DIY Wedding Place Cards: 2 Ways to Personalize Thrifted Wine Glasses

Wedding details have a way of adding up quickly, sometimes one thrifted find can do more than one job.

With wine glasses from Goodwill and a little chalkboard paint, you can create personalized place cards that help guests find their seats, double as drinkware during the celebration and become a take-home favor when the night is over.

Even better? Your glasses don't necessarily have to match. Mix-and-match glassware can add a collected, personal feel to your tablescape.

Watch the Full DIY

See how to transform thrifted wine glasses into personalized wedding place cards and favors in the full tutorial.

What You’ll Need

• Thrifted wine glasses
• Chalkboard paint
• Spray paint
• Small tags
• Paintbrush
• Angled sponge brush
• Painter's tape
• Chalk or chalk markers

DIY TIP: A chalk marker would give you much cleaner, more legible names than traditional chalk—especially on a small surface.

Step 1: Find Your Glassware

Start in the glassware section at your local Goodwill. Look for enough wine glasses for your guest list—or use this project for a smaller event like a bridal shower, rehearsal dinner or engagement party.

Don't be afraid to mix shapes and styles. A collection of different glasses can make each place setting feel a little more unique. Before starting on any painting, thoroughly clean your glassware.

Step 2: Create Your Chalkboard Tags

Paint small tags with chalkboard paint and allow them to dry completely.

Once dry, write each guest's name on a tag using chalk or a chalk marker. Attach the finished tag around the stem of each wine glass.

Step 3: Add a Chalkboard Base

Want another way to personalize your glasses? Turn the base into a writable surface.

Use painter's tape to protect the stem and areas you don't want painted. Apply chalkboard spray paint to the base of the glass according to the product instructions.

DIY TIP: Always spray paint outdoors or in a properly ventilated area and follow the manufacturer's directions for application and drying time.

Once completely dry and cured according to the paint instructions, add each guest's name with chalk or a chalk marker.

Step 4: Set the Table

Place one personalized glass at each guest's seat and you've created a detail that does triple duty: place card, glassware and wedding favor.

At the end of the celebration, guests can take their personalized glasses home and reuse them for their own gatherings.

Option 1: Chalkboard Tags

For the simplest version, paint small tags with chalkboard paint and let them dry completely. Write each guest’s name on the tag with chalk or a chalk marker, then attach it around the stem of an unpainted wine glass.

This option lets the glass itself stay untouched while still giving every guest a personalized place setting—and a glass they can take home at the end of the celebration.

Option 2: Chalkboard-Painted Bases

For a more customized look, turn the base of the wine glass itself into the place card.

Use painter’s tape to protect the stem and any areas you don’t want painted. Take the glasses outdoors or to a properly ventilated area, then apply chalkboard spray paint to the base according to the product instructions.

Once the paint has completely dried and cured, use chalk or a chalk marker to write each guest’s name directly on the base.

DIY Tip: For smaller lettering, try a fine-tip chalk marker instead of traditional chalk. It can make names easier to write—and read—on the limited surface area.

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Mix, Match and Make It Yours

You don't have to choose just one. Mix painted-base glasses with tagged glasses, play with different shapes of thrifted stemware or choose the technique that works best for your wedding style.

However you personalize them, each glass can do more than help guests find their seats. It becomes part of the tablescape, drinkware for the celebration and a small keepsake guests can take home.

Make Your Celebration Your Own

The best wedding details don't have to come from a perfectly matched set. Sometimes they're the unexpected pieces you find along the way.

Whether you choose matching wine glasses, mix different styles or put your own spin on this DIY, secondhand finds can help you create a celebration that feels personal from the first toast to the last dance.

And the treasure hunt doesn't have to stop at the glassware aisle. Explore our 2026 Wedding Lookbook for eight Pinterest-inspired wedding trends you can thrift, plus a Wedding Treasure Hunt Checklist to keep handy on your next Goodwill trip.