20 Valentine Boxes to Make with the Kids This Year

This cereal box and paper bag craft comes together with minimal effort and a few kid-friendly supplies (think: Elmer’s glue and craft paint). Bottom line: Even the youngest kids can help at every stage of the process and the end result is downright adorable.

A ready-made paper mâché heart box is the base (you might need to schedule a trip to the craft store for that one), but it’s the bright pink and red pom poms that steal the show. The craft is simple, and the finished product is irresistibly jolly—just be sure to opt for craft glue instead of a hot glue gun if you’ve got a little kid in the mix.

This project comes together with easy-to-find materials—tissue paper, cardboard, construction paper—but the process does require some skill. Still, once the basic taco shape has been constructed, there’s something for any age child to help with and, needless to say, the pay-off is a DIY box that’s cute enough to eat.

Grab your kid and try your hand at a diorama craft that will transport you back to your own grade school days. (Fifth grade book reports, anyone?) Best of all, you don’t even need to have an empty shoe box lying around to pull this one off: The craft comes with a free printable so all you need is cardstock, scissors, glue and some supplies for decorating (glitter, pom poms) so your little one can make it snazzy.

Plan ahead and save that empty oatmeal container to make this sweet butterfly box with your kid. The heart-shaped doily wings scream Valentine’s Day and thanks to the kid-friendly materials (school glue, cardstock, pipe cleaners and googly eyes) and easy crafting process, this project won’t end in heartbreak.

Calling all Frozen fans (i.e., everyone under ten). This treat box features one of the film’s most charming characters—you know, the one who “likes warm hugs”—and it couldn’t be easier to make with your kid. Simply print out the free Olaf template and put your child to work with a pair of scissors and a glue stick for a quick and easy craft that looks like a million bucks.

Some special craft store supplies are required here (artificial flowers, paper mâché mailbox) and some grown-up tools (wire cutters, hot glue gun)—so depending on the age of your child, their participation might be limited to the painting stage of the project. That said, the craft itself isn’t too time-consuming and the finished product is oh-so pretty.

Buy a can of Pringles and you’ll have the base for an eye-catching Valentine’s box craft in no time. (True to the snack food’s slogan, Pringles tend to go fast). Even better news: Your kid will have a blast at every step of this simple project—from painting the can to wrapping it with washi tape decor.

Scrounge up a shoebox and score some Mod Podge (a kid-friendly decoupage medium) and cardstock for this charming printable Valentine’s Day craft. Younger kids will likely need help with cutting out some of the decorative shapes, but that’s not such a loss since the real opportunity for creativity comes when it’s time to glue them on.

If you’re looking to craft with a little kid, we suggest you build the lip-shaped box, which serves as the base of this piñata, solo. Once that’s done, your kid can go to town gluing down the bright red fringe. The end result? A Valentine’s Day showstopper.

The printable scrapbook paper and monster template make crafting this Valentine’s Day box a breeze. An adult should handle the box cutter, of course, but your kid can decide the placement of the facial features and do the gluing for a creative, hands-on role in the crafting process.

A playful and cute box built from egg cartons, paper towel tubes and other recycled materials. This easy craft does require some grown-up guidance when it comes to cutting and assembly—but, as with any project that involves painting, this mixed media alligator promises plenty of fun for kids of all ages.

This Cricut project is best tackled by experienced crafters and, truth be told, the process does not exactly invite kid participation. That said, if you’re accustomed to using this digital cutting tool and your child has helped out with Cricut projects in the past, this Valentine’s box will be straightforward to make and impressive to look at.

Another piñata masterpiece from the craft experts at The House That Lars Built, this hot air balloon box is slightly more complicated to make than the lip piñata (see above) but not by much. Follow the same straightforward piñata building instructions and tap your kid when it comes time to decorate for a fun activity and a finished product that promises to inspire pride in both of you.

Introducing a Valentine’s Day box you can craft with a pre-K kid! All you need is a tissue box, pipe cleaners, googly eyes and construction paper to make this bee-autiful holiday craft—and the process itself involves nothing more complicated than cutting and pasting. Phew.

A fresh take on a standard box, these hanging baskets (made out of recycled cereal boxes) boast lots of holiday cheer—and they couldn’t be easier to make. Best of all, you can use whatever you have on hand for the embellishments and just let your kid get creative.

Introduce some Little Shop of Horrors charm to your Valentine’s Day craft with this hungry piranha plant box, which comes together in a few kid-friendly steps and basic supplies. This project might be easy, but the brightly colors and creative design make for a finished craft that’s far from boring.

This DIY mailbox couldn’t be easier to make—just a couple cardboard boxes, some blue acrylic paint and a print-out USPS logo are all you need to accomplish this clever Valentine’s Day box idea. Bonus: This one also doubles as a pretend play prop to keep little kids occupied all year long.

Another Cricut craft—but this one uses a cardboard box and includes a free printable, so if you don’t have the digital cutting tool you can pull it off with nothing more than a pair of scissors. Regardless, the end result is a sparkly pink crepe paper masterpiece that kids of all ages can help create.

What happens when a ready-made Valentine’s card box from the craft store meets a free printable? Let’s call it love—because you’d be hard-pressed to find a holiday craft that looks so good with so little effort. Scoop up some sparkly black cardstock and a pint-sized assistant to help you transform a humdrum container into a treat box that’ll make a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fan swoon.