Thanksgiving Place Cards: Free Paper Pumpkin Craft

Make your family and friends feel special this year with Thanksgiving place cards, table favors and beautiful table decor.

Thanksgiving gatherings hold many pleasant memories for each of us. Time spent around the table with homemade food, heartfelt conversations and holiday traditions.

This year, with smaller gatherings, why not plan a special fall tablescape? Thoughtful Thanksgiving table decor will be sure to make your guests feel comfortable and at home. These warm gestures show appreciation and gratitude to the ones you love.

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My Thanksgiving table decor is more casual this year, but I did dress it up a bit with these mini paper pumpkin place cards. These pumpkin luminaries add a soft glow to the table with an LED tea light and they will guide your guests to their seat at the table. The best part is they double as a table favor that your loved one can take with them and enjoy at home.

If you have a Silhouette Cameo or Cricut machine, this is a simple craft to make using the free SVG cut files in the library. I’ve also provided printable PDF templates for those of you who are good with a craft knife and cut mat. Let me show you how to make them.

SUPPLIES TO MAKE THANKSGIVING PAPER PUMPKIN PLACE CARDS

• Paper
• Vellum
• Adhesive or Paper Cement
• Silhouette Cameo or Cricut Maker
• Light Grip Cutting Mat (For Cricut or Silhouette)
• LED Lights
• Scraper Tool For Your Cutting Mat

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PUMPKIN PLACECARD TEMPLATES

I designed these paper pumpkins to be cut on an electronic cutting machine (i.e. Silhouette Cameo or Cricut). Before you begin this craft, you’ll need to cut out the various pieces for assembly.

To download your free SVG cut files, subscribe at the top right sidebar or at the bottom of this post. After a few moments you will receive an email confirming your subscription (check your spam or promotions folder if you don’t see it.) Once you confirm your subscription you will receive a “welcome email” with the password. Go to the library page and enter the password in the empty box located below the word “Password”. You can also access the library on the top menu bar any time you’d like with your password.

Please keep in mind that the password is case sensitive and does have spaces. Also, check to make sure your caps lock is turned off. If you have any problems, email me at laura@heartfilledspaces.com and I’ll do my best to help.

Once in the library you can click on the appropriate links next to the photos to download your files. At this point a preview window of the file will appear. In the preview window, on the top right, there is a downward facing arrow with a line under it. Click on the arrow to download the file and save it to your computer.

CUTTING THE PAPER AND VELLUM

Once assembled the pumpkins measure about 3.75″ tall and 3.75″ wide. You will need (1) 8.5″X11″ piece of card-stock and (1) 8.5″ X 11″ piece of vellum per pumpkin. Additionally, you will need other colors for the stem and leaf/place card. I recommend 65 lb. card-stock and 93 GSM vellum. There are two files to complete your pumpkins: the Mini Pumpkin file and the Mini Pumpkin Vellum file. Here is a picture of all the file pieces once they are cut.

Silhouette Cameo Instructions and Cut Settings

These cut settings are for 65 lb. card-stock using a new auto-blade. You’ll also want to use a light grip cutting mat. If you have not completed the download step, refer back to the DOWNLOAD THE FREE PUMPKIN PLACECARD TEMPLATES section up above for instructions.

Open the Mini Pumpkin file in Silhouette Studio. It will be in the location you downloaded it from the library. Change the name of the person on the small leaf. If using a script font, highlight the name and weld it together. Alternatively, you can copy the small leaf and paste it into a new page. Then duplicate it and make all of your name tags at once. I used the sketch pens for my name tags and then cut them out with the auto-blade. You can also use print and cut if you make you name tags all at once.

Card-stock Cut Settings

Blade: 4, Force: 28, Speed: 4, Passes: 2, Overcut: On

The pattern should cut completely through the cardstock, so you can lift it off of the cutting mat, leaving all of the extra bits behind on the mat. Then you can just scrape them off of the mat. If you are running into problems, adjust your cut settings and double check that overcut is turned on and you are making two passes with your blade.

Open the Mini Pumpkin Vellum file in Silhouette Studio.

Vellum Cut Settings (for 93 GSM vellum)

Blade: 2, Force: 19, Speed: 6, Passes: 1, Overcut: Off

Be careful when removing the vellum from the light grip mat. Lift one panel at a time ending with the center of the pattern. If you try to remove it too quickly, the vellum may tear.

Cricut Instructions, Cut Settings And File Sizes

Open Cricut Design Space. Click upload on the bottom left toolbar. Then click upload image and then browse. Select the Mini Pumpkin File that you downloaded earlier from the library. If you have not completed the download step, refer back to the DOWNLOAD THE FREE PUMPKIN PLACECARD TEMPLATES section up above for instructions.

Click open and rename the file and add tags if you want to. Then click save. Now select the file and choose Insert Images.

Resize the file to a width of 8.252″ and height of 10.832″. Right click on the file and ungroup it. Now, working in the layers panel, select all of the individual black cut lines (there are 14 black cut lines). Once they are all selected, change the line type from cut to score.

Next, select the yellow polygon and change it from cut to score. Now select the polygon score lines, the 12 panel score lines and the purple pumpkin panel and attach the layers.

Now select the yellow stem and stem score lines and attach them together.

At this point you can add text (name) to the small heart. Be sure to change your text from cut to draw and attach the small leaf and text together. If you are using a script font, you may need to weld it together.

Tip: To save on paper, attach all of the layers that will be cut from the same color card-stock.

Click Make It. Check to make sure your preview looks correct and click continue. Set your base material to Cardstock For Intricate Cuts. Load your 65 lb. card-stock on a light grip mat. Add your tools, i.e. cricut pen, scoring wheel, then fine-point blade. Load your mat into the machine and press Go. When you have completed cutting all of your cardstock pieces click finish.

Upload the Mini Pumpkin Vellum to Cricut Design Space from the location you previously saved it. Name the file and save it. Select the file and choose Insert Images.

Resize the vellum file to 7.8″ by 7.8″. Choose Make It. Click continue. Set the base material to Vellum. Load the Fine-Point Blade in Clamp B. Place your vellum on a light grip mat and load it into your machine. Press Go.

Note: Take care when removing your vellum from the mat as it tears easily. Lift one section at a time, finishing with the center.

ASSEMBLE THE PUMPKIN PLACE CARD HOLDERS

Before you begin, be sure you have all of the pieces you will need cut and ready to assemble. Here is a picture of what you should have.

Start with the main card-stock panel for your pumpkin.

Add some adhesive to the center of the panel.

Align the rectangle on the vellum panel to the rectangle on the card-stock panel and press it into the adhesive in the center.

Working one section at a time, add adhesive to the card-stock and press the vellum into it.

Repeat this process until all of the vellum sections are adhered to the card-stock. Tip: I prefer to use paper cement as my adhesive for vellum luminaries. But I wanted to also show you that you can use a tape runner or glue stick if that’s what you have on hand. Just know that the tape runner sometimes will leave strings of glue in between the leaf pattern. It will show slightly when the pumpkin is completed.

Take one of your polygon pieces and add adhesive to one side. Then add adhesive to each of the ends of the main pumpkin panel sections.

Fold the ends of the panel sections along the score line and adhere them to the outside of the polygon panel. See the image above.

Take your second polygon panel, add adhesive and press it to the bottom of the pumpkin.

Use your index finger and thumb to secure it in place all along the inside of the polygon.

Now set your pumpkin upright and give it a gentle press on the top. This step helps the individual panels pop or separate away from each other and shapes the pumpkin.

Create Your Pumpkin Stem

Fold the end of the stem along the score lines. Then wrap the remainder of the stem along a thin paint brush handle.

Add some adhesive to the end of the stem and slip it into the rectangular slot at the top of the pumpkin. Press it to the inside top of the pumpkin using your index finger from the inside.

Add The Thanksgiving Place Cards To The Top Of The Pumpkins

Add some adhesive to the back of the larger heart-shaped leaf. Then slide it over the stem of the pumpkin and press the adhesive to the top of the card-stock.

Finally, add some adhesive to the back of the smaller heart with the person’s name. Then line it up and press it to the larger leaf. Then curl your thin strips of paper and secure them on the inside of the pumpkin. Now you can slip an LED tea light candle under the pumpkin and it’s finished.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Don’t miss out! Subscribe to get my latest craft ideas and home decor projects. Join the community and gain access my free library of over 60 printables, templates and cut files; including these free mini paper pumpkin place cards.

FOLLOW ALONG ON PINTEREST

Do you like budget friendly decor and crafts? Follow me on PINTEREST. Did you know that you can hover over the images below and save them for later? Just click on the red Pinterest button and save it to your Thanksgiving or Fall Crafts Board. It’s so helpful to Pin It now and save it for later, when your ready to start your project.

These Thanksgiving Place Cards make beautiful table decor and would be an inexpensive option for a fall wedding reception as well. Did you try this craft? Let us know your tips, tricks and variations of this project in the comments below.

From my family to yours, have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season!

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