap a length of decorative paper or ribbon around the envelope and secure with double-sided tape for the Thanksgiving napkin holder. Ask guests to read their quotes aloud and let the conversing begin. 27 of 43 Bit of Bling Get this easy Thanksgiving napkin holder look with elastic fabric napkin holders and fall beads. Simply glue small acorn, leaf and pinecone beads to the fabric napkin holder for a finished fall table setting. 28 of 43 Thanksgiving Ribbon Napkin Ring Here's how to make a napkin ring with ribbon. Custom-print ribbon with a Thanksgiving sentiment for Thanksgiving place cards. Write each guest's name on a dried or fresh leaf using a permanent marker. Tie the stem onto a rolled napkin using printed ribbon. SOURCE Personalized ribbon: namemaker.com 29 of 43 Place Cards in Cork Repurpose old wine bottle corks as easy Thanksgiving place cards. Write guests' names on rectangles of vellum and adhere to slightly larger rectangles of decorative paper. Cut slits in the corks with a knife and insert the name cards. 30 of 43 Pendant Napkin Rings Crafted from jewelry-making supplies, these place cards also double as DIY napkin rings. Print names on decorative paper cut to fit metal pendant frames. Glue paper tags to the backs of the pendants, then string onto lengths of thin hemp (both pendants and hemp are available with jewelry supplies at crafts supply stores). Tie the pendant Thanksgiving napkin holders around rolled napkins, and tuck a wheat shock or two behind the tags. 31 of 43 Monogrammed Thanksgiving Place Card To create these easy monogram place cards, simply cut out circles from cardstock with decorative-edge scissors. Then apply rub-on letters to the paper circles and place under clear glass salad plates. 32 of 43 Pear Place Card Shop the produce aisle for a mixture of colorful pears, apples, and pomegranates. Write guests' names on thin strips of paper and attach to the fruit with double-stick tape. Place on your Thanksgiving table for an instant splash of fall color. 33 of 43 Beaded Place Card Spell guests' names using alphabet beads for dimensional holiday place cards. Fold a square of cardstock in half. Punch two small holes below the fold line near the outer edges of the square. From the back, thread a piece of beading wire through the left-hand hole, leaving a tail on the back. String letter beads onto the wire to spell a name, then thread the wire through the right-hand hole to the back. Twist the wire ends to secure. 34 of 43 Sophisticated Thanksgiving Place Setting Sprigs of artificial bittersweet, velvet ribbon trim, and patterned paper combine to fashion sophisticated place cards for a classic Thanksgiving table. Secure everything with double-stick tape. 35 of 43 Kid's Table: DIY Pilgrim Place Cards Marty Baldwin This inexpensive fall table decoration is make with a painted terracotta pot. Add a touch of gold paint and display the finished hat on a mini pumpkin. Need a fun Thanksgiving day activity for the kids? Let them each decorate their own hat. 36 of 43 Kids' Table: Mayflower Napkin Clip With fun Thanksgiving place settings such as these, adults will be clamoring to sit at the kids table. Help kids remember that Thanksgiving is about more than turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie with this Mayflower paper piecing. Print the pattern (available below), and assemble. Transform the paper piecing into a napkin clip by adhering a clothespin (clip side down) to the back of the craft-stick mast. Clip the paper piecing to a bright blue cloth napkin to give the appearance the Mayflower is at sea. Get the Mayflower Napkin Clip pattern. 37 of 43 Kids' Table: Turkey Place Mat Game Keep your littlest guests in their seats while you're preparing the turkey with this combo place mat game. To create a paper turkey for each kid, cut out two circles from construction paper for the body and head, then use paper scraps to design the eyes, beak, and feet. Assemble the troops to decorate the feathers, then take turns playing "Pin the Feathers on the Turkeys." After the game, put the turkeys under the plates for fun place mats. 38 of 43 Kids' Table: Pilgrim Hat Place Card This precious pilgrim hat makes the perfect place card for the kids table. Print the pattern (available below). Cut a curved slit in the base of the hat and insert the top to give it dimension. Outline the belt and buckle using a black pen, and use a silver gel pen to define the curve at the top of the hat. Get the Pilgrim Hat Place Card patterns. 39 of 43 Kids' Table: Dried Gourd Turkey with Feather Napkin Add a dash of humor to your Thanksgiving kids table with a dried gourd turkey perched atop a wooden napkin ring. Recruit your kids to cut felt and paper pieces, and glue them to the gourd to make the turkey's face. For the crowning touch, make the "feathers" by folding a patterned napkin accordion-style; secure with a wooden clip hidden behind the gourd. 40 of 43 Kids' Table: Turkey Crayon Holder Turn a turkey piecing (pattern available below) into a crayon holder for the kids. Punch two holes in the feather pieces and run a string through them before adhering the pieces to the body. Tie to a rubber band and wind it around a bunch of crayons. Use the crayon bundle to support the piecing. Editor's Tip: Forget the fancy table mats. Cut place mats from basic brown craft paper instead. Kids will have something to doodle on, and you won't have to worry about cleanup. Get the Turkey Crayon Holder patterns. 41 of 43 Kids' Table: Leaf Napkin Ring and Pennant Place Card Celebrate Thanksgiving with these kid-friendly harvest-theme place settings. Die-cut and crumpled leaves adorn a paper napkin ring, and a pennant cut from paper serves as a place card. Distressed cardstock sewn to decorative-edge paper combines to make a place mat. 42 of 43 Kids' Table: Turkey Place Card Help this turkey piecing stand tall and proud! Print the pattern (available below). Use dimensional adhesive foam to add depth between the turkey's tail feathers and body, and decorative-edge scissors to add texture to the feathers. Gently curve the cardstock for even more dimension. Write the name of each little gobbler on the turkey's banner. Make the paper turkey on a smaller scale and stick to a ribbon for a turkey napkin ring. Get the Turkey Place Card patterns. 43 of 43 Kids' Table: Cookie Turkey Place Card Kids of all ages will love these edible Thanksgiving place cards. Our classic gingerbread cookie recipe forms these turkeys with the help of a hand-shape cookie cutter. Once the cookies are baked and cooled, use small candies and frosting to decorate the fingers to look like colorful feathers and the thumbs to resemble turkey faces. Use white icing to pipe guests' names onto the turkeys. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit