Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year.
There isn’t the gift-giving stress.
I run a turkey trot with my friends.
It’s the one day a year that calories don’t count. 😂
I also want my family and guests to feel special when enjoying our meal. And maybe you do too. Even if you’re eating off paper plates and plastic forks. (No judgment here.)
Here’s how you make place card holders with resin.
Resin supply list:
- Resin Obsession super clear resin
- Ultralease resin mold release
- Resin flower mold
- Pearl Ex powder in antique gold, red russet, and pumpkin orange
- Mixing cups and stirring sticks
- Metallic acrylic paint
- Name badge clips or pin stem backs with clutch
- E6000
- Assorted papers, ribbons, and other embellishments to make the place cards
- Glue
Step 1: Mix and color resin
Mix 1 1/2 ounces of super clear resin. Since this clear epoxy resin mixes 2:1 you’ll need 1 ounce Part A plus 1/2 ounce Part B. Divide the mixed resin into three cups.
⭐️ BONUS: If you’ve never done this before, learn the 5 steps to mixing resin.
Add one powder color to each cup of clear epoxy. I added approximately 1/2 teaspoon of the pumpkin orange Pearl Ex for this mix, which was more than I needed. A pinch for this amount of resin is plenty.
Stir well.
Step 2: Pour the resin into the mold
Pour the resin into the mold.
💡 Pro tip: Prep the mold with a light layer of the resin mold release before adding the resin. If you haven’t used mold release before, learn how in this article on why I always use mold release.
After you’ve poured your colors, cover your resin mold with a plastic dome to keep dust off while it cures. Allow the charms to cure undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
Step 3: Demold
Here’s where you see your resin place card holders come to life.
Once cured, demold by twisting the mold and pushing from the backside. Grab a charm edge and peel out of the mold.
Step 4: Sand the edges
Use a file or sandpaper to file down any rough edges.
Step 5: Highlight the details
Paint metallic-colored acrylic paint over the charm.
Use a soft paper towel to remove paint from the high spots. This gives it a patina effect and makes it look vintage.
Allow drying for 24 hours before moving to the next step.
Step 6: Glue the stand to the resin charm back
I always save my conference name badges. The clips will be perfect for holding a card. (We artists are a strange bunch of hoarders aren’t we?)
Use a dot of E6000 to glue the clip to the back of the resin charm.
💡 Pro Tip: Test the clip in a couple of spots before you glue it on. You want to make sure you can’t see the clip from the front.
If you don’t have clips, check with an office supply store. Pin stem backs work great for this project as well.
Step 7: Make a paper name card
Making the place cards for the holders is more challenging than creating with epoxy resin. Promise. 😉
Print your guests’ names on white paper in a fancy font. Then, trim one edge of the paper with fancy scallop-edge scissors.
Glue the papers to a piece of cardstock a little larger in size.
This is Fred. No, he doesn’t eat at the dinner table with us. But, I did give him a couple of cookies as payment for the rights to use his name in this tutorial on how to make place card holders. (He’s got a tough lawyer.)
Apply burlap ribbon to the other side to give your place card more visual interest.
Once the glue is dry, trim the opposite edge of your card again so that it matches the white paper.
Time to put your place card into the holders!
You have three options to use your new place cardholders:
Option 1
Place the name card into the clip of your place cardholder. The clip will also help to prop up the resin flower.
I love how this looks like an expensive piece of tableware.
Option 2
If using a pin stem as the back, push it through the card as a decoration.
Option 3
Use the resin charm to clip the name card to the side of the napkin.
These place card holders would make lovely gifts for your guests as well. They could easily be used as a fancy way to hold papers at a desk. (Otherwise known as a bougie paper clip.)
Need place card holders for other holidays? You could change the colors for something to match Christmas, Hanukkah, or different holiday themes.
Want to learn how to make more than place card holders?
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