How to Make a Cardboard Heart-Shaped Box

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Things You'll Need

  • Paper

  • Sharp scissors

  • 11-by-14-inch sheet cardboard

  • Hot-glue gun with hot-glue sticks

  • Printed paper

  • Acrylic paint in assorted colors

  • Paint brush

  • 1-inch-wide ribbon

  • Photograph (optional)

Add a lacy border to the heart-shaped box for a frilly touch.

Fashion a heart-shaped box out of cardboard to hold trinkets or share your love with someone. This heart-shaped box is made from cardboard, for which you could use a recycled cereal box. Customize your heart-shaped box with paper printed with any pattern, such as hearts, stars or clouds. Pick out a ribbon printed with a heart-felt message for a holiday or particular occasion. Fill your box with homemade chocolates or freshly baked cookies for a pleasant surprise if you are giving your handmade box as a gift.

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Step 1

Fold a sheet of paper in half lengthwise. Draw a half of a heart on the paper that is 5 inches long and 3 inches wide, so that the center arch and bottom point of the heart fall on the folded side of the paper. Cut out the half-heart with paper still folded and unfold the paper. You should have a symmetrical heart shape.

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Step 2

Measure two 1-inch wide strips down the long side of an 11-by-14-inch sheet of cardboard. Cut the two strips out using sharp scissors.

Step 3

Place the heart-shaped pattern along one side of the cardboard, leaving room so you can trace a second heart using the same sheet of the cardboard. Cut the two hearts out of the cardboard. Lay the hearts out on a flat surface.

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Step 4

Hot-glue a sheet of printed paper over one side of one of the hearts and trim away the excess paper from the edge of the heart. Paint the other side of the heart with any color of acrylic paint using a paint brush. Let the paint dry.

Step 5

Paint both sides of the second heart with the same color of acrylic paint that you used on the backside of the first heart. Let the paint dry.

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Step 6

Wrap one of the 1-inch-wide strips of cardboard around the outside circumference of one of the hearts and trim away any excess cardboard. Take the second heart and remaining strip of cardboard and wrap the strip around the circumference. Slide the strip inward by 1/4 inch to form a smaller heart shape and trim away the excess cardboard from the strip.

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Step 7

Lay the trimmed strips of cardboard out flat. Hot-glue a length of a 1-inch-wide ribbon over one side of each strip of cardboard.

Step 8

Hold the heart that is covered with paper so the paper side is facing up. Form the shorter strip of cardboard into the smaller heart shape and position it on top of the paper. Affix the strip to the heart using hot glue.

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Step 9

Fold the other strip of cardboard around the circumference of the remaining heart. Attach the strip with hot glue to the edge of either side of the painted heart.

Step 10

Turn the painted heart with the strip-side facing down and place it over the paper-covered heart, with the strip-side up.

Tip

Trim a photograph into a heart shape that is smaller than the cardboard heart and attach the photograph to the center of the top of the box with hot glue for a personal touch.

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