Coming Up Roses

A place card holder is a wonderful wedding or dinner party accent. While subtly directing your reception or guests seating, they also set an elegant tone to your dinner. Planning a reception with open seating? Not to worry, you can also use these unique place cards as a lovely table decor too. Regardless of your seating plans, your guests will love finding a favor waiting for them!

How to Make the Place Card Holder:

I created the place card holders for a 'Girls Night Out on the Town.' I knew right from the beginning I wanted something simple, elegant and unique to compliment my guests while incorporating flowers.

The theme of the evening was pink and black and I knew right away that hot pink roses were the way to go. (Tip: Contact your local florist and ask them about ordering flowers at the wholesale price and trimming them yourself. This will save you money and the hassle of trying to track down the same color flower to match all the place holders.) I was able to find the clear base (2" x 2") for the place card holders at The Container Store (http://www.containerstore.com). The bases were originally designed as a bathroom draw organizer, however, with a little Elmer's glue and a black satin ribbon it quickly transformed the draw organizer into a functioning vase. To hold the roses in place I purchased a block of floral foam, soaked it in water for several hours, and cut it to size to fit into the vase. (Make sure to leave 2 centimeters on all four sides should the water seep from the foam.) Last but not least, I cut and trimmed all the unblossomed roses leaving only the bud and two inches of the stem. Believe it or not, this little place card holder will take 9 trimmed roses to fill the space and give it a tight look. (You can get away with 6 roses, however, make sure the roses have blossomed a few days prior to making the arrangements.)

How to Make the Place Card:

Take a piece of heavy weight paper and cut it into the size of a standard business card. Then take your favorite stamp and some ink to add a touch of elegance to the card. Address the cards using a calligraphy pen to write out each guests name. Lastly, ask your local florist for several clear card holder picks to hold the place card above the roses.

Voila! There you have it, a beautiful and functioning place card holder and favor.