Repurposing Forks for Table Decor
Today’s post is another project from our wedding. When scrambling for ideas for table numbers (we chose to use seating charts and place cards), I had a hard time finding something that was simple, sustainable, and also fit the feeling we were trying to create. Martha Stewart has a pretty good collection of ideas, but none really fit what we were trying to do. We tried to keep our wedding décor simple, but also unique and thoughtful. We wanted something more than a tent card, but didn’t want distract from the centerpieces—our bouquets in enamelware. I also wanted to use something that could be easily repurposed.
We ended up with the idea to use mismatched silver-plate, bent into holders for numbers printed on cardstock. Forks can fairly easily be found in thrift and junk stores, especially if you’re looking for odds and ends. You do want to use silver plate for this project—it will be easier to bend, and the finished project will look good.
Most forks can be fairly easily bent with your hands, but we used a vice and some scrap wood since we were making about sixteen holders.
Use wood scraps to keep the vise from damaging the surface of the fork and flatten the tines. (You could also use a hammer if there isn’t a vise on a workbench near you). Then place the handle of the fork in the vise, about ½ to 2/3 up the handle and bend the tine end to a point a little bit beyond 90 degrees. The challenge is making sure the forks will stand upright. A little bit of tweaking might be necessary.
I’m looking forward to using our wedding fork holders to label buffet-style party food or dishes at a potluck. They can also be employed as place card holders at a dinner party. Bent fork holders would also make super cute, freestanding picture holders. (I might actually to this with some of our wedding photos).
I love that we are able to reuse some of our wedding décor. You’ll notice the round table runners (from this post) in the picture above. Now, if I could find a way to repurpose sixteen of those…
I'm thinking of revamping Friday's Project on DwellWell. Any interest?
(photo by Erika Ellis)
