It’s time for another DIY Wedding Wednesday feature and this one’s for all you vintage obsessed brides out there looking for budget friendly design ideas. If you know vintage you know that you can’t pull it off properly without one critical design detail, vintage inspired decorative props. Used throughout wedding day decor as detailing accents, props are what bring the vintage look to life. If you know vintage you probably also know that authentic props can be very pricey and hard to come by. Our favorite solution to any such dilemma? Taking things into our own hands with a bit of the good old do-it-yourself approach. Here’s how to turn a simple cardboard box into decorative vintage prop loveliness.

The Supplies

• diy drawer display
• decorative knobs and pulls
• decorative traditional vintage pattern paper (one pattern for exterior walls, another for the drawers)
• glue, scissors and awl tool (or any sharp tool that can be used for precision puncturing)
• peonies and floral water picks
• pearl garland

The Step by Step

Step 1: apply an even layer of glue to the exterior of the box.

Step 2: cover the glued exterior with your decorative paper, leaving a small lip for rounding out the edges.

Steps 3 and 4: once paper is secure to the exterior of the box, cut the remaining paper lips at the corners and round out the box edges, tucking and gluing your paper to the interior walls of the box.

Step 5: for the edges between each drawer opening, cut small strips of paper and glue to the edges, tucking into the interior of the box.

Step 6: to assess the perfect puncture point for the decorative knob, draw a diagonal cross section (from corner to corner) across the front of the drawer.

Step 7: puncture a hole at the center point of the cross section. Repeat steps 6 and 7 on as many drawers as you plan to use a knob on.

Step 8: to assess puncture points for the decorative pull, repeat step 6 then measure the outside of the drawer front and mark the mid point of each side. Draw a cross section from each of the side midpoints, top to bottom and side to side. When finished you’ll have created a star like pattern (as displayed above). This will give you all the reference points required for aligning and centering your drawer pull.

Step 9: align your pull as shown above and puncture the three holes. Repeat steps 8 and 9 on as many drawers as you plan to use a pull on.

Step 10: wrap drawers with decorative paper, leaving and cutting lips to round out the edges as you did with the outside of the box.

Steps 11 and 12: feel for your previously punctured holes and gently puncture your decorative paper. Alternatively you can puncture from the inside of the drawer outwards.

Steps 13 – 15: attach knobs and pulls to the drawers with included backings.

Step 16: water pick your peonies.

The Finished Look

for a classic vintage touch, have pearls spilling out of one of your drawers.

there’s always room for flowers. for a simply beautiful drawer accent and filler, use  just a few lush stems of pink peonies.

take your decorative drawer set from fabulous to functional by treating it as a custom guest book alternative. provide your guests with note cards that they can leave their well wishes on, storing them in the drawers when done.
featured here: ‘burlap chic’ design memory box wishing well cards and glass dip pen writing set

Want More Props?

If you’re loving the idea of incorporating vintage props into your wedding day design see our ‘Making a Statement On a Budget’ post for a rundown of plenty of other prop options and ways to use them as part of your decor.

xoxo.