21 Easy DIY Christmas Place Card Holders for Your Table

21 Unique DIY Christmas Place Card Holders

I absolutely love entertaining, and Christmas is one of my favorite holidays to host! To help get your Christmas table holiday-ready, I’m sharing 21 fun and unique ideas for displaying DIY Christmas place card holders that will make your holiday table feel extra special.

Whether it’s a cozy family dinner or a festive party with friends, these DIY ideas bring a little magic to each place setting. From rustic to elegant, there’s something here for every style—let’s jump in and find the perfect one for your holiday table!

And to make it even easier, I’ve included FREE templates you can edit, download, and print right at home!

I’ve designed these place cards as a free gift for my subscribers in my printables library. Click here to download, or join the community to get instant access to all the free printables!

1. Fresh Lambs Ear Bow

This is the sweetest bow and so easy to make.

All you need are a few simple craft supplies.

Start by cutting four leaves to a similar size, then let them dry for about a day.

Once they’re ready, use a hot glue gun on the cool setting to glue the leaves into loops, following the steps shown in the image above.

To keep the loops open, slide a large marker inside each one and allow them to set for a day or two.

Then, cut the ends of two other leaves to form ribbon points, and let those dry as well.

Next, glue the loops together at the center to create your bow. Take a fresh leaf, fold it in half, and wrap it around the center of the bow loops, gluing it on the back to hold it in place. Then, glue the ribbon ends onto the back of the bow.

For the base, cut a 1-inch round from an empty toilet paper roll. Wrap a piece of satin ribbon around this cardboard ring and glue it securely.

Attach your name card to the top of the ring, then hot glue the bow on top, following the image for exact placement. Once everything is dry, place your napkin inside the ring and that’s it!

Just a quick note—these are delicate, so handle them gently to keep them looking their best!

2. Nutcracker Holding a Wreath

With these sweet nutcrackers welcoming your guests, your table setting will look absolutely charming this holiday season.

To make these DIY Christmas place card holders, start with a simple, plain wood nutcracker, which is such a fun and versatile base for this project.

First, paint your nutcracker with a soft whitewash to give him a classic, wintery feel, and then add touches of gold accents to bring out some holiday sparkle.

Once your nutcracker is dry, attach a little wreath of faux greenery around his neck. Then, create a handwritten name card and tuck it into the greenery, giving each nutcracker its own personalized touch.

This is such an easy project, and you can customize it with different colors or embellishments to match your holiday table decor!

3. DIY Christmas Place Card Holders with Mini Bottle Brush Trees

To make these mini Christmas DIY place card holders, start by gathering a few small clear bottles with corks. You’ll also need some small bottle brush trees.

First, fill each bottle halfway with white glitter to look like snow, then put the cork back on. Take off the wooden base of each tree, and carefully insert the tree into the cork so it stays in place.

For a little extra decoration, you can wrap some greenery around the neck of the bottle. Then, tie on a name card (you can use one from my FREE printable library) with baker’s twine to finish it off.

If you can’t find small bottles, wooden spools are a great alternative and give a nice look too.

4. Dried Thistles Wrapped with Baker’s Twine

If you love more natural looking Christmas decor, these DIY Christmas place card holders are perfect!

Give some foraged thistles a festive update with just a touch of liquid gold foil to bring out their natural texture and give them a holiday shimmer.

Then, to finish, attach a name card (available in my FREE printable library) with a simple piece of raffia, and glue a small slice of dried orange to one corner for an extra pop of color.

This easy touch makes each place setting feel unique and perfectly seasonal, with just the right hint of homemade charm!

5. Fresh Green Tree in a Burlap Bag

There’s nothing quite like fresh greenery to bring your Christmas tablescape to life! These easy DIY Christmas place card holders require just a few simple supplies and add a natural, festive touch to each place setting.

You’ll need mini burlap bags, fresh greenery, white rice, and printable tags (available in my FREE printable library).

Start by filling each burlap bag with white rice to give it a bit of weight, so it stays nicely in place on the table. Next, tuck in a sprig of greenery for that fresh, seasonal look. You can clip some branches from your own yard, or ask your local greenhouse or nursery if they have tree trimmings or branches they are willing to part with for free!

Finally, tie on an adorable nutcracker name tag with burlap twine for a charming, personalized touch.

6. Gingerbread House Name Card Holder

Saying Merry Christmas to your guests is so easy with these sweet DIY gingerbread house place card holders.

Pick up some small birdhouse sticks (often available at craft stores like Michael’s), or use small wooden birdhouses if that’s what you find. Begin by removing any sticks from the birdhouses, covering any small holes with tape for a smooth surface. Then, paint each one to look like a gingerbread house.

For extra detail, try adding small pieces of pinecone to the roof for texture and a rustic look.

Finally, place each finished “gingerbread” house in a small boxwood wreath—freshly made from garden clippings if possible. (Instructions for creating these mini wreaths can be found further down in this blog post.)

Add your personalized ginger bread name tags and you have an adorable, festive place card holder that adds personality to each seat at the table!

7. DIY Mushroom Christmas Place Card Holders

Add some whimsy to your dining room table with these pots of mushrooms.

I picked these paper mushrooms up in the clearance section of Michael’s leftover from spring. However, you could use wood mushrooms. Paint the cap with liquid gold foil and place them in a flower pot painted white.

In addition, placing a small amount of moss in the pot gives you a touch of texture and nature.

Then, top it off with a mushroom shape name tag you can download for free.

8. Paper Bag Silverware Holder

Adding a personal touch to your dinner table will make your guests feel special, and this is such an easy DIY.

These DIY Christmas place card holders are not only an incredibly affordable and simple way to add holiday charm, but they also help keep your place settings organized, so everyone knows just where to sit.

Grab some small brown flat paper bags and hand-write your guests’ names on the front.

Then slip your silverware inside and wrap the bag up with a rustic burlap bow.

It’s a small touch that adds warmth, making each guest feel welcomed and creating a beautiful, cohesive table setting.

9. DIY Place Card Holders with Citrus and Christmas Greens

This is an easy and fun place card tag.

Start with a basic brown tag. Then, to create a layered look, hot glue a smaller printable tag (available for download here) onto the larger brown tag.

Next, glue on dried orange ornament to add a pop of color and natural fragrance, then tie the printable name tag with raffia for a rustic touch.

To finish, tuck in a sprig of fresh greenery. This simple combination of textures and colors makes each place card feel thoughtful and festive, bringing a cozy, handmade charm to your Christmas table.

And your guest can take the DIY ornament with them as a party favor after the meal is finished.

10. Fresh Rosemary Wreath with Dried Orange Slices

These DIY place card holders are not only simple to make, but they will fill your table with the wonderful scents of Christmas!

To start, gather a small grapevine wreath, some fresh rosemary sprigs, and a paddle of small gauge craft wire.

Begin by attaching the wire to the wreath, then wrap the rosemary sprigs around it, securing them with the wire as you go. Continue adding sprigs until the entire wreath is covered in fragrant rosemary.

Once the wreath is ready, attach a stocking-shaped Christmas tag with a simple raffia tie, and finish it off with a slice of dried orange for a touch of festive color and a bit of extra fragrance.

11. Cinnamon Stick DIY Christmas Place Card Holders

Oh, the sweet smell of cinnamon sure makes your table smell wonderful.

To create this simple card stand, use a hot glue gun to glue three small cinnamon sticks together. Ensure that the groove in the cinnamon stick faces up so your name card can rest inside it.

Then hot glue a small piece of fresh greenery to the cinnamon sticks and place a slice of dried orange on the plate or glue it behind them.

You can find this rustic-inspired pine tree name card in my FREE printable library HERE.

12. Lambs Ear Christmas Tree Name Card Holder

Isn’t this the cutest? My girlfriend, Diane, introduced me to how to preserve lamb’s ear, and I am obsessed.

It’s quite an easy task. Who would have known??!

To start, cut your fresh lamb’s ear leaves and allow them to dry for a day or so. I like to work with the leaves while they are still soft, as they can become very fragile when dry. You can read Diane’s detailed blog post for further details with the link above in yellow.

Then use a small styrofoam cone and use a glue gun on the cool setting to attach the lamb’s ear leaves.

If you can’t find fresh lamb’s ear, no worries! You can make these DIY Christmas place card holders with faux lamb’s ear, too!

To finish, embellish your tree with a cute ornament tag with your guest’s name.

(Note: You can customize all of my printable tags with your own names by simply creating a free account at www.canva.com.)

13. Elegant Gold Bell Place Card Holder

This simple and elegant name card holder sits neatly in the slots of a large decorative gold Christmas bell, with a touch of velvet ribbon tied around it for a bit of added charm.

This beautiful idea is from my friend Michele at @vintagehomedesigns. You can see the full table setup Michele created using this pretty place setting HERE.

It’s an easy yet stylish way to add a festive and personal touch to your holiday table.

14. Fresh Boxwood Wreath DIY Place Card Holders

Start with a few sprigs of boxwood—if you have some in the garden, even better! Grab a spool of wire, and wire the sprigs together, shaping them into a small wreath. It’s quick and straightforward but adds a lovely, natural touch.

For a bit of color, add a small ribbon banner across the wreath. This easy DIY is sweet and simple, perfect for adding a handmade charm to your holiday table.

15. Epoxy Red Apples

These bright, shiny candied apples look almost good enough to eat! To make them, coat a faux apple with red epoxy, letting it pool slightly as it dries on wax paper to create that classic, glossy candy apple look.

For the name card, punch two small holes at the top, then thread some red and white striped holiday ribbon through and tie it around the stick. It’s a simple way to add a playful and festive touch to each place setting, making your holiday table feel extra special.

P.s. You can see more of these colorful apples and how to use them in your Christmas decor HERE.

16. Christmas Candy Cane DIY Place Card Holders

The traditional candy cane adds a fresh and whimsical look to your dinner table with these sweet card holders.

Simply hot glue three candy canes together, making sure the base is level.

Then punch two holes in your name card, then thread some pretty Christmas ribbon through one hole. Wrap it around the candy canes, pull it back through the second hole, and tighten it up.

17. DIY Birdhouse and Christmas Cardinal Name Card Holders

The red cardinal has become a beloved symbol of Christmas and winter making these DIY birdhouse place card holders the perfect finishing touch for your holiday place setting.

You can find small birdhouses at most craft stores. Then simply add a small piece of greenery to the roof and clip on a faux cardinal to the branch.

To finish, print these beautiful free red printable place cards with the name of your guests and tie it onto the branch with some red and white craft twine.

18. Bird’s Nest

A small bird’s nest filled with moss adds a sweet look to your holiday table.

Start with a few small brown craft paper tags, and use a marker or gel pen to write your guests’ names on each one for a personal touch. Then, just hot glue the tags onto small decorative nests.

These little nests add a cozy, natural look that works great for a holiday or rustic table setting.

19. Edible Popcorn Tree

Yup, you read that correctly. These DIY popcorn tree place card holders and can serve as your dessert too.

First, start with a sugar ice cream cone. Then, dip your popcorn in melted white chocolate, and attach it to the cone.

To finish, add a simple name card to the bottom and that’s it!

A fun, festive (and tasty!) place card holder that will add a special touch to any holiday table.

20. Pink Foiled Pear

Maybe you want to create an out-of-the-box table using a pink theme this year.

To create these pretty personalized faux pears, gather a few supplies: a faux pear, gold foil adhesive, pink foil, and a chip paintbrush.

Start by brushing the gold foil adhesive onto the pear and let it sit for 20-30 minutes—just be sure to check the directions on your adhesive first.

Once it’s ready, apply the pink foil to the pear, pressing it gently. Then, take a dry chip brush and burnish the foil to create a smooth, polished look.

For a finishing touch, add a personalized pink name tag for each dinner guest.

21. Topiary tree chinoiserie name card holder

Lastly, if you have seem my red and blue summer table printables, they are also perfect for the Christmas dinner table.

Simply attach the name card around the tree trunk and place it above the plate for each guest.

Lasting Impressions: DIY Christmas Place Card Holders to Make Spirits Bright

I hope you enjoyed this post and found some inspiration for adding a personal touch to your holiday table!

These DIY Christmas place card holders are such a fun way to show your guests how much they mean to you, and they’ll add that little extra bit of holiday magic to your gathering.

Whether you go with fresh greenery, a pop of color, or a cozy rustic look, each one will bring warmth and charm to your table.

I hope you have fun creating, and enjoy the smiles these thoughtful touches bring to your holiday celebration.

Join the hop below for more holiday inspiration. To follow along, just click the highlighted links below each of the images.

Wishing you a Christmas filled with love, laughter, and beautiful memories!

The Ponds Farmhouse / Cottage on Bunker Hill / Chas Crazy Creations /

Design Morsels / The Tatter Pew / White Arrows Home

Midwest Life & Style / Bricks N Blooms / Simply 2 Moms /

Shiplap & Shells / Down Shiloh Road / Country Road 407

Celebrate & Decorate / WM Design House / Peacock Ridge Farm

/ Robyn’s French Nest / Life At Bella Terra

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