How to Make a Homemade Valentine's Box

Children take Valentine's Day boxes to school for a party and bring them home with cards and goodies inside. There are endless themes to use for a decorated Valentine's Day box. Turn it into a animal, a vehicle, a dinosaur, mail box or a building. The same basic shape of the square or rectangular box can be used for many designs. Let your child choose the theme and help decorate the box.

Things You'll Need

• Empty shoe or recyclable box
• White, pink and red paper
• Heart die-cuts or stickers
• Tape
• Tacky craft glue
• Beads, buttons and pom poms

Instructions

1. Wrap the recyclable box in two separate parts--lid and container--or the whole thing as you would a gift. Use tape to secure the paper in place.

2. Cut a "back door" in the back or side of the one-piece box to give the child a place to pull cards out during the party. Tape and disguise this opening.

3. Cut a slit in the box for the cards to be dropped into prior to the Valentine's party. A craft knife or box cutter works best for cutting the cardboard.

4. Adhere stickers, or cut out hearts for parts of the characters or items that the theme depicts. Hearts make the eyes, nose and spots on a puppy dog. You can use hearts for vehicle or building windows.

5. Glue on beads, buttons and other 3-D decorative items that you have on hand. If using a round box, you can trim it with crepe paper streamers. Cut slits in it to look like fringe. This can simulate a decorated cake.

Tips & Warnings

• If using crepe paper, you should tape it. Glue can cause the color to separate and bleed on to your box.