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DIY Thanksgiving Place Cards Idea

Today I’m sharing with you a fun way to make place cards for your Thanksgiving Table. If you like this project you may also like this DIY Gratitude Banner Thanksgiving Craft idea.

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

Last summer my family and I took a trip to the Netherlands and Norway.  My Great Grandfather was born in Norway, and my dad lived there for 2 years in his twenties.  Ever since I was a kid I’ve had a visit to Norway on my “bucket list”.

I’m happy to say that the trip lived up to my expectations. Norway is exceptionally gorgeous, I had to remind myself at times that what I was looking at was real, and not something from a movie set.

We flew into Amsterdam, spent 3 days there then hopped on a cruise ship to take us up through the fjords of Norway. I made sure to take my large DSLR camera to snap photos, but I also wanted a way to involve the kids in the photography process. Yes, they had phones with them, but I wanted to give them a bit “more” to do while walking around the cities. 

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

My youngest daughter took our INSTAX camera with her to use on the trip.  It was just the right size for her to put in here purse and she had a great time planning out her photographs.  After a few days her twin brother got in on the action and they had a great time running around together looking for things that would make “cool” photos.

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

The camera was a “hit” and in the days since we’ve been back I’ve discovered a few more creative ways to use our INSTAX.

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

This year for Thanksgiving I’m going to use it to create custom photo place cards for our Thanksgiving table.

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

The plan is to put the kids in charge of photographing our guests as they come through the door.  Then use those photographs as place cards at our dinner table.  I think it will be a fun way to keep the kids preoccupied before dinner starts. It will also be a great way to get photos (for me to keep) of all of our dinner guests.

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

To make the place cards, I purchased photo clips at a local store (I got mine a few months ago, so I don’t know if these exact ones are still available, but it is quite easy to find photo clips).

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

To make a simple photo album for the photos, I simply used a few scrapbook  3” x 4” “journaling” cards. You can find these types of cards in most craft and some big box stores.

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

FYI: The 3” x 4” is the perfect size to use with the INSTAX printed photos.

After I attached each photo to a card, I simply punched a hole in the top of each card and used an “O” ring to hold the cards together.

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

For the front of the card I simply used a glue stick to glue two of the cards together, back to back. That way the cover was a bit sturdier than the inside pages.

If you’d like to give this project a try, you can find Fuji Film INSTAX cameras at Amazon, Best Buy, Urban Outfitters, Wal-Mart, Michaels, Staples, Target and Jo Ann.

I’m excited to add this project to our annual Thanksgiving traditions.  

Cute idea for Thanksgiving Place Cards- DIY Photo place cards using Instax photos

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75 Comments

  1. What a sweet photo album of the ones we love! It takes me back to the “old” days of looking through albums of photos..something we don’t keep up with anymore with cell phones and digital cameras. One Thanksgiving tradition we have besides always having turkey and dressing, is to individually share one thing we are currently thankful for. Each year, the thought gets a bit deeper and more sentimental.

  2. My favorite Thanksgiving tradition in our house is watching the parade on TV and hanging out in our pj’s until around noon. Cooking turkey and trimmings is much more fun in pj’s! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway
    Erin
    erinloves2run at gmail dot com

  3. Since my Mom’s move to Florida, we now switch around who gets to host Thanksgiving dinner. We all pitch in a bring a dish along with activities to keep the kids entertained. We’ve also started a new tradition of selecting names for our Christmas gift exchange (for the adults anyway). Thanks for the giveaway. grinnie1961 at gmail dot com

  4. We put our favorite stuffed animal turkey out as a centerpiece every Thanksgiving. My kids also like to help make festive place settings for our guests.

  5. Our favorite traditions are watching the parade on TV, making a big turkey with all the trimmings and getting together to try out all the new pies that we make every year. I have 4 sisters and we all make a different pie to try out, of course we always have our Apple and Pumpkin pies.

  6. Besides all of the good food and gathering with family, we always try to do some sort of activity, usually starting before Thanksgiving day, to recognize our blessings. Some years we’ve written things we are grateful for on paper leaves, we have made a gratitude chain, added feathers to a turkey, or simply gone around in a circle and mentioned things we are thankful for. It just makes for a more meaningful celebration when we can focus on all the good things that we have before digging into all of the delicious food.

  7. while trying to make thanksgiving memories for my nieces, we started a black friday cousins event– which now starts on thursday. My sisters and sister-in law give all the girls money for christmas (that was genius) after thanksgiving dinner and then go shopping.

    My youngest niece when asked her favorite holiday says “Black Friday”

    we may have missed the target 😉 but they love the time with us and their cousins

  8. I’m 36 and my mother still pulls out a fall themed aplique wall hanging I made in high school. It’s only part of the set up that makes thanksgiving special. The one I look forward to every year is writing the names of our family and friends on fake leaves for place settings. It’s a sweet moment and all mine.

  9. Very fun idea for place cards. We’ve only done hand written ones but now I’m going to try photos.
    nwilcox95(at)comcast(dot)net

  10. Typically we make a few dishes the night before and a frozen chocolate pie. It’s hands down the best pie ever. Then we drive to my aunts and meet with with whole family to eat and then watch football. Good times.
    alibear167 at gmail

  11. Well it used to be that everyone met at my moms and ate all day and talked and hung out and stayed for breakfast in the am. But since we are all spread out I started something different with my kids. We all get together and start a line to make home made empanadas. Even the little one has a job to flour the discos! Its great but the empanadas rarely make it to the dinner table.

  12. My favorite tradition is volunteering to help feed the homeless on Thanksgiving Day. Hundreds volunteer and it is a rewarding way to feel how blessed we are.

  13. This is a great idea..We have 10 (almost 11) grandchildren and they have a grown up table they love to sit at together for all holidays…what a fun way to give them placecards. I will definately be doing this for them. I might even take pictures of their loveys (animals they sleep with) and let that be their picture. That way they will have to find their place. 🙂 I also love the holders you have used!
    Debbie Johnson

  14. My husband’s family always gets together and that means 14 kids from 5 families enjoying each other very loudly! haha

  15. Everyone comes to our house for Thanksgiving, so I’m going to use your great idea for place cards this year. Can’t wait!

  16. My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is staying in PJ’s as long as possible….then setting the table, walking outside to find items to be the centerpiece and then sitting down to a homemade dinner with family

  17. Since losing our parents things will never be the same as they were when we all had little ones and packed them all up to go to Grandma’s house but life goes on and we are trying to make our own traditions. I still have the first set of place cards my grandchildren made for us one year and I treasure them.

  18. We have been getting together at my brother’s house for over 40 years. My sister-in-law does all the cooking (we shared different holidays). We are 4 sisters and 1 brother. We eat and enjoy each others company and our kids get to visit with their cousins. I will take her a Thanksgiving theme gift. Before we leave we take pictures of each family and my sister will give each one their picture for Christmas.

  19. What a cute place card idea! I make an effort to make homemade decorated place cards and/or napkin holders each year, with whatever children are visiting our house in October and November. Our focus for the immediate family is watching the Macy’s parade on TV together, all in our pajamas. The location of the dinner with extended family varies from year to year, but this year I will be establishing the traditions of “Thanksgiving at Grandma & Grandpa’s House” for my first grandchild. I think I would like to continue my own dear mother’s tradition of having a “Family Holiday Boardgame Olympics”- keeping track of the winner(s) of all the various boardgames we play together when we get together for holiday dinners, and declaring a “champion” after New Year’s Day.

  20. Thanksgiving and Christmas are such a special time for the gathering of family and friends. Our tradition starts with food and lots of it and sharing the day talking and enjoying each other. The younger kids always are so excited for the upcoming visit from Santa and since I always have the tree up and house decorated by then they still marvel over the tree items that they made thru the years. We always include friends that dont have family close and make sure they are a part of our family too.

  21. My favorite Thanksgiving tradition besides eating, is having everyone go around the table and say what they are thankful for. It is beautiful, especially for the children

  22. I love the idea of place cards with a photo. My nieces and nephews would get a kick out of it. I like the small camera and it seems to take great photos.

  23. The menu for our Thanksgiving dinner stays the same each year. Everyone looks forward to the special side dishes, that to change any would result in some disappointed guests. But I do like to mix up the seating for our gathering of 12-15 people, so these photo place cards would be a nice addition!

  24. We had fall-colored paper cut in the shape of leaves. Family & guests were to write what they were thankful for on leaves and than we taped them on the wall as a decoration.

  25. My biggest Thanksgiving tradition is the making of my dressing which everyone always wants. I think if I just served my dressing and some hot rolls, everyone would be happy Just door old cornbread dressing, nothing fancy, but LOTS AND LOTS of broth and butter in 🙂 🙂

  26. Thanksgiving is very much about comfort in my family. We eat well, sometimes play cards and watch footbal and definitely nap! It’s about being together and enjoying the time ?

  27. One of our fun Thanksgiving traditions, is that the kids use some fun Turkey placemats I made for them years ago. There are pockets at each feather for the utensils and napkin.

  28. It might sound lame but we play pin the drimstick on the turkey every year. It’s really a lot fun and the adults have just as much fun (if not more) as the kiddos. Plus it’s a fun way to get evryone laughing and having a good time.

  29. My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is the family get-together, we get to see family out of town and country while enjoying food.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

  30. We alternate years at my family’s and my husband’s family’s house. It’s always a big feast with lots of napping afterwards!

  31. We don’t have strong Thanksgiving traditions at our house. We’ve spent some Thanksgiving meals at our home, some at Disney World, and some at family’s homes.

  32. I love the idea. We are getting together with my husband’s family for Thanksgiving this year. My husband’s family makes noodles with turkey gravy and serves it over mashed potatoes. That is the Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition.

  33. My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is, no matter who’s house we have dinner at, we each make at least one food item. There’s always a new dish to try, and I love that!

  34. My favorite Thanksgiving traditions are to always go to our local city Thanksgiving/Christmas parade! It’s about two hours long but it’s so much fun! Also, I love watching the Macy’s Day Parade when I am cooking Thanksgiving lunch. I do it every year and it has now become a tradition.

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