queen of connection | Shelby L. Phillips

Celebrate Anywhere With These Menu Photo Place Cards

April 14, 2011 at 10:04 pm 2 comments

Making a Menu Photo Place Card that you can use at any home gathering or restaurant, helps to make your guests, or guest of honor, feel special. They are unique place cards because they are personalized with a pop up photo, event name and date, and planned menu.

If you aren’t computer savvy, or your home color printer can’t handle heavy card stock, you can opt to have your local print shop, Kinko’s or other speedy printer, set them up for you. Be sure to specify that the paper has to be heavy for these place cards to work.

These instructions will demonstrate how to create Menu Photo Place Cards for each guest using a photo of the guest of honor. Begin by clicking this link to retrieve a Word template from the How-To section on the YouCanPlanAParty.com website, or make your own by following the simple directions below. Remember to use paper and ink colors that are complimentary to your chosen theme.

You’ll need a photo of the guest of honor, or one that is fitting for the occasion, that is approximately 3×5 inches for best results. Using your word processing program, center the photo at the top of the page then drop it down about two to three inches. Centered just below the photo, type in the event name. Under the event name, type in the date. For an added touch, skip a line and then list the menu, centering one item per line. Skip another line and type in a guest’s name. Print the card out on glossy card stock for a high-end look. Remember to make one for each guest by name.

The important thing to note here is that the trimmer (or thinner) the place cards are, the more professional they will look. Carefully trim each side of the paper however much you feel is best. Now for the fun part – on a cutting mat, cut around the photo using a metal ruler and an Exacto knife, a little more than half way down on each side and across the top. When you’re finished, fold the card in half to see the photo pop up from the top.

Some variations to consider: (1) Do this all by hand. Write the information on a fold-over card and glue a photo on each so it extends above the fold. (2) Use different photos of your guest of honor or of each guest for fun and variety. (3) Depending on the occasion, use vintage photos. For example, for an Easter table, choose a photo from a Victorian postcard, or use a lovely photo of the Sader plate for Passover. (4) Experiment with colored card stock and ink colors that coordinate with your event theme, and the colors in the photo(s). (5) If hosting a large party at a restaurant, take your place cards with you for an added special touch.

Entry filed under: Celebrations, Party Ideas, Party Planning, Theme Parties. Tags: celebrations, party ideas, party tips and ideas, place card, planning a party.