I wrote this blog once, scheduled it to be published, and it disappeared. So I genuinely hate this blog now. I hate you card boxes. I am writing a shorter, less encouraging version, because card boxes are now my enemy. I really have nothing nice to say about this, and I have to go searching for the pictures' sources, so don't mind my stanky attitude about this. 

Oh wedding card boxes. It's one of those things that mostly doesn't get much thought in planning (I mean, not the most exciting). In most cases they look a little bit like this:

from Lacey Claire Designs

Alright, not bad (though why do people do giant stacks like a wedding cake made out of boxes?). But here is the problem: this beautiful stuff is instant garbage. This one costs 100+ dollars, so you are either spending time or money that immediately gets tossed as soon as the last card is opened. You might try to save your wrapped cardboard tower, but to what end? Decoration? Most of the ones that try to look like a picture frame are solidly cheesy. Not to mention too big to fit somewhere to show things off. The only good re-use I can think of is storing wedding mementos in a closet somewhere. But mostly, I bet these boxes head right off to the garbage.

Instead, this might be a cool spot to be a little bit creative or at least think about how you could turn this box of money into something that can be reused in another way. That much less of your wedding in a landfill or to never see the light of usefulness again!

from BHLDN

from want that wedding

from Etsy

from instructables

 Card Box/ Planter- This might be my very favorite. If you are hosting a more rustic wedding, you can make a log cardbox like this one from instructables. It looks beautiful, and once the day is done, you can plant something and use it to decorate your home with something that grows! Such a sweet idea if you are on the handy side, and it would cost you no money at all.
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from Celebrating the Moment

Shadowbox- I have mixed feelings on this idea. On the one hand, you can use this shadow box to actually display your wedding trinkets all in one place. Even the container was part of your day! On the other hand, there is something weird about having them put in a clear box, as if you are displaying people's contributions to all of the guests. Still, I would put this in the win category if you want something with minimal hassle and cost. You wouldn't even need to get a personalized one like this one from Celebrating the Moment. You could just buy a simple one from Frame USA or a Rustic one from Barnwood USA, put a picture of the two of you in it (and a few empty envelopes so people get the idea?), and call it a day. Gift (to yourself) that keeps on giving.



Lego Card Box- This was our box, which The Boy made with his brothers and friends as part of the wedding preparations. It became... elaborate. They just used the legos from their old playroom and a set his mom bought us when we got engaged. I think his brother may have donated some legos as well. It was a lot of legos, but it made for a fun project, and I bet you could make one with a little less panache. I do not honestly know what became of this box, but you could just pull it apart and put it back into play if you wanted to. Plus, I think it may have been one of the most fun projects too, so win all around!

from The DIY Playbook

Mailbox- How cool would it be to use the same mailbox you had at your wedding as your regular mailbox? The first mail you ever got in it The DIY Playbook took a mailbox that was already used and revamped it for new glory (and maybe a lifetime of use?). The "PS I love you" is a little on the nose for me (I actually love these ones inspired by Up), but the idea of taking something old, making it new again for your wedding, and then getting use out of it for life is basically this blog's dream scenario. You can find other shapes as well depending on what you need. Plus, it really is just cool.So maybe something to think about!