Make A Wedding Cake Card Box
Create a Useful and Decorative Wedding Reception Centerpiece
Aug 4, 2009
Wedding card boxes are not only a way to hold cards at a wedding, they also make stylish centerpieces on a gift or side table. Commercial and handmade wedding card boxes are readily available online and in stores, but creating a custom one can save money and add a personal touch -- and it's not that difficult to make one. The box can be used later to hold keepsakes, or even as a very decorative junk mail holder.
There are many ways to make a wedding card box. The method described here uses stacked paper mache boxes, shapes cut from card stock, and ribbon to create one that looks like a wedding cake.
Materials
- Cardstock and ribbon in your wedding colors
- Glue
- A shape paper punch, available at craft supplies stores or scrapbooking supplies store. A flower, heart or circle shape works well.
- Two or three paper mache boxes
- Acrylic paint
- Sponge brushes or paint brushes
- Decoupage medium
- Acrylic sealer.
Instructions
- Paint the boxes with acrylic sealer to give the paint good coverage.
- Once dry, paint the boxes -- inside and out -- and the lid from the largest box white. You will need to do two or three layers for good coverage. You can save time by purchasing white paper mache boxes and skip the painting part.
- Turn the boxes upside down and stack them so that the largest is on the bottom. Trace the shape of the smaller boxes around the bottom of the next box.
- Cut just inside the line and discard the paper.
- Place a light, even layer of glue around each rim and place it on top of the larger box. The end result is a hollow, tiered cake shape.
- Cut the flower shapes from the cardstock.
- Use glue to create a criss-cross pattern on the bottom layer. Position thin ribbon on top of the glue. Tape the ribbon in place while it dries
- Apply decoupage medium over the ribbon.
- Add the cut flowers to the center of each square formed by the ribbon and secure into place with decoupage medium.
- For the top layer, apply decoupage medium, then apply wider ribbon in straight stripes. Instead of ribbon, you could paint stripes.
- If you choose to have a third layer, repeat the process that you used on the larger box.
- On the top layer, cut a rectangle that will serve as a slot for the cards.
- Once everything is dry, seal with acrylic sealer.
- Glue lace or ribbon around the slot on top to cover the edges of the cut.
Chipboard initials, a photo of the wedding couple or other personal mementos can be added as decoration for a personal touch.
The lid does not need to be glued into place; this will allow the cards to be removed easily after the wedding. For security and stability, poke holes in the lid and bottom of the box and tie it into place, or secure it with tape. Add a round cake board to the bottom, and place some artificial flowers or confetti around the bottom to cover the tape.
Save the lids and the cut out pieces to use the boxes later as a memento box. The boxes will have to be disassembled, and the cut out pieces can be taped into place. Another idea is to use the card box as a decorative way to hold junk mail; just tuck the mail into the slot and empty it into the recycling bin on recycling day. The result is a personalized, stylish box for holding cards at the wedding and a useful keepsake that will last for years.
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