Make-Your-Own Valentine Mailbox DIY

You've got mail! Valentine card boxes are a staple of classic Valentine’s Day parties. You’ll love our super-cute valentine box idea for elementary classrooms. 

Supplies

• Red Sparkle Terrific Trimmers®  T91410
  
• Silver Sparkle Terrific Trimmers®  T91408
• Black 1-Inch STICK-EZE® Stick-on Letters  T1785
  
• Valentine-themed Scratch 'n Sniff Stinky Stickers® (optional)
• Empty oatmeal canisters
  
• Shoebox lids or additional trimmers/borders
• Wooden craft sticks
• Brass brad fastener (optional)
• Scissors, glue, tape, and any additional decorations of your choice

Directions

Elementary children love creating these valentine card mailboxes and decorating them with their own personal style!

• We start with an empty oatmeal canister for the mailbox base – it’s sturdy, the pop-off lid is handy, PLUS it can be recycled when you’re finished.
• Invite students to bring empty oatmeal canisters and shoebox lids from home and any other stickers or special add-ons they wish. You’ll be surprised how many different ideas they’ll have!
• For a more advanced design, make the mailbox door open and close. Cut across the lid about ¼ of the way into one side. Tape the lid back together and fold along the taped edge to make a hinge (you may need to help children create this cut - a light score works too). Cover in a border color that matches your theme. Place the lid back on the canister.
• Create a handle from a scrap of trimmer or border paper and attach to the top portion of your mailbox door. Now it can now open and shut!
• For an easier design, keep your canister lid on and cut a slit in the top of the mailbox for valentine cards to slide through. Design the lid to look like a shut mailbox, including a handle. Open the lid on the canister to access the cards after the party.
• Lay your canister in the shoebox lid and and mark how much shows (you'll only need to decorate what shows). Make a rectangle from borders or trimmers if you don't have a shoebox lid. Adding this base gives your mailbox its iconic look and keeps your canister from rolling away! 
• Let’s decorate! Whether your motto is “less is more” or “more is marvelous,” there are lots of ways to make your valentine box a hit!

• We love the shimmering, irresistible finish of Sparkle Terrific Trimmers® so we chose Red Sparkle as the main color in our Valentine’s Day box theme, but any valentine-themed color is great!
• Add Hearts Bolder Borders® strip to the sides of your mailbox.
• Bring extra frills with hearts cut from scratch paper, accents, and heart-shaped stickers.
• Glue or tape on any other decorations children might have brought from home.
• Create a side signal flag using a craft stick and a brad fastener. Use a marker to color the craft stick to match your mailbox. Decorate the flag with stickers and heart-shaped cutouts.
• Punch a hole in the end of the craft stick that's just large enough for a brad fastener to fit through. Punch a similar hole in the side of your mailbox. (Kids may need help with this step.)
• Secure your signal flag to your mailbox using the brad fastener. Tighten the fastener on the inside of the canister.
• Lay your mailbox in the lid or border/trimmer base and tape in place. Add additional borders around the outside to cover, if needed. 
• Write your name on your mailbox with STICK-EZE® Stick-on Letter Stickers. 

Use this simple card box idea each year and swap out the theme colors, border trim designs, and stickers to make it fresh, fun, and new. What a joy it is to see all of the unique mailbox designs! 

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