Back when I was a kid, we got our valentines in paper lunch sacks that we decorated with heart stickers in class. I never knew that some schools had kids go all out on fancy mailboxes. So when we joined a homeschooling group that really got into Valentine’s Day, the kids and I were excited to create boxes for the exchange.
These were 2 years ago:
Youngest made a shark out of an oatmeal box, felt, and craft foam. The splash was tissue paper.
Middle, I was most excited about. His was a claw machine made out of a vodka gift set box 
It already had the clear plastic front, so we cut a claw from a plastic cup and painted it silver. Then we suspended it with string from the top so it would swing a little bit. We taped a squishy in the claw to look like a prize. Then when kids put valentines in, you could see them inside like the prizes in the machine!
Oldest didn’t need Mom’s help at all, and he created his sweets van alone. I was impressed how he cut the cardboard box to shape the van front.
Then due to the plague, there was no get-together last year.
This year we are back at it.
Youngest did some fixing up to his shark and is using it again. It needed a fin replaced.
Here’s Middle’s pop machine.
He’s a Mountain Dew enthusiast if you can’t tell. We used a flat rate shipping box and covered the front and sides with a shiny sheet of posterboard. Cardboard painted black made the bill slot and dispenser thing at the bottom. Printed a few logos and attached them with spray adhesive. Hot glued in the can and added a printed dollar bill. Valentines go in the dollar slot. The buttons are rubber bumpers that you put on cabinet doors so they don’t slam.
Finally, here’s Oldest again.
He’s recently hijacked my Animal Crossing game and is obsessed. This was his idea start to finish. By some miracle, I found the perfect box at the craft store and he did the rest with red duct tape and a balloon stick we found in the party aisle.
I can’t wait to see all the creative boxes at the party tomorrow. Do you make Valentine boxes, or did you in the past?
