Before I start with today’s post, I thought I would show you that I finished making all of my bunny napkin rings, and they are ready and waiting for Easter Sunday. These were a labor of love, and I can’t wait to use them!

These napkin rings set the bar pretty high for my place cards, which is quite unnerving, considering that I have no idea how I want them to look.  Most of the time I start out with a basic picture in my mind of what I want the project to end up looking like, but for times like this, where I have no idea at all,  I start by choosing the color combination and the basic design elements.

Choosing the color combination was relatively easy, as I based it off of our Spring flag, which will greet people when they drive up to the house. I will keep the navy and white as the primary colors, and bring in some of the other colors with the design elements.

The only design elements I was sure of at this point were that I wanted to continue the bunny theme and I wanted the place cards to be oval, to mimic the shape of an Easter egg.

I started by die cutting the two different ovals and the bunnies, and, after some trial and error with several color combinations, this is the basic design I came up with:

The navy and white ovals coordinate with the dishes and the napkin rings, and the navy and pink bunnies really pop against the white background. This bunny die cut is my favorite, and when you add the pom pom for the tail, it’s just the cutest thing ever!

As I was putting the basic design together, I began to picture the bunnies sitting in grass. Making grass was easier said than done, but I finally figured it out–I used a green scalloped oval and made the blades of grass by using my fringe scissors. I cut the blades a little deeper in the middle for the cottontails.

What a difference the grass made! The green really brightens up each card and I love how sweet the little cottontails look peeking out of the grass. I’m so pleased with how these place cards are beginning to take shape, but they need much more color and pizzazz.

I stamped some sweet yellow flowers and a tiny Easter sentiment at the top, and now we’re getting somewhere. The addition of the grass and flowers make sense, and give so much life and personality to the overall appearance of the cards. There is still just too much white space for my liking, however, so I wanted to bring in one more color and design element. I thought about  writing the names on the white oval as that would take up some of the white space, but it also would mean that I would have to make a whole new place card if I needed to change a name. I decided to stick with my original idea of writing the names on the grass, as the grass could easily be replaced if a name needed to be changed. I finally settled on adding in a tiny orange butterfly, and that did the trick for me–these cards are now complete.

The design process never ceases to amaze me, as an hour ago all I had was a color combination and a few basic design elements in mind. I couldn’t have predicted that these cards were what I was going to end up with, but that’s what makes paper crafting so exciting–you are never 100% sure what your final product is going to look like. These place cards are exactly what I wanted; they are bright and colorful like our Spring flag, and they just exude charm and personality, which makes me happy. I definitely think they will hold their own against the napkin rings.

I made a simple stand:

and this next picture will give you an idea of how they will look on the table:

I saw this napkin fold on Pier 1 Imports’ website, and decided to give it a try. The bunny ears fit in with my bunny theme, and the plastic eggs bring in even more color. Here’s the link in case you want to give it a try. Just keep scrolling down through the post; the napkin fold is right after the floral chandelier. I plan to fill the Easter eggs with Bunny Chow, in case our guests get hungry in-between the salad and main courses. It’s never good to have a hungry crowd!

I can’t wait for Easter Sunday–I am so excited to set the tables and see how everything looks together. I want these tables to be colorful and charming; to bring a smile to peoples’ faces; and, ok, to produce a few goosebumps. Just a few!

And now I need to put some time and effort into the meal…..

Thanks for stopping by, and, as always, remember:

“May the waves kiss your feet; the sand be your seat; and your friends out-number the stars”.

-C-