Valentines 2012

I have been making Valentine boxes and trying to come up with creative Valentines for my kids' classmates for 15 years. I have made traditional aluminum foil and doily boxes and gone so far as to make a box that looked just like our dog. I love the years where I get a note from the teacher that says they will make boxes or bags in class! Yes!

But, that still leaves coming up with creative Valentines for the kids to give to their classmates. I have given up some years and just let them pick out puppy or super hero Valentines with the little red stickers to keep them closed. Sometimes I attach a piece of candy. Sometimes I don't. But, it really goes against everything I believe in. I like homemade things, albeit typically very amateur.

I decided that this year I would create a mailbox type contraption that Brynne can use at her Co-op party EVERY year!

I started with a Target Dollar Spot tin mailbox and cut a circle out of the bottom of it, the same size of the Pringles can I attached it to with duct tape. Then I cut that same size hole into the lid of an oatmeal container and used duct tape to attach the other end of the pringles can to it. Then we decorated it all. Now her friends can open the mailbox and drop in the valentines that will drop down the Pringles can tube into the Oatmeal container base. There!

For her Valentines, I used paint sample strips in pinks, attached a heart sticker to the bottom and a piece of heart ribbon to the top, to make bookmarks. On the back we wrote "Sample a Good Book Today". These are for the girls. The boys get little red plastic heart boxes with SweetTart candies inside.

Her Valentine party is tomorrow.

Now all I have is Eli's box and Valentines for his class party on the 14th. Ideas anyone?