How to make a potluck sign-up sheet
- Pick a look. Thanksgiving prints a row of leaves and pumpkins in autumn colours, Christmas a row of trees, stars and snowflakes in red and green, and Everyday a plain green rule. Switching the look of an untouched sheet also swaps in that holiday’s dishes; once you’ve edited the categories, only the colours change.
- Add the event. The name prints as the title; the date, time and place go on one line under it, and the note (for example “please label dishes with nuts”) in small italics below.
- Set the categories and spots. Each category gets a coloured heading and one writing line per spot. Rename them, change the number of spots, remove the ones you don’t need or add your own (Appetizers, Breakfast, Kids’ table).
- Suggest dishes, or don’t. Each line in a category’s suggestion box prints in grey in the next empty spot, so guests see what’s still missing. Fewer suggestions than spots leaves the rest open.
- Download the PDF for US Letter or A4 and print it at 100%. Put it on the fridge, the office notice board or the church hall table with a pen.
Collecting sign-ups by text or in person
Not everyone will see the paper sheet. Open Sign-up checklist and type names as people reply: who is coming, what they’re bringing (the suggestion shows as a hint) and a Confirmed tick once they’ve said yes for sure. The counter shows how many spots are still free. The list is saved in this browser on this device only, so use the same phone or computer each time. When you’re ready, tick Print the names from the checklist and download the sheet again to post an up-to-date copy.
Share result sends a link to the sheet itself, so a co-host or the office manager can open the same sheet and print it. The link holds the theme, title, date and time, note, categories and suggested dishes. It leaves out the place, since that is usually someone’s home address, and the names in your checklist; the person who opens it can type their own place before printing.
Planning the spread
- Count households, not guests. Each household usually brings one dish, so the number of spots should be close to the number of households. Add a few Supplies spots for people who would rather not cook.
- Keep sides generous. Sides are the easiest dishes to make and carry, so they can take the most spots. One or two mains are often enough, especially when the host makes the turkey or ham.
- Leave room for allergies. Tick Notes column so guests can write “GF”, “contains nuts” or “serves 12” next to their dish.
- Don’t forget the boring things. Ice, serving spoons, foil and take-home containers are the items nobody remembers until the day, which is why the Supplies category is there by default.
Printing tips
The sheet uses the paper’s full width with half-inch margins and fits as many spots on one page as it can, using roomier rows when there is space. A very large event continues on a second page, with the category name repeated and marked “(continued)”. If your printer shrinks the page, choose Actual size or 100% in the print dialog.
Hosting more than dinner? Draw names for a gift exchange with the Secret Santa generator, print bingo cards for after the meal, or put the date on a printable calendar.