Make a Valentine Box for Girls

For this fun idea I need to give credit to my mother who came up with this unique valentine box when I was little!  I couldn't wait for the first time that Sweet Child O' Mine had to make a valentine box for school!  I knew exactly what was my favorite valentine box growing up and was so excited to help her make one!  Here is what you'll need to make one for your daughter:
-An empty round gallon ice cream container
-5 coordinating sheets of 12x12 scrapbook paper
-4 straws
-pom pom trim (or something similar)
-four die cut carousel horses (die cuts were not invented yet when I was growing up so my mom actually had me use carousel horses that we cut from real valentines!  Those may be a little hard to come by so here is a website I found with a silhouette of a carousel horse that you could print and trace onto your cardstock to cut out)
-letter stickers for name (optional)
-toothpick or a cut straw for flag on top
-scissors
-glue gun
-exacto knife

First you'll need to cut a long skinny rectangle out of the ice cream tub.  This is where your valentines will go so be sure that you make the opening big enough.  Take the lid off of the tub and save it for later.   This finished box will have the lid at the bottom of the tub, so as you're working, be sure to keep the tub upside down. Next, you'll need the two matching sheets of 12x12 scrapbook paper that you will be using to cover the tub.  In mine pictured above, I used the large striped paper.  Measure the height of your tub and then measure and cut your paper so it will fit exactly the same height as the tub.   You then need to take one of the sheets of paper and trace the opening that you have cut in the tub for your valentines to go in.  I laid my paper on the counter and then laid the tub on top of it with the hole pressed against the paper.  Then, I kind reach my hand inside the tub and trace from the inside onto the paper kind of rolling the tub the length of the slit.  After the hole in the paper is cut then I line it up to the hole in the tub and glue in on.  Then glue on the other piece of paper on the other half of the tub, completely covering the tub with paper.  For this, a glue gun would work but I like to use my "Tombo" glue roller that I use for scrapbooking, I think it is easier to work with.  Any scrapbooking glue that has a strong permanent hold should work well.

After you've covered the body of the tub, trace the bottom of the tub (which actually ends up being the top) with a coordinating color of 12x12 paper, I used the plain purple.  Cover the top of your lid the same way.  For the scalloped trim around the lid I just measured a 2 inch strip of a coordinating scrapbook paper (the little striped paper) and cut along the top of it with my scalloped scissors.  (I did this with two lengths of the 12 inch paper so I had two 12 inch strips)  Then glue the strips around the lid of your tub.

Glue your 4 horses onto straws and then use your glue gun to glue the straws onto the top of your tub (which is really the bottom).  You'll need to use a substantial amount of glue because these horses will need to hold up your roof!

To make the roof, cut a large circle, about an inch larger than your ice cream tub.  I used a big plate to trace mine.  Then cut a slit up the circle to the middle of the circle (see little example below) this will give you a slight cone shape.

Glue your roof onto your straws.  Then you can decorate your box however you'd like.  We used pom pom fringe to trim the roof and top and made a little flag.  Sweet Child O' Mine's name was put on above the slot so the kids knew whose box it was when passing out Valentines. (I edited it out using my handy clone stamp, that's why is looks a little awkward, safety first!)  She of course insisted we bedazzle the horses with some stick on jewels!  Have fun!