Graduation Cap Place Card Holders

Update: Find the tutorial, just click here.

Place card holders are such a wonderful way to add that special touch to any event, be it large or small. You can use them for assigned seating, or use them for labeling all of your dishes so guest know what they are eating. Let's be honest, they're also just darn cute and very tidy.

I hate to get rid of them when I'm done. That is a main reason not to buy them in the stores for outrageous amounts of money. How often will you use them and will you honestly use a set of themed place card holders again?

However, a few years ago, I did purchase a set for the holidays, only because they were dirt cheap. A set of six, including the blank cards for about $1. Not bad, nice quality, but I did find them about 3 weeks after Christmas. Yippee on the good find. One is pictured below. That was the first year I used them, but will do so again this year. See you have that to look forward too. :)

Place card holder used for Christmas decorations.

The place card holders I used for the Graduation Open House were a steal! I made them. After searching the Internet and not finding what I wanted, or finding something that was acceptable, but refusing to pay that kind of cash, it was time to get crafty. Not completely my idea, my inspiration came from the Craft Crossing blog. She's got some great ideas over there, unfortunately I didn't get a chance to really check out her blog, but must make a point of doing so. This what got me started:

From Craft Crossing Blog. Inspiration to get me started.

Great idea! I thought to make them all one color to match the Open House colors. Nah. Making them sparkle with glitter in the graduation colors. Nope. I really wanted it to have a graduation theme. Then it hit me. Mine are really just two tea lights, turned upside down, glued together, paper wrapped around the outside, and a square glued to the top. Yes, I made the tassels, but I was making them for the invitations anyways. What's an extra 12, when you've already made 80? These turned out so well, I'm having a hard time parting with them.

The additions that were made to the original idea turned out great. They are adorable. I just wish someone would graduate every few weeks so I can keep using them.

The tassels were such a cute touch, they are glued down also to prevent them swinging all over the place.

Not knowing how many would be needed at the time these were made, a dozen seemed like a nice round number. It turned out to be the perfect number.

The wire was purchased from the craft store and I used a thick ink pen as the guide to wrap the wire around so all of the tops were all the same size.

Used a different kind of blue paper for the place card holds, so everything wasn't too matchy-matchy. (I know, matchy isn't a real word, but you get the meaning.)

The labels for the food were fun to make as well, I just love the little details. So easy to overlook, but well worth it if you take the time to add the details.

Not real big, just take two tea lights and stack them together and you'll see just how big. The tea lights themselves were in the basement with the candle stash. I do like to burn candles and melt wax tarts, so I had them on hand.  The inexpensive ones that come 50 to a bag for about $3.

This project was a real learning experience for me, and now I know how to make place card holders for any event. Well, at least I have a starting point. I can't wait for a reason to make new ones. Maybe I'll make a few for autumn. Yep. I'm thinking of autumn, only because it looks and feels like autumn outside right now. Oh and all last weekend. Oh well, take the good with the bad.

Thanks for visiting. If only the weather would cooperate, it would be a nice day to go play in the dirt.