Hosting This Season? These Pretty Menus, Place Cards, and More Will Make Any Gathering Extra Special
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Screenshot2025-11-17at4.46.24PM-993723ef606f423f999d2ccd75d09fa5.png)
The holiday season is here! If you’re hosting a seasonal soiree in the next couple of months, now is the time to start planning—what food you’ll be serving, what cocktails you want to make, how you want to decorate, and everything in between. After you have all the big stuff ironed out, you can think about the smaller details, because every good host knows it’s those little touches that make a party extra special for your guests.
Enter: REAL SIMPLE’s holiday collab with Minted. From the chicest menus to the prettiest place cards, these touches will make your holiday parties elevated and thoughtful. Here are some of our favorites to upgrade your festive fête!
The Prettiest Place Cards
Photo by Minted
If you’re hosting a holiday dinner, place cards are a lovely way to make your guests feel special and add a little something extra to their place setting. You can buy as few as five cards for a more intimate gathering, but Minted sells them up to a set of 600! If you don’t love your own handwriting, they also offer free personalization and can print them with your guests’ names, so you don’t have to bother with doing it yourself while you’re pulling the rest of the party together.
Sophisticated Menus
Photo by Minted
We love these menus because they give a little nod to the holiday season but are versatile enough to be used year-round! They come in six different colors and are sold in packs of ten or more. Just fill in the menu and place them on plates—if you’re feeling artsy, you can even add little illustrations of what you’ll be serving!
Double-Duty Wrapping Paper
Photo by Minted
Minted has a gorgeous collection of wrapping paper, and this is one of our favorites, with its slightly retro-holiday vibe. And while yes, it’s obviously great for gifts, we actually love the idea of making a table runner out of a pretty paper. It would work well on a more casual table, layered over a tablecloth, or at the kids’ table. It’s an inexpensive way to add color and pattern to your holiday hosting!
Customized Gift Tags
Photo by Minted
While gift tags like these are certainly lovely for a host gift, they’re also a nice touch to add to little takeaway favors you might have for guests. Some ideas: homemade cookies, a pretty ornament, or a favorite scented candle. You can give them out when guests leave, or put the favors at their place setting. Cute!
Festive Menus
Photo by Minted
If you want a menu that’s a little more holiday-themed, or if you’re into the place cards and want the menus to match, these are a lovely choice. They’re a more traditional choice and would look beautiful on a table paired with abundant greenery.
