Easy DIY Place Card: A Black Tent Card with a Patterned Panel
This place card is a small black tent with a patterned panel on the front and a clean white strip for the guest’s name. It takes only a few minutes per card. It suits a wedding reception, a rehearsal dinner or a holiday table.
Everything is cut from card stock and one sheet of wrapping paper. Once the first card is made, the rest go quickly, so a full table can be done in one sitting.
Supplies
- Black card stock
- White card stock
- Wrapping paper in a pattern that fits your colors
- Paper trimmer
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Adhesive, such as double-sided tape or a glue stick
- A permanent marker or fine-tip pen for the names
How to make it
- Trim the black card stock to 4 1/4 inches by 5 1/2 inches. This is the base of the card.
- Trim the white card stock into two pieces: one 4 inches by 2 1/2 inches and one 4 inches by 1 1/2 inches.
- Fold the black piece in half so it stands up like a tent. Press the crease firmly with your fingernail or the edge of a ruler so it holds its shape.
- Lay the larger white rectangle on the back of the wrapping paper and trace around it with a pencil. Cut along the lines. Keep that white rectangle as a template if you are making several cards, since it saves measuring each time.
- Glue the wrapping paper rectangle to the front of the tent, leaving an even black border around it.
- Stick the smaller white strip across the wrapping paper. Center it, or set it slightly low for a more modern look.
- Write the guest’s name on the strip. If you are assigning seating, add the table number too. A marker that matches your color scheme looks tidy and stays put.
Tips and variations
Practice the writing first. Test your marker on scrap card stock. Lettering a name is the one step you can’t undo, so it helps to check the size and spacing before the real strip.
Choose paper with a small pattern. Tiny florals, dots and fine stripes look neat in a narrow panel. Large prints can lose their design when cut down to this size.
Change the colors. Black and white gives a crisp, formal look. Navy card stock with a gold-toned wrapping paper suits an evening party. Kraft paper with a floral print feels more relaxed for a garden event.
Use the strip for something else. Instead of a name, the white strip can hold a short menu item, such as “chicken” or “vegetarian,” so servers can tell meals apart. At a family dinner, it could carry a favorite memory or a fun fact about each guest.
Work in batches. Cut all the black bases first, then all the white pieces, then the wrapping paper panels. Fold and glue afterward. Doing each task in one go keeps the sizes consistent and speeds things up. A paper trimmer gives you cleaner and more even edges than scissors.
Make a few extras. Guests sometimes change plans at the last minute, and a spare card or two is easy to fill in. Leave a couple of strips blank so you can write a name on the day.
Match the rest of the table. Use the same wrapping paper for a napkin band or a small favor tag. Repeating one pattern ties the whole table together without extra effort.
Stand the cards above each plate, or place them at the top of the setting just above the fork. The tent shape keeps them upright without any extra support.
