Creative Menu Card Ideas

by Betsy Goldberg, Posted Jul 8th 2010 5:00PM

To help your tables look extra polished -- and get guests excited about the meal -- try one of these 10 innovative ideas for eye-catching menu cards.

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Creative Menu Card Ideas

Instead of limiting yourself to a white paper menu tucked into a napkin, consider sleeker materials like clear acrylic or brass, says NH-based stationer Christine Traulich of Red Bliss. "This way, the menu can complement your flowers and linens and become a key part of the tablescape."

Menu card by Red Bliss.

Creative Menu Card Ideas

For smaller settings (tables of eight or fewer), put a spin on traditional menus. Write the dishes on chalkboards or elegant framed mirrors, Traulich suggests, and place one or two in the center of the table instead of one at each setting; this gives the room more of an intimate, homespun feel.

Menu card by Red Bliss.

Creative Menu Card Ideas

For an outdoor fete, Boston-based stationer Karen Bartolomei of Grapevine print menus on pretty paddle fans that guests can also use to cool off.

Menu card by Grapevine.

Creative Menu Card Ideas

A breezy, open-air locale may call for a sturdier style of menu: Mount the cards to flat, fabric-covered boards or have the text burned into a piece of wood veneer, Bartolomei suggests.

Menu card by Grapevine.

Creative Menu Card Ideas

For a fall affair, use leaf-shaped menus in autumn colors, with each course printed on a separate leaf and all tied together with ribbon, says Bartolomei.

Menu card by Grapevine.

Creative Menu Card Ideas

Lots of couples like circular menus since they can fit perfectly atop a charger. Take the concept one step further, Bartolomei says, by having your menu printed on clear Plexiglas and adding Swarovski crystals for a subtle shimmer.

Menu card by Grapevine.

Creative Menu Card Ideas

"Double up on color -- the bolder the better -- by choosing menu cards in the same shade as your table linens," suggests stationer Ceci of Ceci New York. Red menus atop red linens is an especially dramatic look, she says.

Menu card by Ceci New York.

Creative Menu Card Ideas

Give place settings extra sparkle by using foil printing, Ceci suggests. The shiny detail will reflect candlelight and help give the room a festive glow.

Menu card by Ceci New York.

Creative Menu Card Ideas

Incorporate materials that match your wedding decor, such as cork for a vineyard affair or velvet for an opulent winter wedding, says Ceci.

Menu card by Ceci New York.

Creative Menu Card Ideas

Brighten the room by having menu cards printed in a few different hues. "For a tropical wedding, I did menus in orange, red, yellow and green," Ceci says. "Each table got only one shade, and the space looked spectacular with these four blocks of vibrant color."

Menu card by Ceci New York.

Creative Menu Card Ideas

Tags: Ceci New York, Grapevine, menu cards, Red Bliss, wedding stationery