This year we decided to have Thanksgiving dinner in our own home. I was excited, but very nervous about cooking a turkey…something I have never before done. More on that later.
Since we had a full table, I thought it would be fun to make pretty place cards.
The two-sided patterned paper is by Amy Butler and came from Michaels. The product information is right here. I cut each individual paper in half to make a whole place card. Then printed out the names and stuck them on. Easy.
Instead of putting just names on the cards, I added a little twist. Since
this was a time to be thankful, I included three unique traits about each
loved one and put it on the back of their place card. These are their gifts that I am thankful they share with others.
So each card was personal.
I share this idea with you because I think it's a great thing to do for any dinner party, not just Thanksgiving. What a great way to let someone know what you appreciate about them. After all, the parts of ourselves we share with others are so much more valuable than the materials gifts we give. Don't you think?
This Thanksgiving I felt very blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people.
I used my extra oatmeal cans to hold the flowers.
Everyone had a chance to read their card to the group. It was a hit. Here's my sweet husband reading his.
The little ones even loved it. I think they got a kick out of hearing an adult read a card describing what makes them special.
Prior to enjoying our dinner, there was a good bit of behind-the-scenes work. It was a monumental culinary day in our house…first time I had ever cooked a turkey! Thanks to this talented friend for giving me a complete tutorial some wonderful tips in making sure the bird was super juicy and flavorful. He's always full of so much great information. Love him.
I was surprised to see that the girls enjoyed helping. I mean, here was a gigantic headless bird weighing in at 15 pounds plopped right on our countertop. But they were game.
Here they are buttering it up.
The three of us cooked the turkey together from start to finish. I was so proud of them. The boys named the bird Bob.
After I nervously waited for about four hours, the turkey was finally cooked. And right on time. We handed it over to the man for proper cutting. Only one kink: as Peter started cutting it, he realized that I cooked the turkey completely upside down. Typical. The good news is that it still tasted good.
I couldn't have pulled this off without my partner in crime. We cooked up a storm…I think we did six casseroles plus desserts? What helped make it possible was planning a whole day of cooking the casseroles at once, just a few days before the feast. Then we just preheated them after the turkey was cooked. I highly recommend doing that, it's practical plus a lot of fun.
Good friends, family, yummy food and good times. So much to be thankful for.
I‘m Seleta, a city girl living the beach life with my husband, fabulous four offspring, happy horses and frisky fur babies. A former TV personality turned Designer, I love to share the sparkly side of life. Read more 
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Your placecards are precious! I love that idea, so sweet and thoughtful. Congrats on your turkey success friend.
i love your idea of the place cards. i’m stealing it for sure!!!
I LOVE the idea of putting character traits on the back of the place cards….I’m so doing this! Thanks for the idea!
Congrats on a well cooked “bob.” :)
love the idea! thanks for sharing. btw, is that a table cloth or paper (the trellis)? love it!
The placecards are such a wonderful idea! I would even love to incorporate that idea into my Montessori classroom. The kids would love writing things about each other and then reading them! Thanks for the inspiration!
Really, really pretty. I love that paper. And your kitchen is pretty wonderful itself! Your kids always look like they are so good and well behaved. Is that a Photoshop trick? ha.
You have a way of making every day sunny and bright!
What did your card say?
Those placecards are awesome! I think everyone will be stealing this idea. And those oatmeal cans with the yellow flowers look great too.
Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your lovely family!
I would also like to know what your card said on the back. Your table is so pretty! And no orange and brown on it!
What a beautiful table and a beautiful day. Thanks for sharing!
Loved your place cards with the sweetness on the back….definantly gonna steal that idea! Your table was beautiful, Seleta and so is your family.
So glad you had a wonderful day. The photos make it look like so much fun. And I like your creative name tags. Now you are ready to host another Thanksgiving feast!
Hi everyone,
I didnt put anything on my own card. But our group shared a few thoughts to make up for it. :-)
Thanks for all of your warm comments.
Seleta
Your family is adorable! What a great idea with those stylish placecards…I might have to use that in the future.
Our family tradition for Christmas dinner has always been that each person has 3 questions under their plate. Questions that are specific to that person. We go around the table and everyone answers theirs- It is always a hit!
You could change up the cards and do questions one year! xoRH
Place cards were a total hit and a pleasant surprise! so glad you had that idea and thrilled that our day was a success:)
Wow! Great job, Seleta! I love the colors.
What a beautiful idea!!! I LOVE it!!!
Some recipes recommend cooking the turkey -upside down as it makes for a more moist breast on the bird!!! You were really ahead of the pack!
Looks like you all had a blast! everything look so Pretty!!!
xoxox
E
This is a fantastic idea. I must remember it, not just for next Thanksgiving, but for any time I have people over. I love it. Thank you for sharing it.
what a sweet idea! love the cards and the table!
Seleta, Everything looks so lovely as usual. I’m glad you and your family had a great day. I am definitely going to use the place card idea for Christmas dinner. I always look forward to all of your posts.
Seleta,
So beautiful and what a treasure each could go home with but a beautiful thoughtful place card! I love your colours and the freshness of the atmosphere. Fun for the “offspring” to get in the action too!
Blessings…
xx
Renae
Hi Seleta, I laughed when you said that you cooked your turkey upside down. We had all of our family over on Thanksgiving and we cooked a turkey for the first time. I was very nervous about cooking a 23lb bird for 16 people, so when my husband mentioned that cooking the turkey udside would make it juicier, I was more than a little hesitant. But it turned out fantastic!! Glad yours turned out good, too! Lauren
What a great idea for the placecards! I love the colors you chose and the patterns on the paper. You have a beautiful family!
Congrats on making your first turkey ( I wouldn’t even know where to begin)! :) And those Amy Butler placecards…. what a great idea!
What a beautiful table! I’m surprised that you had never cooked a turkey before, but I’m sure it turned out great. I actually just read this year that cooking the bird breast side down makes it juicier, so I’m sure that was your plan all along ;) Thanks for sharing all these gorgeous photos! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Seleta,What a great idea on the place cards. And they say that cooking the Turkey upside down does make the Turkey juicer, I’ve done it that way for a few years now,and it is juicer. Thanks for the great pictures.
Hi! Stuck at the airport in London. Flight delayed 3 hours but should board soon. Had to check in and get a slice of home while I waited. Can’t wait to get back to the US. After spending Thanksgiving in Nairobi I have an appreciation for my life like I never knew was possible. I can’t believe the misery, poverty and human suffering in other parts of the world. Its unimaginable. Love you, Joanne
Hi, Seleta!!! I love your blog so much!! You have a wonderful family!!! Congratulations! God bless you all!! You photos are so perfect! Wich camera do you use?? Is it a professional one?
Thank you!!!
Karla (from Brazil)!
i love it all!! I had no idea that michael carries amy butler’s stuff — definitely stopping in there sometime soon!
And good job on the turkey — i have yet to attempt that feat — and it’l probably be a long time before it happens – it’s too scary!!
what fabric is used as the tablecloth? it’s gorgeous!
you have such a beautiful life seleta! such a great idea about putting the 3 traits on the cards and am SO doing that when i have something! (and the cards themselves are beautiful too)
what a fun & special day.
xoxoxo,
lauren
Hey Seleta,
Beautiful, as usual! Quick question: what font did you use for the names on your placecards (it looks similar to one of the fonts you used on the bookmarks for your son’s b-day)? I’m looking for a font just like that for a holiday printing project. Thanks so much!
Kathy
Looks yummy! We had 25 people at our house this year, but everything went great. I love the idea for the placecards. I’ll have to incorporate something like that next time. Sometimes it’s nice to reflect on what we’re thankful for (instead of moving right to stuffing our faces).
Looks like a wonderful Thanksgiving! Happy {late} Thanksgiving.
everything looks a.ma.zing. seriously. just love the placecards.
I loved your idea of cooking the casseroles ahead of time and was wondering what you made. I am having 12 people over for dinner after our kids Christmas dance concert next Sunday and it is always hard to get everyone out the door to the concert on time and have dinner ready when we get home.
I look forward to your posts, they are great.
Thank you
Rhonda
did you print out the names on plain, white cardstock?