Crafting A Wedding Cake Gift Card Box

A wedding card box is a great way to add a decorative touch to your gift table while also providing a secure place for guests to leave their cards. Making your own wedding cake card box is a fun, budget-friendly project that can be personalised to match the style and tone of your wedding. In this guide, we'll take you through the steps to create a three-tiered wedding cake card box, with all the trimmings, that will wow your guests.

Choosing a box

The type of box you choose will depend on the size of your guest list and the types of gifts you expect to receive. If you are anticipating a large number of cards and gifts, opt for a larger box or multiple boxes. You can also consider the theme and style of your wedding when selecting a box. For example, if you are having a rustic wedding, you might choose a burlap and floral box, or if you are having a beach-themed wedding, you might choose a box made from natural materials like wood or wicker.

Another important consideration is the shape of the box. Round boxes tend to look more attractive on a gift table, but rectangular boxes can also work well. If you want to create a wedding cake effect with your boxes, look for nesting boxes in graduated sizes that fit inside each other. This will give the appearance of a tiered cake. Alternatively, you can use separate boxes and decorate them to look like a cake.

When choosing a box, it is also essential to consider the material. Papier-mâché, cardboard, wood, and acrylic are all popular options. If you want to decorate the box yourself, make sure the material is suitable for painting or covering with wallpaper, gift wrap, or scrapbook paper.

Finally, think about the type of closure you want for your box. A lid is a common option, but you can also consider a slot or hole for guests to drop their cards into. If you choose a slot, make sure it is long enough to accommodate standard-sized greeting cards.

Cutting a card slot

The card slot is the most important part of the wedding cake gift card box. It is the opening through which guests will insert their cards, so it needs to be the right size and in the right place. Here is a step-by-step guide to cutting a card slot:

First, decide whether you want to cut the slot before or after covering the boxes. Cutting the slot first will result in neater edges, but it is more tedious as you will need to wrap and glue the edges of the paper around the inside of the box. If you choose to cut the slot after covering the boxes, make sure you have a very sharp box cutter or X-acto knife to ensure clean edges.

Next, mark the slot on the smallest box. Use a ruler and pencil to draw a line the length of a standard greeting card and no more than 1/2" wide. If you plan to add a topper to your wedding cake box, offset the slot towards the back of the box top to avoid interference. Carefully cut along the line you have drawn. If your edges are messy, use the X-acto knife to clean them up.

If you cut the slot before covering the box, you will need to cut a slit in the centre of the slot and fold and glue the cut edges to the inside of the box. This step is not necessary if you cut the slot after covering the box.

Once the slot is cut, check that it is the correct size by inserting a greeting card. The card should slide easily into the slot without catching on the edges. If the slot is too narrow or the edges are uneven, use the X-acto knife to widen it and clean up any messy edges.

Finally, if you cut the slot before covering the box, touch up any messy edges with paint to match the colour of your box. This step is not necessary if you cut the slot after covering the box, as the paper will provide a clean finish.

Making holes for cards to drop through

Now comes the tricky part. Set the box lid aside and draw a circle on the bottom of the box that goes with the lid, leaving a two-inch border of the box bottom. Cut it out. Measure the width of the bottom of that box. Minus an inch, and you get the size of the hole you will cut in the lid of the next box.

You don't want to cut out the entire bottom or cut it the same size as the box on top, or you won't have any edge to glue the boxes together. Draw your circle on the lid of that box and cut it out. Take the bottom of that box and draw a circle leaving a two-inch border around. Cut that circle out. Measure the width of the bottom of the second box. Minus an inch, and cut a hole in the lid of the biggest and final box.

Do not cut out the bottom of your biggest box, or you will have a card avalanche! The holes don't need to be perfect because when the boxes are stacked, they won't be seen. When you stack the boxes with the smallest box with the slot on top, you should be able to drop a card into the slot, and it should fall through all the boxes into the bottom box.

Decorating the box

Now for the fun part! Decorating your wedding cake gift card box is where you can really let your creativity flow. The style you choose should be in keeping with the tone and theme of the wedding.

If you've gone for a smooth paper or painted finish on your boxes, you could add ribbons around the bottom of each layer and a loopy bow as a topper. If the wedding has a fun, bright colour scheme, you could cut out polka dots from scrapbooking paper or add a fun topper, like a children's toy.

For a more elegant look, try gluing some 2-inch-wide iridescent ribbon, cut into 4-inch lengths, onto the top box, making sure to avoid the card slot. You could then glue some large silk roses on top, with small loops of wired pearls tucked in here and there. Wired pearls can also be used to cover any unsightly edges, and you can glue a strip of scalloped wedding-look lace around the edge of each box lid to look like decorative frosting.

If you want to go for a rustic look, try using burlap and floral accents. For a whimsical theme, you could add figurines of the happy couple (and maybe even their pets!) on top.

Don't forget to make a tent card to let guests know this is for cards, not cake!

Adding a topper

For an elegant look, try gluing some silk flowers to the top box, adding a loopy bow, or even a small bunch of wired pearls. You could also add a topper made from a child's toy, or a small figurine of you and your partner, perhaps even including your pets, too!

If you want to go for a more fun, bright, and whimsical look, you could add a topper made from a child's toy, or even a small figurine of you and your partner (maybe even include your pets, too!).

For a rustic wedding, you could try a burlap and floral accent piece, or for a beach-themed wedding, a lobster trap with fake lobsters inside that can hold cards could be a quirky and fun addition.

The topper is a great way to add a personal touch to your wedding cake gift card box, so feel free to get creative and have fun with it!

Frequently asked questions