I’m here today to chat about a party topic I feel strongly about: customization! In my opinion, the difference between a mediocre party and a party that people remember are the details and efforts made to ensure that guests know they were thought about during the planning process. There is nothing more wonderful than going to a party where the host has a place card or party favor with your name on it. It’s a simple gesture that lets you know you are an important aspect of the party. And something even more thoughtful is when that customization is unique or creative — not the typical rectangular white sheet of paper with your name printed in Bold Helvetica but something colorful, personal and well thought out.
So I’m here today with some fun, new ideas to spruce up how you customize your party! Most of my ideas involve printables that can easily be found and purchased on Etsy or, if you are ambitious, designed in software like Photoshop or Illustrator.
In Any Setting, Put a Name on It
As I mentioned above, one of the best ways to personalize a party is to include your guests’ names in the décor. Place cards are a perfect way to do this! If you are throwing a dinner party, even if it’s casual, provide your guests with an assigned seat and a place card.
Sometimes, depending on the type of party, place settings are used for activities other than dinner. They can be the seats for a performance, they can be activities on the floor, they can involve picnic baskets rather than dishes, or they can be place settings for a game. In any case, I would still involve the guest’s name somehow. Stick their names on chairs, create adorable floor mats with guests’ names on them, or put name tags on dowels that stick out of your picnic baskets. In any situation, incorporate your guests’ names as much as possible to personalize your party and make the event special.
Involve Food or a Treat
My most favorite and best recieved place cards are those that involve food or treats. For the most part, guests really enjoy food (especially when it’s free), and if a cupcake or piece of cake has their literal name on it, they go nuts! This works great with fruit, dessert cups or even savory foods like pumpkins, nuts or appetizers. I like to create a uniquely shaped name tag and either place it in front of the food or actually place the tag in the food itself. And sometimes, like the cookies below, you can actually write the guest’s name right on the food itself.
Customize a Gift
Another great way to not only spruce up your place setting but customize your guest’s seat is to incorporate a little gift into the place card. It doesn’t need to be anything large or expensive, just a little something (with their name or initial on it) to get people excited about the party. I’ve found that candy, soaps, lotions, a party hat or even mints work great!
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Here is a great idea for Mini Party Hat Place Cards!