Making Your Own Card Box for Special Occasions

I am getting married in May of this year. One of the things that I noticed about anything having to do with weddings is how pricey some things can get. I've found that a lot of the times they are not worth it. One such item that is needed for any couple's wedding day is a card box, which is conveniently located somewhere at your reception. These boxes are for guests that choose to give the couples a gift card, money, or a special sentiment card congratulating them on their wedding day.

Most couples go to a store like Party City, Wal-Mart, etc to purchase their card boxes. Below, is a common wedding card box. Every wedding that I have been to thus far has had these types of boxes. They usually sell anywhere from $40-$60 depending on the size and location of where the box is being sold. To me, these card boxes are boring and way too overused. I think that a card box for a couple's wedding should also reflect the couple in some way. That is how I came up with what we made for our card box, which will make its first, public debut on May 30.

While searching through Michael's, I came across the woods section. I saw that they sell large, wooden chests for $15. Since my fiance and I are having a spring, nature-themed wedding, I figured that our card box should also be part of that theme. I purchased the card box, used a 50% off coupon, which Michael's gives frequently, and paid about $8 for the chest in total. I also purchased some nature-esque stencils and a wood burner.

The first step is to cut a hole in the top for guests to place their cards inside. I used a larger wedding card for the measuring, laid longways. I used a ruler to center it and then cut out the small block of wood from the top.

The second step is to lay out your stencils and pencil them onto the chest in whatever way seems fitting. Here is what the front of my chest looked like after being stenciled.

After stenciling the artwork onto the chest, I then began going over the stencils with the woodburner.

The picture below is another example of a creative way to make a card box for a special occasion. Crazily enough, this particular one is on sale on Etsy for over $100! It's cardboard, ribbon, a couple of broaches, and use of a glue gun! Before wasting your money on something like this, try doing something creative, and relatively easy, and making one. A project like this could also be a special bonding moment between people. Foe example, my fiance and I worked on our card box together. It's simply another way to create new memories together.

Next, I purchased a small lock set and hammered that into the box and lid, so that no one would be able to take money from the box without the key to the lock, or taking the entire box itself.

Lastly, I used Prismacolor colored pencils to color in the stenciled artwork, and a hot glue gun to place the peacock feathers onto the top. You can use a hot glue gun to place just about anything on a smooth, wood surface. (Super glue and wood glue are other alternatives. I use a glue gun because it is a quicker and easier way to place items.)

I am very happy with the result, for a few reasons. One reason is that my fiance and I got to spend time working on it together. Another reason is that this cardbox means so much more to me since we made it ourselves, and put a lot of time and effort into it; we have a sort of sense of accomplishment with this project. Lastly, we know that we will continue to use this cardbox in the future, instead of storing it in some old closet or in the garage. I received so many compliments from our wedding guests about this homemade box.

Final cost: around $25 total, but that's because I bought the woodburner ($15), and I will use it in the future.