Vintage Tool Carrier Card Box

So you have all the big details figured out. Your caterer is all set, your florist is booked, and your hair and make up are going to be perfect. Now it’s time to zero in on the details. Here is a simple way to makeover a vintage find to serve as a card box as unique as you.

Supplies:

Vintage tool carrier (I have two that I found at a local thrift shop for $8 and $10)
Twine or ribbon of your choice
Heavy bond craft paper
Sharpie Marker
Coin
Colored Chalk
Pencil
Lace, burlap, fabric, buttons, etc. of your choosing
Glue gun
Glue gun glue sticks
Single hold punch

Step 1: Create a Stencil

Using a sheet of regular paper and a pair of scissor, fold the paper over and make a heart shape the right size for your tool carrier. I had to “measure” by sight. Holding up a few different size hearts to my tool carrier to see which would fit five times over.

Once you have the sizing figured out, you can use that paper as a stencil or create a heavy duty one using a piece of cardboard. I wanted it to stand up well so I traced it onto a piece of cardboard from a pizza box!

Step 2: Trace and Cut

Trace the shape five times onto heavy bond craft paper. I got mine from Amazon here. I am using it for a few different projects so I can justify the almost $20 for it. After you trace them, you can cut out your hearts.

Step 3: Lettering

You’ll have 5 hearts; one for each letter in the word “cards.” Now, you need to decide if you will write the letters freehand or trace a font of your choice. If you are free handing this, you can go on with your artistic self! More power to you! If you are like me, and your handwriting resembles that of a 4th grader with a broken wrist, find a font you like on your word processing program, type out the word “cards,” increase it to an appropriate size for your hearts, and print it out.

Next you will cut out each letter individually (cut a circle around the letter), flip them over (ink side down) and trace the letter in colored chalk. The letter will be backwards; it’s okay, that is what you want. Use a heavy hand here, the darker your chalk marks the easier it will be to see and trace on your craft paper. Once it is filled in, flip it over and place it on your heart. Using a coin rub the letter so that the chalk transfers to your heart. When you remove the printed letter you should have a perfect stencil to trace.

IMG_0667 (1)

Now you can use paint pens or sharpies in your wedding colors to trace over the chalk marks. I used a white chalk marker.

Step 4: Stringing them together

Next you will need to string these hearts together. Punch two holes into each heart in the locations shown below (outer edge of the curves), and use twine or ribbon to weave in and out of the holes, stringing the hearts together to form your banner.

Step 5: Attach the Banner

Now you can attach the banner you worked so hard on! You can tie it to the handle like I did or attach it to side supports or front panel depending on your preference. I used a glue gun to secure the twine to the handle and wrapped it around a few times to make it look nice.

Step 6: Decorate the Tool Carrier

The banner looks great, but you will probably want to decorate the carrier a bit more. This is where your creative side can shine! Use whatever materials you have on hand to decorate, the possibilities are endless. I used lace around the inside edges and some burlap ribbon and wood buttons around the base. I also added an origami bow to each end. If you love those origami bows, check out the Youtube tutorial I used to learn how to make them!