{"title":"How to Make Calligraphy Place Cards - Easy DIY Brush Lettering","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/calligraphy/how-to-make-calligraphy-place-cards","category":{"slug":"calligraphy","name":"Calligraphy"},"creator":{"name":"Lettering With Liv","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4jznFJUQ3wdHgbARQ6_rMw","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSy3_K5kqFQ"},"tldr":"Write calligraphy place cards by hand with a brush pen and folded index cards. Tips on spacing, spelling and four easy layouts.","quickAnswer":"Write calligraphy place cards by hand with a brush pen and folded index cards. An easy project. You need 5 things, including 4x6 unruled index cards, guest list and ultra fine black marker. The 8 steps start with fold 4x6 Index Cards Into Tent Place Cards, write the Name on the Place Card Without Penciling, add a Table Number to the Place Card in Small Print and use Thick Downstrokes and Thin Upstrokes on the Place Card Name.","totalDurationSeconds":323,"videoDurationSeconds":323,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":null,"waitMinutes":null,"totalMinutes":null,"estimatedCost":null,"yield":null},"tools":["Tombow Fudenosuke hard tip brush pen","Tombow Fudenosuke soft tip brush pen","ultra fine black marker"],"materials":["4x6 unruled index cards","guest list"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Fold 4x6 Index Cards Into Tent Place Cards","text":"Fold a stack of 4x6 index cards in half across the short side so each one stands up as a tent. Run a fingernail along the fold so it stays crisp. Set your pens out next to the cards, along with your list of names. She uses a hard tip and a soft tip Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen, plus a fine marker for the small print."},{"number":2,"title":"Write the Name on the Place Card Without Penciling","text":"Skip the pencil guide. Pencil rarely erases cleanly on index card stock. It smudges and can leave dents even when you press lightly. Write the name straight onto the card with the brush pen instead, moving slowly and steadily. Rest your other hand on the card so it does not slide while you letter."},{"number":3,"title":"Add a Table Number to the Place Card in Small Print","text":"Under the name, add the table number in small print with an ultra fine Sharpie or a fineliner. Keep it simple and light, like table two, so the name stays the star of the card. Small print in plain letters also makes a good contrast with the brush script above it. Line it up under the end of the name or center it."},{"number":4,"title":"Use Thick Downstrokes and Thin Upstrokes on the Place Card Name","text":"Brush lettering comes from pressure. Press the tip down as your pen moves toward you for a thick stroke. Ease up as the pen moves away for a thin hairline. You can see it in the capital A here: heavy legs, thin connecting lines. Go letter by letter, lifting the pen between strokes if it helps you keep control."},{"number":5,"title":"Slow Down and Check the Spelling on Each Place Card","text":"Take your time on every card. Speed is where mistakes creep in, so write as slowly as you need. Before you start a name, check it against your list twice. She has written a gorgeous card with the name spelled wrong, and it happens to everyone. If you slip, grab a fresh card and start over."},{"number":6,"title":"Try a Lowercase Name With a Spaced Capital Surname","text":"For a modern look, write the first name in all lowercase calligraphy. Underneath, print the last name in small capital letters with extra space between each one. The wide spacing balances the loops of the script above. Here a small boxed number in the corner marks the table without crowding the names."},{"number":7,"title":"Run the Calligraphy Name Edge to Edge on the Place Card","text":"Let the first and last strokes of the name run right off both edges of the card. On the Wenday card, the W and the y both reach the edge. It makes a bold, full card. Add the table number in small capitals below, centered under the name. You can also keep the name centered and only stretch the entry and exit strokes."},{"number":8,"title":"Write a Bouncy Calligraphy Place Card With a Table Assignment","text":"Bounce lettering lets letters sit above and below the line instead of in a flat row. Write the name in thicker strokes and let some letters dip and others rise. Add the table assignment underneath in a lighter hand. It looks relaxed and fun, which suits birthdays, showers and casual weddings."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-11-08T14:54:06.148Z","published":"2026-11-08T14:54:05.867Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}