Valentine’s Day Card Boxes

To transform a tissue box into your favorite emoji face, you only need three colors of paper: red, yellow, and black.

What You’ll Need:

• Square tissue box (or plain white square gift box)
• Yellow paper
• Scissors
• Double-sided tape or glue
• Craft knife
• Red paper
• Black paper

How-to:

1. Wrap the empty square tissue box in yellow paper. If the sheet is long enough, wrap as you would a present. If the sheet is not long enough, cut paper to fit each side and tape or glue down individually. (If using a white gift box, cut a rectangle big enough to fit a card from the top before wrapping.) Use a craft knife to cut out a rectangle where the tissue dispenser is.
2. Cut two hearts from the red paper. Tape or glue to the side of the box.
3. Cut a crescent shape from the black paper. Tape or glue under the hearts to create the smile.

This mystical creature seems to be popping up everywhere. One place we think it should definitely be? On your child’s desk collecting Valentines.

What You’ll Need:

• Shoebox
• Scissors
• Square tissue box
• Small gift box
• White paper
• Double-sided tape or glue
• Craft knife
• Light pink paper
• Bright pink paper
• Silver glitter paper
• Multicolored ribbon
• Black paper

How-to:

1. Cut a rectangle (it should be big enough to fit a card) from the top of the shoebox, towards the back half.
2. Wrap the empty shoebox, empty square tissue box, and empty gift box in white paper. If the sheet is long enough, wrap as you would a present. If the sheet is not long enough, cut paper to fit each side and tape or glue down individually. Use a craft knife to expose the rectangular cut out in the top of the shoebox.
3. Tape or glue the small gift box to the side of the tissue box. Tape or glue the tissue box to the top of the shoebox, in front of the cut out rectangle.
4. Cut two arch shapes from white paper to create the ears. Fold ¼ inch at the bottom, and tape or glue to the top of the tissue box.
5. Cut out two rounded triangles from the light pink paper. Tape or glue to the gift box.
6. Cut a heart from the bright pink paper. Tape or glue to the gift box.
7. Glue strands of ribbon to the top of the tissue box, between the two ears. Make a cone shape from the glitter paper and glue on top of the ribbon.
8. Cut two arch shapes from the glitter paper. Glue or tape to the side of the tissue box. Cut two circles from the black paper. Glue or tape on top of the silver arches. Cut two small circles from white paper and glue or tape on top of the black circles.
9. Glue more strands of ribbons to the black corner of the shoebox to create a tail.

By this robot’s calculations, your child has a lot of Valentines to collect.

What You’ll Need:

• Medium white gift box
• Scissors
• Small white gift box
• Silver wrapping paper
• Double-sided tape or glue
• Craft knife
• Light blue paper
• White paper
• Multi-colored circle stickers, in varying sizes
• Dark blue paper

How-to:

1. Cut a rectangle from the side of the medium gift box (it should be big enough to fit a card).
2. Wrap the empty boxes in silver wrapping paper. If the sheet is long enough, wrap as you would a present. If the sheet is not long enough, cut paper to fit each side and tape or glue down individually.
3. Cut two large circles from light blue paper. Glue or tape to the side of the small gift box. Cut two smaller circles from white paper and glue or tape on top of the blue circles. Place purple stickers on top. Place small black stickers on top of that—or use a black permanent marker to draw the dots on.
4. Cut a zigzag shape from dark blue paper to create the robot’s mouth. Glue or tape on the side of the small gift box below the eyes.
5. Cut a large square from dark blue paper. Glue or tape to the side of the medium gift box. Cut a slightly smaller light blue square and glue or tape on top of the dark blue square. Use a craft knife to expose the rectangular cut out on the side of the medium box.
6. Place stickers of varying sizes on the light blue square to resemble buttons.

It’ll be a little easier to carry all of those Valentine’s Day cards home with the help of this caboose.

What You’ll Need:

• Oatmeal (or breadcrumb) container
• Scissors
• Red paper
• Double-sided tape or glue
• Blue paper
• Empty toilet paper tube
• White paper
• Small gift box
• Craft knife
• Piece of cardboard

How-to:

1. Cut an oatmeal container in half. Save the half with the lid. Wrap in red paper. Cut a ½-inch strip of blue paper. Glue around the container, just below the lid.
2. Cut a circle out of red paper to fit the lid. Tape or glue to the lid. Cut a smaller blue circle and tape or glue on top of the red circle. Cut an even smaller red circle. Tape or glue to the center of the blue circle.
3. Wrap the empty toilet paper tube with red paper. Cut a ¼-inch strip of blue paper. Wrap around the top of the toilet paper tube. Cut three red hearts from white paper. Tape or glue to one another and then glue to the top of the toilet paper tube.
4. Cut away the top half of gift box. Wrap it with the dark blue paper. Use a craft knife to expose the cut out on the top of the box. Tape or glue the box to the oatmeal container.
5. Cut five small circles from cardboard. Trace the circles on the blue paper. Cut out circles and tape or glue to the cardboard. Cut five smaller circles from red paper. Tape or glue to the middle of each blue circle. Tape or glue each completed “wheel” to one side of the “train.”

These adorable treat bags take up less room than some of the other options on this list, but provide enough room for a whole class worth of Valentines.

What You’ll Need:

For the owl:

• Purple paper
• Scissors
• Light pink paper
• Double-sided tape or glue
• Yellow paper
• Bright pink paper
• Orange paper
• Purple paper bag

For the fox:

• Orange paper
• Scissors
• Light orange paper
• Double-sided tape or glue
• Black paper
• White paper
• Blue paper
• Orange paper bag

How-to:

For the owl:

1. Cut a circle from purple paper. Cut a crescent shape from the top 1/3 of the circle.
2. Cut two large circles from light pink paper. Tape or glue to the purple shape. Cut two slightly smaller yellow circles. Tape or glue on top of the light pink circle. Cut two small hearts from bright pink paper. Tape or glue inside the yellow circles.
3. Cut a small rounded triangle from orange paper. Tape or glue between the eyes. Glue the whole purple shape to the top of the bag.
4. Cut two heart shapes from bright pink paper. Open the bag and tape or glue one to each side.

For the fox:

1. Cut an oval from orange paper. Cut two orange triangles and two slightly smaller light orange triangles. Tape or glue the light orange triangles to the larger orange triangles. Glue one to the top of the orange oval, one on each side.
2. Cut a heart from light orange paper, and tape or glue to the bottom of the orange oval.
3. Cut two small rectangles from black paper. Cut out three triangles from one side, to resemble eyelashes. Glue or tape to the heart. Cut two white semi-circles. Glue or tape to partially cover the “lashes.” Cut two small blue circles and tape or glue to the white semi-circles. Cut two more tiny white circles and tape or glue to the blue circles.
4. Cut two crescent shapes from white paper. Tape or glue to the bottom sides of the light orange heart. Cut a small black heart and tape or glue in between the two white pieces. Tape or glue the completed face to one side of the bag.
5. Cut a tail shape from the orange paper. Cut a small light orange triangle from. Cut three triangles from the base, then tape or glue to the tip of the orange tail shape. Glue or tape the completed tail to the back of the bag.

A super sweet Valentine’s Day card box to rival those sugary treats she’ll be bringing home from school.

What You’ll Need:

• Mini plastic garbage can lid
• Bright pink cardstock
• Double-sided tape or glue
• Scissors
• Green tissue paper
• Pink pom-pom
• Multicolored masking tape

How-to:

1. Use double-sided tape or glue to secure cardstock to the lid of a mini plastic garbage can.
2. Cut a strip of pink cardstock and fold like an accordion. Unfold and glue or tape where the garbage can lid meets the cardstock.
3. Cut two leaf shapes from green tissue paper. Glue to a pink pom-pom. Glue to the lid or the garbage can.
4. Cut small strips of multicolored masking tape. Place all over the lid.