Confession: My handwriting is horrific. I mean really horrific. The very definition of “chicken scratch.” I feel like this always surprises people, along with the fact that I am naturally a very disorganized, messy person who just tries very hard to be a not-messy, organized person. (It’s true.)
The thing is, “trying very hard” doesn’t always work when it comes to handwriting. Which is why you’ve actually never seen my handwriting on this site. I’ve posted many a place card idea, but each one involved some sort of sneaky tactic to help me keep the whole handwriting situation hidden. Last year’s stamped Hanukkah place cards relied on, well, stamps. And I outsourced the calligraphing of my 2019 Rosh Hashanah place cards to my very talented friend Maria.
I supposed my embroidered matzah covers were an exception, but even then, I chose a loopy, whimsical font that had nothing to do with my actual handwriting. Which makes me wonder: Can you method-act your way into good handwriting?
Probably not.
Anyway, if you, too, suffer from unsightly penmanship and the idea of making place cards freaks you out, these beaded place cards are here to save the day. And even for those of you who weren’t subject to this deep, life-long SHAME…I think there’s something here for you, too. After all, it’s always those tiny, inexpensive, slightly-out-of-the-box details that make a gathering feel truly thoughtful. And that’s the deal with these beaded place cards. They’re just a little bit different. I feel like it’d be impossible to sit down, see one of these, and not immediately pick it up and start fiddling with it. It just grabs your attention.
I originally used these on my 2021 Rosh Hashanah tablescape, but they’d be perfect for an anytime-of-the-year gathering. I also initially had this idea of attaching each one to a napkin, which turned out to be a little misguided as they create a relatively enormous hole in whatever material you slide them through. (Goodbye, gorgeous new caramel-colored linen napkins. I hardly knew ye.)
Luckily, I had this pretty autumnal ribbon on hand and decided to just wrap them around each water goblet and attach the place cards there instead. Easy!
To make them, you’ll need:
- Extra-large kilt pins
- Letter beads (with a wide enough hole to fit through the oversized kilt pin—check the sizes carefully! The ones I’ve linked here work well.)
- Ribbon (I love the look of chiffon ribbon, but anything goes here)
Simply bead the letters onto the kilt pin—last letter first!—then attach to your ribbon or whatever other suitable material you’ve got on your table, and you’re in business.
As always, if you love this idea, let me know over on Instagram—DM me or tag me in your photos!