DIY Patriotic Wooden Place Cards

Hey, y'all!  I seriously cannot believe it's June already.  Can you?  This week is my last week of school, and I can't wait for my summer break so that I can work on lots more projects and blog more.  Of course, when I think of summer, I think of backyard barbecues and family get-togethers, especially for the ever-special American holiday Independence Day.  I know there are lots of people who go all out for their Fourth of July celebrations, so today I want to share a fun patriotic project I created that's perfect for making your Fourth of July get-together a little more festive: DIY Patriotic Wooden Place Cards!

Not only do the place cards add red, white, and blue flair to the table, they are also something guests can take home with them.  And, of course, by simply changing the color scheme, these place cards would be perfect for any holiday or occasion.

To make one of the place cards, I used the following supplies:

• Flowers (I was sent the Hair Bow Company's new Flower Craft Pack to use for this project.)
• Small Wooden Plaque 
• Paint 
• Paint Brush 
• Washi Tape 
• Permanent Marker or Paint Pen
• Hot Glue Gun 
• Glue Sticks 
• Clear Sealant 
• 220 Grit Sandpaper 

The first step of the place card making process was painting my wooden plaque.

I wanted the edges of my plaque to pop, so once the paint was dry, I used 220 grit sandpaper to distress the edges.  (Of course, you can always skip this step if you don't like the distressed look.)

Once I had the plaque like I wanted it, I used a permanent marker to write my guest's name. (Hey, Hannah!)  I free handed the name using a hand-lettered alphabet pin from Pinterest as a guide.  If you're not a fan of your own handwriting, you could use stamps, stickers, or stencils for this step.

Next, I used Krylon's matte finish spray paint to seal the plaque.  (This step isn't mandatory, but a clear coat over acrylic or chalk paint keeps stray marks and scuffs from messing up your paint finish.)

After the spray sealer dried, I added a fun pop of color to the plaque with red polka dotted washi tape.

The last step to making my place card was using hot glue to attach a craft flower to the plaque.  (The Fourth of July Flower Craft Pack from The Hair Bow Company had a lot of flowers--and even some stars--to choose from, making it perfect for creating a whole table full of place cards.)

Isn’t the place card so pretty? 

Pair the place cards with plain dishes and inexpensive bandanas for a festive place setting.   (The bandanas can double as napkins!) The best part about these place cards is that your guests can take them home and use them as personalized décor long after your party is over.  Also, you could buy larger wooden plaques from the craft store and use this same idea on a larger scale.  You could write something besides a name on the plaque.  A phrase like “Let Freedom Ring!” or “Land of the Free” would be awesome!

If you like this project, I hope you'll pin or share on Twitter or Facebook.  Social shares make this blogger happy.  :)  Thanks so much!

Note: This post originally appeared on The Hair Bow Company Blog on May 22, 2015.  While I was given product from The Hair Bow Company to use in my post, all opinions in the post are 100% mine.

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