Every Valentine's Day, in classrooms across the land, children collect happy little greeting cards with their favorite singer or cartoon character from their fellow classmates. But what are they collecting those cards in?

Our readers have shared their childrens' creations, perhaps you'll get some ideas from them! Keep in mind that these are just a few ideas. Valentine mailboxes can be made from many different items such as shoe, cereal, tissue, and laundry powder boxes. Other ideas include oatmeal containers and coffee cans, baskets, or decorated paper bags. Use construction paper, foil, wrapping paper, material, magazine pictures, doilies, or paint. The possibilities are endless!


Pretty in Pink

For Jessica's pretty pink card box, her mom, Mary, says you will need a child's shoe box and old wallpaper books.

You will need:

child's size shoe box
masking tape
old wallpaper book
modge podge
letter stickers
floral wire
pink curling ribbon
clear tape

Using masking tape, tape the top and bottom of the shoe box together. Using a ruler as a guide, cut a hole large enough that little ones can get their hand inside to scoop out all of their Valentine cards.

Choose pages from old wallpaper books with attractive patterns, such as gingham, stripes, or solid colors. Cut into strips. Cut out flowers, bees, hearts, or anything you like from other pages. Apply modge podge to the back of each strip and put them onto the shoe box to create a striped pattern. Accent stripes with flowers, bees, etc. When box is completely covered and dry, use large white letter stickers to put on your child's name.

Wrap a piece of floral wire with curling ribbon. Use a little modge podge to help seal it to the wire, the glue will dry clear. Punch holes in the side of the box and position the craft wire in to form a handle.

Curl pieces of ribbon and tape them to each corner of the box. Tape two near the ends of the handle as well. Apply a final coat of modge podge and allow to dry.


Roaring Good Time

Dottie, a former school teacher, used this adorable little fellow to show her class how to make their own Valentine box.

You will need:

shoe box
yellow construction paper
cardboard paper towel tube
yellow construction paper
glue
round white paper doily
colorful heart shaped paper doily
two large wiggle eyes
black construction paper
raffia
construction paper (color to match heart shaped doily)
markers
scissors


If you make this project we'd love to see it! Just send your photos and comments to the editor and it may get published on this page!

What you do

Cover shoe box and shoe box lid with yellow construction paper, glue in place. Cut a hole in the top of the box for Valentine cards.

Cut a large circle from yellow construction paper for the head. Fringe the edges with scissors. Glue the white paper doily to the yellow circle. Glue the colored heart shaped doily to the white doily. Cut small hearts from colored construction paper that matches the color of the heart shaped doily. You will need two of these for the ears, glue in place.

Cut three 6" lengths of raffia. Cut a small heart from the black construction paper, this is your nose. Glue the raffia behind the nose, and the nose to the face (as shown). Glue wiggle eyes in place. Set aside face to dry.

Cut cardboard tube into 4 equal parts. Cover each tube with yellow construction paper. Glue covered tubes to the bottom of the box for legs. You may need to reinforce these with pieces of tape.

Roll half a piece of yellow constuction paper into a thin tube to create the tail. Tape together so that it does not unravel. Fringe the end and glue the unfringed end to the back of the box, reinforce with tape if necessary.

If face is completely dry, glue to the front of the box. Using markers, decorate sides of box with child's name and anything else they would like.

When all the glue is dry on the face, glue the face to the front of the shoe box.


Can of Hearts

Kathryn and her mom, Kriston, used their imaginations and a coffee can to create this fun mailbox!

You will need:

large coffee can
white fabric or felt
red print fabric (polka dots, hearts, stripes, etc)
red felt
scissors
glue
3D fabric paint pens

Wash and dry can thoroughly. Glue white fabric or felt to the outside of the coffee can. Cut out heart shapes from the red print fabric and glue them to the white fabric or felt. Using the 3D fabric paint pens, outline each heart and write child's name on one of the hearts.

Cut out a circle from the red felt so that the felt overlaps the can lid. Glue red felt circle to the plastic lid. While the glue is drying, fringe the edges of the felt with a pair of scissors. When glue is dry, use a sharp pair of scissors or a matte knife to cut a large slit in the top of the lid large enough for the Valentine cards. Snap lid in place on top of the can.

Special thanks go to our readers mentioned above. Some are members of the FamilyCorner Crafts discussion list, and love to share their crafting ideas.

What's Related:
Charming Valentine Greeting Cards
Easy Photo Card
Fun Valentine Printables
Camouflaging Coffee Cans

About the Author
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine at http://familycorner.com  Subscribe to her free kid's craft newsletter, Busy Little Hands by filling out the form on the left side of this article

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