Valentine's Day is a great celebration to show appreciation and love to those we care about. One of the most popular ways to do that is by passing out Valentine's Day cards to your friends at school. Whether you hand-make your cards or opt for a pre-made version from the store, you need a place to collect them. Here is a simple box idea that can be turned into an array of other Valentine box ideas. This tutorial really lets you explore different options of valentine box ideas. Buy lollipops for their wrappers, or if you already have bought them, save the wrappers in a zip bag so you don't lose this great crafting material.


NEEDED SUPPLIES
- Shoebox
- Assorted Valentine's Day-themed fabric strips (each strip cut 1" wide x 6" long)
- Decoupage glue
- Foam brush
- Scissors
- Exact-o knife
- Wide ribbon
How to make it
- To prep box, find middle of the shoebox lid. Draw a 1" x 5" rectangle (this will be the opening for cards).
- Have a parent take the exact-o knife and cut out the rectangle. It's much easier to do this before covering with decorations.
- On the bottom portion of the shoebox, on each of the long sides, find the middle. When you find the middle, cut out a dime sized hole, this is going to be for the handle.
- Unwrap lollipops or collect lollipop wrappers prior to this craft.
- Cover the lid with decoupage as you begin to attach the lollipop wrappers. You can line wrappers up symmetrical, or do more of a crazy, patchwork design. This will act as the colorful base to your Valentine's Day box.
- Repeat this process on the bottom portion of the shoebox. Make sure not to glue the two pieces together, or else you will have to rip it to get valentines out of the box.
- When all lollipop wrappers are on the box, let dry. This should take about 20-30 minutes.
- Use scissors to cut out hearts and favorite shapes. You also have the opportunity to do letters and numbers if you choose to.
- Apply shapes and letters onto the box with decoupage, flatten, and then cover the entire box with a thin layer of decoupage. This will ensure all the shapes, pictures and letters will stay on.
- Let each piece dry for an hour. During this time, cut a 14' piece of thick ribbon or fabric. Onto this, tie several 1" x 6" fabric strips along to give it a fun, shabby-chic vibe.
- Insert the end of a premade handle into the hole you made during step three, tie a knot on the end in order to secure the handle inside. This knot should be large enough to keep from pulling out of the hole. Use a piece of tape to give additional hold on the inside of the box.
- Repeat the handle process on the other side of the box. Put the two sections together and your box is ready for many valentines on this special day!
Tip - Make these your own special Valentine treat boxes by adding your name, glitter, or your favorite colors of Dum Dum Pops! When you bring them home, they can also be used to hold crayons, markers or small toys.