I’ve put together a collection of the Valentine Boxes we’ve made over the years to inspire you to make your own creative Valentine Box — even boxes boys will love. Plus, these are “GREEN” valentines boxes; all made from recycled materials. Warning: These will not involve shoe-boxes and stickers. We’re thinking a bit outside the box, no pun intended.
To see instructions for any of the following Valentine boxes, just click on the link/picture to be directed to the correct post:
The Shinny Rocket Valentine Box
In this post, we’ll show you how to make the following Valentine Boxes:
Somewhere, as a child, my I got this crazy idea from my parents that Valentine Boxes have to BE something. My first valentine box, in first grade, was a doll, dressed in a full-length red crepe paper tissue dress. The loop of her gown was where the valentines were hidden. Throughout the room, there were covered wagons made from oatmeal boxes, cowboy hats, race cars and flowers. There were absolutely no shoe-boxes decorated with heart stickers. Naturally, I wanted to continue the same tradition for my sons when their classes started Valentine Parties.
Our first one was this basketball hoop valentine box.
We cut a cereal box so that just two inches of the bottom were left, as a tray, and kept the back of the box as support for a Nerf basketball hoop. A can of red spray paint and some stickers, and friends shot their valentines in the box.
Next, I got a little more creative and found that a simple $8 investment in a a dozen bagels from Panera will net you this extra special box. 
This box is a gem. Our first valentine box from this was a robot.
complete with metallic gray spray paint, bolts and screws for eyes and noses and metal mesh as a heart. We even used wire to spell out his name.
For this toolbox valentine box, click here:
The possibilities are endless. You could use the face to make a beauty queen, or the perfect Frankenstein.
I learned the hard way that is best to prime your box first.
For the guitar valentine box, click here.
If you don’t the words bleed through your final product.
I will pass on a very time-saving, valuable lesson I’ve learned here: Let your kids have creative license over the design.
This is tough work!
This is very TOUGH work!
Let them learn to appreciate, and love their own mistakes.
Next, set a rule. You can only use found objects in the house for embellishments.
Try, very hard, not to interject with stupid statements like I make: “Nobody has white eyes. Why don’t you use these white buttons, and glue smaller blue buttons on top to that it looks like a real eye.” Children really don’t want you to be logical. White buttons with black paint over the top it is.
Then, you will have a complete Batman
Yeah, I think it looks more like BatDog too, but I thought it best not to bring this up.
The same box makes a great Buzz Lightyear
.
For the kid who has outgrown cutsey, you can always make the I-Pod valentine box. This is made from a rectangular piece of Styrofoam wrapped in foil. With marker to identify the controls and fav song.
A pocket in the back made from a recycled aluminum casserole pan serves as the holder for the valentines.
With a recycled box, some spray paint and some junk… the possibilities are… endless.
Those are great! Love the ipod idea for older kids. Very creative!
Wow, very creative indeed! Thanks for sharing this!
I’ve not heard of Valentines boxes before. Those are all very creative; some are very ingenious.
ahhhh – so this is your TT post ! cute and oh so darned clever. happy TT
Very creative! They just used to let us decorate paper bags at school. This is awesome!
How adorable. Yes, I was always one for those helpful hints and they never appreciated them either. Very fun post. Have a great TT.
Susie, this was AWESOME! I love, love, love the iPOD and Buzz Lightyear. Man, talk about creative! Fantastic!
What initiative, ingenuity, and talent!
Those are very sweet. My son loves craft projects like that…I don’t know if they do valentines at Waldorf school, but we’ll find out next spring!
Wow…what great ideas. You are an awesome Mom:) Happy TT.
How great is that! I’d love to put a valentine in those boxes. I can still remember the joy of finding those darn valentine day cards in the envelope holders we’d make at school! Happy TT…
Your son is so very cute. What a face! And what a great idea – as always – a wonderful TT. I really love your ideas.
Happy TT!
I don’t remember Valentine boxes, but then I did go to a parochial school for six years. It wasn’t a big holiday for the nuns, go figure.
These are very creative! What a shame you had to go to Panera more than once, lol.
Thanks for stopping by! (for a quick choc. chip cookie fix, we are loving the Chip Ahoy chunky, choc. chip cookies)
I never had v’day boxes, but back in the day when I went to school we had desks where the tops opened & we just “snuck” them in each others desks – course they probably don’t use those desks anymore cause kids were getting hurt due to these heavy tops slamming down on fingers.
really missing Panera Bread now – one thing that hasn’t made it across the pond yet (along with Taco Bell)
Very neat! I have had a V’day box, they just went into our desks as kids.
But I have a thing about boxes and containers so this definitely interested me.
Happy TT
~X
as i was scrolling down, with my son hanging on my arm…he wanted to know if he could play with that boy in the batman costume!!! anyway…those are awesome valentine boxes!! my daughter had to make one for school, too. while hers isn’t nearly as creative…the greenday one is awesome…she made hers all by herself too!
loved the tt! your boys are adorable!
xoxo
Here’s a couple of tips:
I bought one box of bagels– and with all my kids at my side, I said, “Can we have one more extra box… and another..” Easy peasey, I had extra boxes.
The cinnamon-crunch bagels are EXACTLY the same price as the plain bagels. So just get a whole box of those, and you’re SET!
Wow. Wow! I have to make one with my daughter in a few days and I was thinking of branching out to the oatmeal container from the shoe box. You have set the bar a wee bit higher. We don’t have a Panera in my neck of the woods so those ones are out…I’m inspired, though…
What great ideas! So different from what you typically see!
This is a very cool and timely T-13. If I was still in the classroom, this is what I’d be doing with my students.
Hugs and blessings,
How fun i so miss these days
Very creative!
Those are great ideas!! We have a “contest” each year for the best Valentine’s card box in our homeschool group. I’m amazed what some kids (or parents, ha!) can come up with. This year, my daughter made horse stables for her. Happy TT!
Wow! Those are so creative! I think the most creative one I ever had was an oatmeal canister and shoe box that were transformed into a heart covered train. I wish I had a picture.
Lummy! You are creative! Makes my baskets look a bit feeble.
Cheers
Great ideas, but most of all, I love the photos. Look how SERIOUS your little artist is as he works on his masterpiece! (Thanks for visiting my TT)
Cute!
Happy TT!
Ooh, I was hoping you’d do something fun like this! I need these ideas you give us each week, you know. I am lost without them!
DUDE
you rock. I love these ideas. Yr like the coolest, hottest, most creative mum at that school I am sure!
Those are some really great ideas. I am going to share them with my daughter because every friday she goes to the second grade classes for intern. This will be fun for them to do.
Nice ideas. I have a ton of buttons to use on some kind of craft project. Funny how they can pile up so quickly.
Yours is really helpful and great for kids! I love arts and crafts…:)
Okay, it’s cute.
Adorable.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
Those. are. awesome. As usual, you amaze me Susie! xooxox
Very fun!
When I was growing up, we always made “envelopes” to hang on the front of our desks; we made them in class. Never the option of a fun Valentine box!
I was looking for an excuse to go to Panera and now I have one!
Thank you for sharing your very creative ideas!! It’s so hard to find “boy” valentine boxes so you are a huge help to me! Thank you again.
ahhhh so cutie
I made one!
I mean i made a ipod so cool!
:O 
Thank you again Susie, the kids in my son’s class LOVED the basketball goal valentines box. Some of them asked me if I would make one for them. I had your website on a piece of paper “ready” for anyone to ask me where I got the idea. You are awesome for sharing your ideas. Thank you!
wierd not going to make this crap i need better stuff for sixth grade not first grade crapy stugg here!
first of all, all of those are stupid and lame they dont know how to be an artist they are stupid for making those and they should be punished for aking such shitty pieces of work.
ALL OF YOU ARE STUPID AND SO ARE YOUR PROJECTS!!!!