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A Shoebox for Valentine’s Day
Author: Kathy Murdock
Ah, Valentine’s Day. The day of love, chocolate, and little cards given and received, telling friends and family how much they are loved. Adults might enjoy the holiday with its excuse for eating chocolate, going out to candlelit dinners, and enjoying a glass of wine; but I believe kids of all ages love it even more. My children spend half an hour pondering over what type of Valentine card to buy and an entire evening reading and rereading the sentiments their friends wrote.
Keeping the cards your child receives organized and in one spot can be a challenge, especially if your child’s class boasts a few dozen students. But if you are crafty (or even if you’re not!), we have the solution for you: Shoebox Valentine Containers. The name might bring back memories of the containers you once made; and trust us, they are still as fun as they were twenty-some years ago.
How Do You Make One? It’s simple: Let your child get creative and use her imagination!
Supplies:
Boxes or containers. While the shoebox typically comes to mind with this project, any type of container will do. Cereal boxes, oatmeal containers, coffee cans and other plastic or cardboard container can be used.
Construction paper in assorted paper, especially red, for creating cut outs and/or covering the container
Contact paper
Wrapping paper
Paint
Stickers
Markers
Stamps
Jewels/gems
Pompoms, feathers, and assorted other accessories
Glue, hot glue, tape, scissors
Step by Step First, begin by covering the container. Contact paper (found for a dollar at dollar stores everywhere, near the kitchen supplies) can be used, and it includes an adhesive on the back. You can also use wrapping paper, construction paper, or paint to cover the container. When covering the box, cover the lid separately so it can be easily removed when needed. If using a cereal box, you may want to create a flap that can be opened and closed. Use a piece of construction paper or cardboard, cut it a bit larger than the opening, and tape or glue to the top.
Next, decorate the wrapping. Stamps, jewels, gems, markers, paint, and a variety of other craft materials can be used. Some cute ideas include cutting hearts out of red construction paper, decorating the hearts with markers, stamps or gems, and then gluing them onto the container. Accessories with different textures make for an interesting project as well, so get creative with items like cotton balls, buttons, pompoms, dried colorful macaroni, string, bows, foam cutouts, and other items .
Once the box has been decorated, create an opening in the box so Valentine’s cards can be easily added. Cut an opening wide enough for a Valentine in top of the lid and enjoy watching your child’s face light up each time a new Valentine is added – or taken out and read!
