Making your own wedding card box for your gift table is a very easy, inexpensive and fast project that will be absolutely necessary at your reception. I considered not having a card box at our wedding because I had no idea how many people actually give cash, checks and gift cards. For cosmetic and safety purposes, the card box is a must!
Here are the supplies you will need for this project:
- 1 Cardboard 10x10x10 inch box with lid from a craft store (approximately $5.99)
- 1-2 yards of the fabric of your choice - I bought 2 yards in case of mistakes (cost varies, mine was $5)
- A sharp craft knife or box cutter (cost varies, mine was $1.99)
- 1 can of spray glue (approximately $2.99)
- Ribbon to wrap around the center, at least 40" (cost varies, mine was $0.97)
- Cardstock for the label on the front (less than $1)
Because I chose a damask-style fabric with a design that goes in one direction, I could not just wrap the box like a present. Instead, I cut 2 long strips of fabric, each long enough to secure inside the rim and just wide enough to fold the edges over. I sprayed the long sides and folded the edges so they would have a finished look. If you can sew, you could just hem the edges before applying, but it is definitely not necessary. After getting the edges finished, I attached one panel to the box, which looked like this:
You would do the same thing with your second panel and apply it the opposite way as the first, covering the other 2 sides. After applying both panels to the sides, then came the lid. I basically wrapped the lid like you would wrap a present, only making sure that the sides were straight instead of pointed, so that all of the edges would be covered and not showing any of the box underneath. After the entire box was wrapped with fabric, it looked like this:
For the slit in the top of the box where your cards will go, I would recommend using a box cutter instead of a craft knife if you have one. You need something that will cut through both the fabric and the top of the box. I cut a slit in the top that was about 6" long and 1" wide. It needs to be large enough for a card to fit through, and wide enough so that you can get your fingers inside to tuck the fabric under. Here is what it looked like after cutting the slit in the top:
Then, use a small amount of the spray glue on the underside of the rough edges and tuck them inside the box, giving the top a finished look. To complete the look, I sprayed the underside of the ribbon with glue and wrapped it around the center of the box. It is okay if it overlaps, you will be covering it with a sign. Then, I printed a small sign on my computer that simply said "cards" and glued it to another piece of cardstock and then glued the entire piece to the front of the box where my ribbon overlapped. Here is the finished product:
Things to remember if you plan to do this project:
- SPRAY GLUE IS MESSY!!! If you can do this project outside, I highly recommend it. It sticks to everything in sight and has a pretty strong smell. If you have to do the project inside, definitely put down some newspaper or a drop cloth before spraying.
- Make sure to choose the "prettiest side" before applying your ribbon. There may be sides that look better than others just based on the fabric or the edges, so overlap your ribbon on that side so you can place your label on that side as well.
- It doesn't have to be perfect. This was a REALLY DIFFICULT thing for me to accept when doing a lot of DIY projects for our wedding day, but it is the plain and simple truth. If one side is a little uneven or the slit on top isn't perfectly in the center, your guests really aren't going to care, or even notice.
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