Dollar Store DIY ~ Boston Terrier Valentine Mail Box

Ever since Gracie started school, I was excited to help her make a Valentine Box for her classmates to drop in their cute little Valentine cards.  I didn't realize that her classes didn't make Valentine boxes for Kindergarten or First Grade.  I was bummed.

I cannot even begin to describe how happy I was that Grace and I could work on designing a Valentine Box for her to take in to her 2nd grade classroom.

One afternoon, last week, Grace and I sat down and browsed Pinterest for some cute Valentine Box ideas.  We saw lots of creative boxes and Grace decided she wanted us to create a Boston Terrier Valentine Box.  Since, you know, we're obsessed with Boston Terriers.

I'll admit, I was really proud that Gracie chose our favorite breed as the theme, but I was a bit nervous about designing a Boston Terrier Valentine box.  I really didn't have any idea on how I was going to go about putting that together.

We started by choosing a box that fit into the size specifications given by her teacher.  After that, the only idea I had was to cover the box with wrapping paper.  I figured either black or white paper would work.

I stopped at Dollar Tree to see if they had plain white or black paper and I was thrilled when I saw a super-glittery Boston Terrier gift bag!  I suspected it might be the perfect size to cover her box, so I grabbed three!  Just in case we messed up and needed a spare!

So after gathering our supplies, Grace and I got to work on assembling her box.

• empty box
• wrapping paper
• card stock
• Boston Terrier gift bag
• marker
• glue stick
• clear tape
• glitter tape
• paper doilies 
• stickers
• scissors

We were both very pleased with how it turned out.  The only thing we didn't do, was make a trap door for removing her Valentines either at her social at school or after she comes home.  We did make the slot a bit on the big side, so Grace should be able to slip her hand inside and get her cards out.  I'll have to remind her to reach in carefully so not to ruin the box, since I have a feeling she will want to add this to our Valentine decor for years to come! 

I'm participating in these link parties:

• Creatively Crafty Link Party #53
• Think Tank Thursday #222
• Valentine's Day Kid Crafts & Activities
• Funtastic Friday Link Party

Dollar Store DIY ~ Kid's Valentine Door

I'm sure you've all seen this idea done before.  It's been all over Facebook and Pinterest for a while now.  I came across the idea several weeks ago and completely forgot about it, so I was glad when Grace's aunt sent me this link:  Valentine Heart Attack by Skip to My Lou.

Right away, I loved the idea of posting little love notes on Grace's door telling her all the reasons that we love her.   Just like Cindy at Skip to My Lou, suggests, I planned on taping a new heart to Grace's door each day from February 1st until Valentine's Day.

So, when I spotted these great, heart-shaped doilies at Dollar Tree I knew they would be perfect for the little, positive, love notes for Grace to wake up to every day!  What's even better is that they are only a dollar for a pack of 30.  One package would have been plenty, but I knew that Gracie would like the combination of pink and red.  Plus, for the price, the leftovers will be a great addition to the craft supplies stash!

I grabbed a piece of pink card stock from my craft supplies, attached a doily to it with some tape and wrote "We love you because..." with a black marker.  Then I taped it to her door.  The best placement ended up being over a Princess decal that was already stuck to her door.

After that was done, it was time to start adding a new heart each night after bedtime.

(don't mind the stickers that Grace has started adding to her door as well)

Since we still have some time until Valentine's Day, this is still a work in progress.  I'll come back and add another photo or two as we add more hearts to her door!

  

Grace loves waking up to see her new love note attached to her door each morning.  I love that this is such an inexpensive and easy way to make her feel special and surprised.

What better way is there to start the day than to be reminded that you are loved?


You can find this post linked at these linky parties:

• Teaching What is Good
• Tutorials & Tips Link Party
• Making a Home
• Think Tank Thursday #222
• Creatively Crafty Link Party #53
• Valentine's Day Kid Craft & Activities
• Funtastic Friday Link Party

Kid Crafts ~ Paint Palette from the Recycling Bin

Grace loves to paint!  Although, she loves to keep her colors separate, she often forgets to rinse or switch brushes.  This often results in some muddy looking jars of paint.  I have a plastic paint palette that I picked up several years ago but the wells aren't deep enough for my little artist.  So, I pour colors into other containers rather than letting her use straight from the jar.

I usually use the small condiment containers that pickles or peppers come in when we get takeout.  You know, the ones that are also great for Jell-o shots. I've even resorted to purchasing a big package of them since we don't get takeout all that often.

For New Year's Eve, our friends brought over some frozen appetizers.  After popping them onto a baking tray and into the oven, I knew I wanted to reuse this plastic tray and set it aside for a snowy, arts and crafts day.

Just as I suspected, this handy little tray with all the individual compartments holds the perfect amount of paint to keep Grace occupied for a while!  This particular tray was rinsed out and used a couple of times before tossing into the recycling bin!