Despite working for a craft company, at the beginning of my planning process, I never expected to have so many handmade wedding elements. After I started adding up all the costs for save the dates, invitations, reception décor, etc. I knew that I could make so many of the pretty things I had on my “want” list. I left the big things to the pros and my mom and I started crafting as many things as we could. I saved a ton of money and was able to look at and be proud of my DIY creations throughout the entire day!
I have a few wedding crafts to show you, but first up is my tiered fabric covered wedding card box. While scouring the web for wedding ideas, I found a company that made custom card boxes that looked like tiered wedding cakes. I fell in love with the beautiful designs…then I saw the price tag. About $50 per tier! I said no way and decided that is definitely something I could do. Here’s a side by side of the “designer” card box and my DIY box:
Supplies needed to make your own wedding card box:
- Nested Paper Mache Boxes (I used the 6/8/10/12/14 inch set)
- Spray Adhesive
- Fabric (I used purple, black and damask print)
- Fabri-Tac
- X-ACTO Knife
- Bling on a Roll
- Self-Stick Rhinestones (optional)
- Decorative Cord Trim (optional)
*NOTE: Sorry for my lack of photography skills on the step out photos. They are not the normal pretty photos you are used to seeing from our design team!
First things first – decide what theme and fabric you want to use and how many tiers you want. Damask print was my main theme and my colors were black, white and purple and I knew I wanted 4 alternating tiers.
I started with the second smallest paper mache box and cut the fabric based on the perimeter of the box. Each box – except the top tier – only need the four sides to be completely covered in fabric. Start by spraying half of one side of the box with spray adhesive, and then place your fabric over the adhesive and smooth out with your hand. NOTE: While using the spray adhesive, make sure your table is covered with newspaper or an old cloth – it is extremely sticky and is a pain to remove from surfaces.
Working on one side at a time, continue spraying the paper mache and smoothing out your fabric. You do not have to do anything special when the two ends of fabric meet – the seam will be in the back and will not show (unless you plan on having your card box placed where it will be seen from all sides).
After the sides are covered, secure the loose fabric by spraying a small amount of adhesive and folding the fabric to the inside of the box.
Turn the box over and fold the fabric in by the corners – kind of like wrapping a gift. Glue the flaps down with the adhesive. The top of your boxes will look something like this:
Pictured above is my top tier – this tier had the most fabric covering the top because it was going to show the most. The tops of the other boxes will not show so you do not need as much fabric folded over the top.
After my top two tiers were covered, I moved on to the second largest tier – the tier with the opening for the cards. Using one of the box lids, trace the opening. Carefully cut the rectangle out of the paper mache box with a craft knife.
Cover the box with fabric the same way as the other two. Starting at one end, cut the corners diagonally.
Slice the fabric all the way across the opening and cut the corners of the other end.
Pull the fabric tight and glue to the inside of the opening. Since there was such a small amount of fabric folded in, I used a few pieces of duct tape to make sure the ends would not pop up.
Measure and glue the Bling on a Roll trim around the outside of the opening. I used a tape runner, but you could also use a thin line of Tacky glue.
Cut the lid of the bottom tier so the cards can fall into the box. Note: the lid to the bottom tier is the only lid you will use for this project.
Using the box with the card opening you just cut, trace its perimeter onto the lid. Draw another box, about one inch inside the original trace lines, so you can create a ledge for the box to sit on.
Cut on the inside line and cover the lid with fabric.
After all of the tiers and lid are covered in fabric, you can glue them all together! Put a line of Fabri-Tac along the bottom of each box and stack the tiers.
(Ignore our wedding war room mess, please!)
Now, the hard part is over and it’s time to embellish! You can add any details you would like.
Since my fabric was bold, I kept it somewhat simple. I had our names and wedding date embroidered on the fabric covering the bottom tier, added a decorative trim along the bottom of each tier and added rhinestone gems to the plain top tier. The white topper is made of 3 coffee filter flowers.
I was very happy with the way my card box turned out and I think it complemented our cake wonderfully:
Photo credit: La Valle Fotografi
This card box can be customized to any theme and is not only great for weddings – it would be a wonderful addition to a milestone birthday or anniversary party!
-Sarah
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I made a two tier round card box before I at this site you presented me with so many great ideas for the next event which is next year. I’m very please with the one I created, but it was a task and at the end I discovered and easier way to make the tulle skirting by sewing a circular skirting instead of taping.
Thanks
Hi Sarah,
This is very helpful. I’m looking forward to making my own card box and saving money. I see you also did the “Love Heart” guest book did you diy as well?
Hi! So glad you found my tutorial helpful! Yes, I put together the heart guest book myself. I just punched out a bunch of cardstock hearts with a large heart punch and then wrote the directions in a word document. I printed it at Walgreens but you could probably use a regular color printer. It was very easy!
Thanks so much for the tutorial! I was able to make a beautiful card box for my wedding with help from your tutorial. I wrote a blog post linking up to your tutorial along with some modifications that I personally did that might interest others. Check it out! 🙂 http://projectabode.com/diy/tiered-wedding-card-box/
Hi,
I was wondering if you could also use wrapping paper on something like this instead of fabric?
Thanks
Danielle
Hi Danielle! Yes, you can use wrapping paper but I don’t think you would get the same finished and polished look. I would be afraid of the paper wrinkling or ripping – if it’s a thin wrapping paper.
We have another card box project that used thick cardstock and it turned out beautifully. You can see it here: http://www.blog.consumercrafts.com/bridal-party/diy-wedding-card-box-project/
Good luck!
Great! Thank you! I started wondering about that too with the wrapping paper. Chances are it will crinkle and possibly not even stick. I think i’ll stick with fabric and try to find something nice that will work!
Thanks!
I have another question, how many yards of fabric did you purchase? I am only doing a two tier card box but I am unsure of how much fabric to buy. What do you suggest?
Hi Danielle, unfortunately, I do not remember how much fabric I used. I would suggest bringing the boxes to the fabric store with you and draping the fabric over the boxes. That’s the best way to see how much you need.
That’s fine! Thank you anyways. I was going to bring the boxes with me regardless but I thought if you had an estimate it would help a little more. Let’s hope I get more than I need versus not enough, lol.
Hi! Thanks so much for posting this DIY. My fiancé and I are going to make our own. We bought all the materials and are SO EXCITED to get started. But we were wondering how long the card box lasts while still looking good? Our wedding is not for another 7 months. If we make it now, will it still look nice and fresh by the time the wedding comes? We don’t want the fabric to sag or bubble or anything. Also, there’s about a foot of snow outside now and our wedding is at the end of summer. Will the drastic temperature changes affect the fabric or adhesive if we make it now?
Thanks!!
Hi Aimee! Mine is over 2 years old and still looks great! The fabric has not changed at all. If you keep it indoors, you should be fine. You should definitely place a large bag or some type of cover over it to prevent dust. That’s the only thing that has happened to mine. Good luck!
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful DIY card box! I hope to make one almost as pretty as yours:) Quick question… when the big day is all over… how do you get your cards out without ruining this beauty??? Thanks!
Hi Aften! The bottom black box is not glued to the other boxes. That is how you remove the cards.
The only box top you will be using is from the largest (the other tiers are flipped upside down). And you do not glue the top to the box. You glue the top 3 tiers together, then you glue the large box top to the 3rd tier (all purple tier with card slot). So after all the gluing, you will have two components – the top 3 tiers with the largest top, then the very bottom box – the black tier.
Does that help?
Good luck!
This tutorial is so helpful!!!
Are these boxes from the link sturdy and durable? Just want to make sure they won’t be flimsy or anything before I order.
Hi Ruby! Yes, the paper mache boxes linked are sturdy and durable. I used them with great results. Good luck!
Sarah, thank you for poating such a great tutorial. I want to DIY a card box for my October wedding but didn’t really know where to begin. Your instructions are wonderful. Thanks also for the links and sufgestions for places to buy supplies. I can’t wait to get started!
Btw, your box is beautiful and compliments your cake so nicely!
Hi Reesa, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad my tutorial has inspired you. Congratulations on your engagement and good luck with planning!
Thank you so much for the congrats. I’m really excited, but sooooo stressed out right now. LOL. It’s all good…
I’m hoping to start my boxes this weekend…..wish me luck! 🙂
Gorgeous. I just made one for my future DIL. Thanks for the inspiration.
Yay so glad to hear that! I’m sure they loved it! 🙂
Wow, Beautiful wedding card box. I’m thinking of using it for my wedding. I loved reading your post and found it to be really interesting. The fabric designs you choose are really amazing. Can I buy these fabrics online ? Can you suggest some good website. Thank you very much for sharing this post.
Thank you! I purchased my fabric in stores (over 2 years ago) so I am not sure if they are available online. You can find similar damask fabric here: https://www.fabric.com/SearchResults2.aspx?Source=Header&SearchText=damask&CategoryID=1d5f47dc-9991-4088-93f3-26a376046a5e
Hope that helps!
About how many cards will the box hold?
Hi Dannye, my bottom box is 14 inches so it can hold a lot of cards. I had about 200 guests and there was plenty of room. Hope that helps!
Replying to this long-ago comment to say thank you for posting this tutorial and for responding to this Q in particular. I’m about to start DIYing my own box, and with 125 guests I was afraid my ballpark skills weren’t good enough to determine what size would be good. This is perfect!
Hi there! I’m making a card box for my best friend’s wedding and was just wondering. If you’ve glued everything down, how do you get the cards out? Do you not glue the tops? We have been trying to figure that part out now for a while.
Hi Shauna, The bottom black box is not glued to the other boxes. That is how you removed the cards.
The only box top you will be using is from the largest (the other tiers are flipped upside down). And you do not glue the top to the box. You glue the top 3 tiers together, then you glue the large box top to the 3rd tier (all purple tier with card slot). So after all the gluing, you will have two components – the top 3 tiers with the largest top, then the very bottom box – the black tier.
Does that help?
OHHH! That makes much more sense. Plus it’s few holes to cut! Thanks! Great tutorial!
I’ve almost finished mine, but how did you get the coffee filter flower to stay on the top? And how did you get all 3 of them to stay together? Did you just use Fabri-Tac?
Hi Shauna, I poked a small hole in the top of the box so the flower stems came through the box. The floral wire is bendable so I bended them to the side to secure. They will stay together by themselves since they are set in a small hole. I did use a few mini glue dots on the “petals” to close any gaps between the flowers, so it looked like one big flower. Let me know if you have any other questions. When you finish, we’d love to see! Feel free to post a pic on our Facebook page. Thanks!
Posted! Thank you so much for responding so quickly and providing such great instructions! Everyone loved it, especially the bride & groom. 🙂
Hi Sarah,
Beautiful box!! What did you use to glue the boxes together??
Hi Angela – Thank you! I used Fabri-Tac to glue the boxes together. http://www.consumercrafts.com/store/details/catalog/basics-glue/sft8fc
Hi, thank you so much for sharing your tutorial! I wanted to know about how much fabric you used before I go out and buy 4 yards and only end up needing 2! Thank you!
Hi Nichelle, thanks for stopping by! I am not sure what the exact yardage was, but I think it was between 1/2 yard and 1 yard per fabric type. If you want to get as close as possible, I would bring the paper mache boxes with you to the fabric store and drape it. Hope that helps.
Gorgeous! I am using this idea for my engagement party. Where did you get the fabric?
Thanks, Liz! The purple and black fabric is from Jo-Anns and the black and white damask pattern fabric is from Hobby Lobby. Happy crafting! 😀
Where did you get your names and the date from?
Hi TLM, our names and date was embroidered on the fabric by a friend who has an embroidery machine.
OOOH so lucky!! 🙂 I am making my BFF her card box for her wedding on Nov 16th. I have been having a hard time finding the right size boxes, as my micheals only had one size. a
I used this box set: http://www.consumercrafts.com/store/details/catalog/basics-paper-mache-nested-sets/2849-11 Free shipping on orders of $25 or more this weekend! Good luck and have fun! 🙂
(If you scroll towards the top, there is a supply list and the orange links go directly to the products used.)
thank you!!
Any fabric ideas for round boxes?
Hi Amber,
Thanks for stopping by! I have not tried covering round boxes with fabric, but I would think it should be done similarly to square. I would cover the sides first, making sure they are smooth and wrinkle-free. Then fold (or cut and fold) the fabric to the top. The tops will not show as much because others are stacked on top. Hope this helps!
This is great. The best tutorial I’ve found for making a card box and probably just saved me from making some major mistakes!
Thanks!!!
Ag
So glad the tutorial was able to help you, Andrea! Good luck with making yours and thanks for stopping by! 😀
I bought decorated already covered boxes at Michaels and set boxes crooked atop each other using your idea too. I screwed the boxes together and glued for extra strength. Cannot wait for the comments on the unique design when the wedding guests see it! A great touch to our heirloom theme
I bet it turned out beautiful, Kathy! Guests definitely notice handmade details like that. 🙂 Congratulations and good luck!!
I love yours better than the designer one! Just beautiful!
Aww thanks, Vanessa! 🙂
Turned out beautiful! I am so impressed! 🙂
Thanks, Shaunte!!!
LOVE this!! You posted this just in time! I looked all night for an in depth tutorial to cover the boxes. Lo and behold I find this one a little after my morning coffee! This looks absolutely fantastic. I’ll be pinning this to my wedding board.
Hi Brittany, so glad this tutorial will be helpful to you! Have fun with the rest of your wedding planning and crafts! 🙂
This can be used in so many ways – I’d like to make one and use it for decoration 🙂 Thanks for sharing ~
Hi Christi! Yes, I now use the box as decoration – one day wasn’t enough! 😉
Sarah can craft! I love this idea, and it would look great for baby showers and other parties, too. Adding this to my “to make” list!
Hahah thanks, Morena!! 🙂