personal photo taken on iPhone...sorry...one day, I will have a real adult camera....
OK, here's how you do it! I did this in a really haphazard order, because I am losing my mind. But you are probably more organized and can figure out the most logical way to follow these steps.
1. Make your seating chart. I made mine with an enormous post it stuck to the wall, circles drawn on it, and tiny posts its with people's names written on them. It was much easier for me to visualize and rearrange this way.
2. Decide what you are naming your tables. I couldn't decide so I punted it to Mr. M. He immediately said "Creatures." OK. At one week out, ladies, just nod and say "ok!" So creatures it is: Monster, Zombies, Mermaid, Fairy, Big Foot, Dragon, Ghost, Goblin, Manticore, Sphinx, Werewolf, Vampire, Phoenix, Witch.
3. Make some buttons! See my awesome tutorial here! Button making is easy and fun, and even college girls like Mini Magic and Snapback love to do it! Do this step early and often. Oh, and I ordered my buttons from Start to Finish Supplies, they seem to have the best deal.
4. Get some cork boards and spray paint them with chalkboard paint. The bad news is, the cork board absorbs the paint so you'll have to do maybe 4-5 coats. The good news is, the paint is absorbed and therefore dries quickly, so you don't have to wait too long between coats.
5. Buy or make tags. If you buy the tags, you will have to punch the holes in each one - 1 hole for the thumbtack and 2 holes strategically placed apart so the button pin will fit in nicely. I made my tags on my Silhouette and did trial and error until I got the holes in the right spot. It took a lot of wine and caffeine.
6. Write the names on the tags. I did first name last initial. Then write the table name or number.
7. Glue the pin backs on the buttons. Pro tip: hot glue is crap and will not cut it on this job. Go straight to the super glue. Enlist a friend, like Bridesmaid Pumpkin to help!
8. Place the tags in alphabetical order by last name, and begin to attach the buttons so the fabric designs are spread out. Give the best buttons to your friends, and give some manly men really girly buttons to be funny. Leave a space to write the last initials on the cork board / chalkboard.
9. Arrange and rearrange a million times because you left a few people out. You can skip that step, if you want.
10. Finish it off! Write on it with real chalk (the paint chalk markers are a no go on the spray painted cork, so don't even think about that!), attach all the tags, and marvel at how lovely it turned out!
What are you doing for your seating chart?
All of the buttons on their little tags make me so happy! It's so pretty and colorful!
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