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See how to make a DIY Valentine’s Day card box out of basic household items and a few fun embellishments!
Hop aboard the Love Train this February!
DIY Valentine’s Day Card Box: All Aboard the Love Train!
My oldest son, Rowan, is in kindergarten this year, and his teacher requested that all the kiddos make or purchase their own festive Valentine’s Day card box for their class party.
Since Rowan has been obsessed with trains for most of his young life (I even turned one of his toy trains into the cuuuutest DIY Christmas ornament), he of course chose a choo-choo for his desired theme…and it had to be ALL ABOUT LOVE.
Here’s what we came up with for his box!
Other DIY Valentine Box Ideas
Over the years since this post was originally published, I’ve ended up creating several more DIY Valentine card boxes for both of my boys.
We’ve covered Baby Yoda, a Creeper from Minecraft, as well as an upcycled animal cookie!
I’ve also shared LOTS of FREE printables, including a bunch of fun Valentine’s Day card ideas that your kiddo can pass out to all of their classmates and friends, so be sure and check out those too!
Train Valentine’s Day Card Box Supplies
One of the best things about this upcycled Love Train Valentine’s Day card box is that I only purchased a few inexpensive items specifically for this project (mostly from Dollar Tree), so it was about $5 of new stuff.
That’s it!
- Red gift wrap
- Red glitter heart picks
- Red and pink felt heart stickers
- Metallic pipe cleaners
The rest of the items I either already had in my craft stash or I found while rummaging through closets or the kitchen.
Sometimes it pays to be a hoarder. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- Empty cardboard boxes and tubes
- Gift wrap tape & double-sided tape
- Glittery pink washi tape
- Styrofoam discs
- Aluminum foil
- Stuffing from a stuffed animal with a ripped seam (yep, sure did)
- Hot glue
- Jewelry wire
- Scissors
- Silhouette Cameo
- White vinyl
- White & silver polka dot gift wrap
Here are the main components of our DIY Valentine’s Day card box that I scavenged from around the house:
Valentine’s Day Card Box: Prepping the Train Parts
After cutting out a hole in the large box, I then wrapped both it and the smaller box in some red gift wrap, then covered all the edges with some glittery pink washi tape.
Next up came the cardboard tubes.
They were cut to size (and the larger one had a hole cut in it for the smaller one to fit inside), then both were also wrapped in gift wrap and embellished with washi tape.
After covering the six styrofoam discs in aluminum foil, all the main train components were ready for assembly!
I fired up my hot glue gun and then attached all the pieces together.
Now it was time to add some flair and accessorize this choo-choo.
Metallic pipe cleaners were added to cover rugged seams on the tubes, and some stuffing was added to give a fun steam effect to this steamie.
A little structure was provided with some jewelry wire, and the heart picks that would come later also kept it in place.
Some final lovey dovey touches were also added, such as:
- Vinyl decals that I whipped up with my Silhouette Cameo
- So everyone would know this was *Rowan’s* train
- Felt heart stickers
- A cattle catcher up front
- Just an aluminum foil-covered Bagel Bites box piece
- Two smaller front wheels
- Plastic caps from one of the cardboard shipping tubes
Rowan’s Final Train Valentine’s Day Card Box!
And here’s how Rowan’s Love Train Valentine’s Day card box looks after being fully assembled and accessorized!
Needless to say, he was pretty excited to take it to school for his class party and to also pass out his for all of his friends. :)
An Upcycled Before-And-After Valentine Box
Not bad for a $5 upcycled school project!
If You Enjoyed This…
Make sure you check out my other fun school ideas and Valentine’s Day projects!
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Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or emotions, but I can provide information and knowledge on a wide range of topics. Let's discuss the concepts used in this article about making a DIY Valentine's Day card box.
DIY Valentine's Day Card Box: All Aboard the Love Train!
The article describes how to create a Valentine's Day card box with a train theme using basic household items and embellishments. It provides step-by-step instructions and lists the supplies needed for the project.
Valentine's Day Card Box Ideas
The author mentions that besides the train-themed card box, they have also created other DIY Valentine card boxes for their children in the past. Some examples mentioned in the article include a Baby Yoda card box, a Creeper from Minecraft card box, and an upcycled animal cookie card box. The author also shares free printables and card ideas for Valentine's Day.
Supplies for the Train Valentine's Day Card Box
The article lists the supplies needed for the train-themed card box. Some of the supplies include:
- Red gift wrap
- Red glitter heart picks
- Red and pink felt heart stickers
- Metallic pipe cleaners
- Empty cardboard boxes and tubes
- Gift wrap tape and double-sided tape
- Glittery pink washi tape
- Styrofoam discs
- Aluminum foil
- Stuffing from a stuffed animal
- Hot glue
- Jewelry wire
- Scissors
- Silhouette Cameo
- White vinyl
- White and silver polka dot gift wrap
Preparing the Train Parts
The article explains the process of preparing the train parts. This involves cutting a hole in a large box and wrapping it in red gift wrap. The smaller box and cardboard tubes are also wrapped in gift wrap and embellished with glittery pink washi tape. The styrofoam discs are covered in aluminum foil. After preparing all the parts, they are assembled using hot glue.
Adding Flair and Accessories
The article describes how to add flair and accessories to the train card box. Metallic pipe cleaners are used to cover rugged seams on the tubes, and stuffing is added to create a steam effect. Jewelry wire is used for structure, and additional decorations like vinyl decals, felt heart stickers, a cattle catcher, and smaller wheels are added to enhance the train's appearance.
Final Train Valentine's Day Card Box
The article concludes with a picture of the fully assembled and accessorized train card box, which the author's son took to school for his class party. The author expresses satisfaction with the project's outcome, highlighting that it was a $5 upcycled school project.
If you have any specific questions or would like more information about any of the concepts discussed, feel free to ask!
