Valentine’s Day isn’t just about picking out swoon-worthy gifts for your significant other (and Galentine!), planning a great date night, or watching a beloved rom-com. One of the best parts of Cupid’s holiday is making sure your kids feel the love, too. For the littlest set, February 14 is all about the fun that usually happens at school—complete with festive parties, adorable decorations, boxes of chocolate, cute nail art, and, of course, slipping homemade cards in all of their classmates’ Valentine’s Day boxes.
While there are plenty of Valentine’s Day boxes available to buy—and often in the forms of things like unicorns and mermaids, LEGOS and alligators—but, if you have the time, we recommend crafting your own creative cardholder for all that sweet snail mail from school. Not only does creating and decorating a DIY Valentine’s Day box make for fun family activity, but it’ll also serve as a keepsake they’ll cherish long after holiday. Not to mention that all you need to make a Valentine’s Day box is a shoebox (cereal or tissue boxes will work, too), colorful construction paper or wrapping paper, and some decorations.
Got your glue gun ready? Ahead, we’ve gathered super-creative ideas and the most delightful Valentine’s Day box designs—including a tasty taco, a purr-fect cat, and a charming hot air balloon—all of which kindergarteners, tykes, and even tweens, are guaranteed to love. (Oh, and there are even a few store-bought options if a DIY project just isn’t in the, well, cards this year.)
Turn a basic paper mache mailbox into something extra special—with the help of a little flower power. This colorful design features a mix of peonies and roses, but you can also customize it to include your little one’s favorite flowers.
If your kiddo has an endless supply of LEGOs, a Valentine’s Day box is a great way to get them out from underfoot and put to good use.
You don’t have to worry about leaving your little one hanging this Valentine’s Day—thanks to this delightful sloth. The cute and colorful creature was made with the help of a Cricut, but there is also a PDF of the pattern pieces, which you can cut and color by hand.
Does your kiddo know all the words to “My Girl” by The Temptations? Or do they demand that you play Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” on repeat? We hear you—and that’s exactly why we’re recommending this DIY Valentine’s Box, which can be made using sheet music from your little one’s favorite love song and a shoebox.
Here’s something sweet for your sweet someone: This ice cream cone—which is made from just a few supplies—can be adjusted to look just like your little one’s go-to ice cream order, including their favorite flavor (use brown paint for chocolate, beige paint for vanilla, and light green paint for mint) and toppings (think: pink paint for strawberry sauce, dark wooden beads for peanuts, brown and pom-poms for chocolate chips).
Give a heart-shaped box a little extra pizzazz with an assortment of colorful pink and red pom-poms.
Valentines Day Mailbox
If you’d prefer to buy than DIY, not only can your little one use this personalized box to collect all their cards and candy on Valentine’s Day, but you can also fill it with your own love notes throughout the year.
