Not all of my projects go quite according to plan. Some of them get slightly off-track due to creative improvisation. Some fail from a lack of expertise. And then there’s the occasional casualty of stress, annoyance or PMS. My DIY wedding card box falls into the latter category.

Overall, it wasn’t a terrible box. It was simple, just how I wanted it. The edges could have been a little smoother, but it would have served its purpose – if I hadn’t torn it into several pieces. Just after taking this picture, “PMS Chelsea” took over. Stress-addled, wedding-prepping, hormone-raging Chelsea decided that this box was a complete eyesore which could not be seen anywhere on or around the gift table at her wedding. So she did the only logical thing she could think of and yanked the fabric off in long strips, enjoying the oddly satisfying riiiiip that accompanied each tug.

The best man walked in to find me sitting in a shredded pile, maniacally muttering “Soooo much fabric…too SHINY…bunching up everywhere….so ugly!!” and he thankfully intervened. I really have to hand it to Nathaniel’s brother, he is the best best man I’ve ever seen. The box he constructed for me on his own – an elegant white one with a simple sign directing guests to put cards inside it - was absolutely perfect, and the world didn’t have to experience any more terror from CRAZY Chelsea for at least another month.

In spite of my minor meltdown over my own wedding card box, I’m posting the how-to instructions here because I think they may be helpful to someone out there looking for a simple craft. For brides with extra wedding fabric on hand, this is also an easy solution for matching your card box to your specific wedding colors.

How to Make a DIY Wedding Card Box

• You’ll need:
  • Banker’s box (or other medium-sized box or container to hold the cards)
  • Fabric big enough to go around the box
  • Packing tape
  • Box cutter
  • Glue (a glue gun works best, but craft glue will work if you let it dry between each step)

1)  Trace a square in the box lid big enough to fit a card. I made mine approximately 1.5″x8″. Use the box cutter to trim the square hole out.

2) Secure the box lid down using the packing tape.

3) Measure the fabric to the correct size by laying the fabric out flat and centering the box face-down in the middle of it. Fold the fabric up over the box on all sides and trim so that the fabric is overlapping by a couple inches on the bottom and sides of the box.

4) Glue both sides of the fabric to the bottom of the box and then wrap the box like a present, folding the excess fabric on the sides in and gluing it down as shown below.

5) Using the box cutter, carefully cut a slit along the top of the box where the rectangular hole is, angling the corners of the slit so that the fabric can fold into the box. Apply glue to to the underside of the slit flaps and glue into the box.

If I had to make mine over (but thank god I didn’t!), I think I would have been more satisfied with the results using a crisper fabric, like muslin or linen, so that the folds would be tighter and flatter than the lightweight silky material I used.