Turn your party menu into a stylish display

Whether you’re getting married or simply hosting a dinner party at your home, you’re going to need a menu for the occasion. Menus not only inform the guests what they’ll be enjoying for dinner, they add a sense of formality to your event, just like party invitations. There’s more than one way to display your menu, however. I’ve got a few ideas for presenting your menu below:

Print it on a napkin
Hosting a cocktail party? Then printing your menu of appetizers and drinks on cocktail napkins would be quite fitting. After all, this type of event doesn’t call for a very long list of food items and beverages, so a cocktail napkin offers the perfect amount of space. Arrange the napkin neatly on top of each place setting – you don’t want silverware put on top of the napkins because it will cover up the wording.

Use a chalkboard
A chalkboard set on an easel at the entrance of your party or wedding is a stylish way to inform your guests of the food items being served. This menu is great for events that have a rustic or vintage touch because it certainly fits in with the theme. Don’t have a chalkboard lying around? No worries. Take an old mirror or a silver platter and cover it with chalkboard paint. You can even put individual chalkboards with the menu printed on them at each place setting.

Paint a wooden sign
Use a painted wooden sign that can act as your party’s focal point for the evening. Hand-paint the evening’s menu of appetizers, entrees, drinks and desserts right onto a piece of stained wood. Wish you had more beautiful handwriting? Find out how to very easily fake calligraphy.

If your event is outdoors, hang this wooden sign from a tree. Wrap stringed lights around the trunk of the tree to illuminate the menu and make it easy to read. For an indoor party, hang this sign on the wall or place it on a side table and rest it against the wall.

Put your menu in a bowl
Menus are traditionally rectangular, but they don’t have to be. For instance, you can select a circle menu that fits perfectly in the bottom of your guest’s bowls. The stationery should be a color that contrasts with the dinnerware so your guests immediately notice the menu.

Opt for wooden crates
Rustic and bohemian brides have embraced the idea of using wooden crates in place of a traditional menu. You can write directly on the wooden crates using chalk, and then stack the crates on top of one another for a simple way to display the menu. Make sure that you place the crates in a high-traffic area where everyone will be able to see them.

Use a clipboard
Cover mini clipboards with decorative scrapbook paper, and then use the clip to display kraft paper menus. You can pick up kraft paper from your local hardware store – the stationery is simple, but lends lots of personality to your event.