Place cards are one of my entertaining essentials. They may not be as integral to a successful dinner party as, say, the food or the wine, but they are a necessary tool when it comes to seating.
And I am a big believer in seating guests. Sometimes this means putting like-minded people next to one another and sometimes, to spur conversation, it means the opposite.
The place card itself can be much more than a folded card with a name in black ink. It can complement the decor of your table and make guests feel special. It can also convey formality or fun, as in the case of this “message in a bottle” version.
This adornment looks impressive but is dead simple. You can buy clear bottles from a craft store for the purpose or save a few half-size wine bottles and wash them out, letting them dry overnight. You then add a few ounces of sand and some tiny shells (perhaps from a beach vacation).
For the cards, tear or cut small rectangles of thick paper and handwrite guests' names on them. (I used watercolour paints and a thin brush in the ones shown.) Finally, pop a hole with a punch in the top left corner and run a coarse string through it. The string needs to be long enough to be attached to a cork, which is placed in the bottle to finish off the effect.
Is it a lot of work for one dinner party? Maybe. But it also makes a great paperweight.
Sebastien Centner is the director of Eatertainment Special Events & Catering (www.eatertainment.com ).
