Best design for simple card box

Bit of a random one, I’m made cupboards and fit flooring, skirting, architraves etc, lots of first-fix type stuff around the house and enjoy a bit of a woodworking challenge but don’t k ow where to start with this one. Want it to look great, be a bit of a challenge but not too difficult!

I need to make a box for a wedding for guests to put cards in.

I have a track saw and mitre saw but no router.

I want make a box probably around 45cm square, slot in the top to drop the cards in and to say “cards” or something on the front.


I guess I could buy a router if really needed as I’ve been looking for an excuse to.

Not skilled enough for dovetail joints, thinking maybe just a mitre joint but maybe with some frame joints in a contrasting wood if they’re easy enough to do?

Unsure of what wood to use at those dimensions, would like a nice hardwood but thinking maybe it would be easier to get some sort of veneered board so that I’m not joining planks together as I don’t have a biscuit cutter etc but again it’s something I wouldn’t mind learning to do if it’s worth doing?

Cutting the slot in the top without a router could be difficult, maybe a jigsaw could do it.

Sign on the front I was thinking maybe just print a sign and hang it on it, or maybe somebody on Etsy could make something in metal or similar to fix to the front.

Welcome any suggestions.

Cheers

Haha I realise the title is not great haha

A million ways to do it but given the tools you have.

Cut a length of Mdf 450mm wide, enough to get the four sides out of.
Cut the side pieces to length to form your box, screw and glue the corners, simple butt joint.
Cut the top, say 500mm square so you have a 25 mm overhang all the way around, put a nice
deep chamfer on the underside. Fit to the box using KD blocks and glue on the top edge.
Cut base, again 500 mm square with a nice chamfer, screw up from the underside.
Glue cushion corner moulding to cover the butt joint corners.
For the slot, if you’re up to it use your track saw to make a slot(s) and square the ends with
a hand saw. Hopefully your saw has a stop that screws to the rail to enable plunge cuts, be
very carefulling if it doesn’t.
Don’t glue the base on! Just a few screws for easy access, or you could always hinge the top.

Something like this would be better IMO. A box with a slot would make me think of a polling booth or something for customer feedback forms.