Ideas for Sign Holders

Formal place settings and casual buffets can both benefit from sign holders. Sign holders can hold individual guest names or it can hold the names of the dishes being served. Ideas for sign holders can vary depending on the holiday or event, and can be as simple as trimmed fresh vegetables to a small picture frame. Use one that matches the overall theme for best effect. Does this Spark an idea?

Formal Dinner Parties

Formal dinner parties are made extra special using delicately carved vegetables as sign holders for place cards. Use a rustic carrot stand, or a fresh baby artichoke as the sign holder. For the carrot, cut off the bottom 2 inches from the carrot. Snip off the very bottom to create a sturdy stand, then cut out a center slit from the top. Stick the name card with the guest name, and place it where that guest will sit. Do the same for the baby artichoke. Trim any old leaves from the outside. Take a sharp knife and cut a slit down one side, or simply fit the name card in between the leaves.

Buffets

For buffets, larger sign holders are better used to showcase exactly what is to be served. Make use of inexpensive 3-by-5 inch or 4-by-6 inch picture frames, and list items on display on the buffet table. This also is a great way to list certain ingredients that some guests may have an allergy to. Wine corks can also make nice sign holders for buffets set up for wine tastings. Collect different corks and trim the bottoms if needed to make them perfectly flat. If collecting used corks for the sign holders, avoid using those that the corkskrew has punched through the sides. Make a slit down the middle to hold a card inside, and center it to hold upright.

Theme Parties

People going to craft parties will enjoy seeing small easels out on display being used as sign holders. Prop up handmade signs and menus on each one. Sign holders made out of clay and shaped into animals are nice for crafting parties for children. Create a clay animal and place a large paper clip in the center and let it dry, or bake as directed in the oven. The paper clip can hold the sign for each person.