Fresh Ways to Dress Up a Table

Assign Seats with Chalkboard Place Mats

Dinner is all fun and games with reusable chalkboard place mats. Write guests' names on them (with nontoxic chalk) and they double as B-I-G place cards. You can check attendance and keep track of everyone's hangman scores. Should things get out of hand, wipe the mess away with felt erasers, set like coasters under the chalk cups. O.R.E. Chalk-a-Doodle place mats (with four pieces of chalk and eraser), $17 each, thestoragestore.com.