A few random ideas.

1.Tiny picture frames make cute place name holders.

2.Punch a hole in the corner of the card and attach it with a pretty ribbon around a cloth napkin.

3. Freeze the card inside an ice-cube, put out at the last minute on a little plate or bowl big enough to catch the water as it melts. (OK, I know you won't use it again...lol)

4. Fold a good quality paper napkin in an attractive manner and have the name written on an exposed area in Calligraphy.

Dee.

Take a wine cork, shave a bit off one side to make a flat surface so it won't roll. Cut a slit in the top to hold a card with the name. Or if it balances well you can stand it on end and cut a slit in the top that way.

A simple folded card with a small design painted, stenciled, stamped, stickered...... you get the idea - with the name. Classic, quick and easy.

Or how 'bout making tiny little life boats with the name? I'm KIDDING!!!! But maybe life preservers? Glue 2 Life Saver candies together, use 2 sets like that to hold a card between? I can picture it, can't describe it very well.

How many are you seating?

Rather than place card holders, do a mock up of the titanic luggage tag and tie around the napkin?

Oh! you just have to make the white star luggage tags! too cute.

That's a great idea DeeDee! I may go with those luggage tags, except I already bought cards -- (Could return them though.) How to print them? My printer doesn't seem to like card stock...

After sleeping on it, I came up with one using flat-bottom pinecones. We have a number of pine trees that drop cones, some of which sit nicely on flat bottoms. I could hot glue a pair of pearl-headed floral pins near the bottom, then spray the whole thing with metallic paint.

The luggage tags are a great idea! I bet you could use business card stock to print the image, then a hole puncher and the binder rings; thread string through it.

The pine cones sound nice but how do they relate to Titanic?

Titantic - nice boarding pass

Boarding pass image search

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I bought these a while back and use them whenever we have people over. They go with any holiday or event. I think they would have something in common with the Titanic and the iceberg it hit.

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The boarding passes are so beautiful rose. sweeby, those with the ice cube place card holders like mona's would be so "cool":)

I have mentioned on other posts I love all things pine cone, but like rose, I don't see the connection. You could make them and send them to me!

If you do decide to use tags or passes. Print on regular paper and glue to tag board.

Seems nobody actually read the part where I said:

"I'm doing a Titanic theme luncheon, but would like something versatile enough to use on other occasions as well. (So no ships hitting icebergs.) The ideal design would be something I could make myself for very little money in relatively little time."

Hence the pinecones...

But those luggage tags are really, really cute, and I even have the tags...
Really, it's just the printing that would be a mess. It's probably not worth destroying a laser printer over, IFKWIM. I could maybe print them on regular paper and glue the paper onto the tags? Maybe do star cutouts?...

I think the best way to go is to use generic holders and make the cards themselves customized to fit the Titanic theme. So, if you already have holders or want to buy some, find something elegant but simple that you can reuse.

Then, you print off the luggage tags or boarding pass or whatever. That part is easy. You do all the art on the computer, then print on regular paper with a color printer and cut them out. I've done this sort of thing many times. You can use Word to do it.

So, for the tags, you can buy some tan colored card stock, or just print on regular card stock. Then just draw in the shape of the tag, a dark brown ring on the left to simulate the reinforcemnt around the hole, and all the rest of the art on there - the star, the border, the lines to be filled out, etc. Once you have the art the way you like it, copy-paste it as many times as can fit on a page. Then print and cut. Use a hole puncher to punch the hole and attach the string.

Admittedly this can be time consuming - it takes time to draw all this on the computer. But it's definitely not difficult and would be so cute.

You could take one of the photos; I have a program called Microsft Picture It Express where I can select business cards - then it will allow me to select what sheet of business cards I'm using; the one I always select is Avery with a number. I then drag the photo I want to use to the card stock image & it will give the option to use the same image on every one. Then I print & am good to go. They have antique colored business card stock; or used to. You can then lay the tag on each plate. Simple & fairly cheap.

Sweeby, someone here might be able to print them for you them mail them as long as you supply the paper; then you can finish them.

I also have Picture It copied & may be able to email you the program. It was free with an internet program years ago, MSN I think

sweeby, I got the "ice cube" holders on ebay for .50 cents apiece. They really are generic and versatile and I've more than gotten my money's worth. Don't rule them out because I think that a boarding pass inserted in the top would be really pretty on your table.

I like the idea of ice cube place card holders because they fit your theme (nicely!) and they can be used for other dinner parties, such as summer barbecues, winter, holidays, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ice cube place card holders

Generic holders and Titanic cards -- Brilliant Lowspark!

So I can do the luggage tags after all...

Can't wait to see pics of the table setting!

Glad I could help! And yes, please post pix when you're done! I think this will turn out so cute!