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Find out more about Gretchen: Gretchen Goetz is a Dallas-based visual artist, writer and Emmy Award-winning set decorator who can't resist the impulse to get crafty and make cool things. She can often be heard saying, "Hey, don't throw that away! I can make something out of it!" You may contact her at pearlgoddess@sbcglobal.net. |
Setting the Thanksgiving table can be as much fun as preparing the food that goes on it. When I host the holiday meal, my nieces and I have fun coming up with new ideas for place cards.
Collecting acorns on a recent walk and wondering what to do with them was the inspiration for the hoot owl place cards for this year. Owls make me think of chilly nights with full moons – wonderful imagery for an autumnal feast.
To make your own, start with a leisurely walk to hunt for acorns. Since you’ll only need the caps, remove them and throw the bottom of the acorns back for the squirrels to enjoy.
Rinse the caps to remove any debris and let dry.
For place card bases, cut 4” x 4” squares of sturdy handmade or scrapbook paper (we used paper that looks like bark) and fold in half. Cut 2 1/2” ovals from yellow card stock. Use pinking shears or other decorative scissors to cut the bases and ovals. Cut small triangles for the owls’ beaks. On another sheet of paper, print the names of your expected guests, either by hand or with a software program, and cut them into individual rectangles.
To assemble, open the folded cards and lay flat. Glue the bottom half of a yellow oval to a card, so when it is folded again the top of the owl will stand up. Use tacky glue to attach two acorn caps to make owl eyes. Adhere to each card two feathers above the eyes, a triangle beak and printed name with small dots of glue.
If you’ve got lots of caps left over, make matching napkin rings. Cut 3/4” lengths of a paper towel tube and glue on acorn caps. When they’re dry, roll up a napkin and slip inside. Have a hoot of a holiday!
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