Upcycle a candy box into a Valentine scrapbook

Above is the recycled chocolate box lid
with fancy "LOVE" lettering.

Brief Description: This heart shaped scrapbook comes with it's very own box container. It is a perfect place to keep love letters, photos, and Valentines, of course.

Supply List:

• Heart shaped chocolates box (recycled)
• Decorative scrap letters
• Decorative wrapping paper, enough to cover the box and also cut out a front cover page for the scrapbook
• Two large binding rings.
• A stack of solid colored paper, large enough to cut custom shaped pages for your scrapbook
• White Glue
• Scissors
• Hole punch

Directions:

   1. Clean out the recycled chocolate box thoroughly before beginning the project.

   2. Lay out the lid of your box top on top of the wrapping paper and draw around the heart shape. If you wish to cover the edges as well, I suggest you do so with a long narrow strip of paper matching the dimensions of the sides of the box. This will make your box look cleaner and more professional. The box pictured in the photo above had velvet trim and I chose to leave this intact.

   3. You will need to repeat the same step for the back side of the box.

   4. Glue the wrapping paper on the edges only to the box. Use a very narrow line of glue. Some of you may choose to use a spray adhesive for this project, but, white glue is just fine for young children.

   5.The lettering in my sample project was purchased at a Hobby Lobby. All I had to do was peal and stick it directly onto my lid. You may wish to visit some font collections on the web instead and print some illuminated letters on your home computer instead.

   6. After decorating your recycled chocolate box, cut a stack of pages just 1/4 inch smaller than the lid so that these will fit neatly into your heart shaped container.
   7. Punch holes into the stack of pages and clip these together with a couple of red binding rings. 

Above is the heart shaped scrapbook and the 
bottom of the box it fits into. It is advisable to cut
a few additional pages that may be added later.

All photos and descriptions copyrighted by Grimm 2017

Really neat Valentine scrapbook by Juhi K.

More Valentine Box Crafts:

• DIY candy filled heart box for 18" dolls - adorable clay canndies
• Craft a Welsh Corgi Valentine Mailbox by kathy grimm - template included too

decoupage a valentine post box

Above is a traditional, Valentine mailbox made
from a shoebox. (Note. The heavenly, halo effect around the
Valentine mailbox is necessary for proper interpretation.)

Brief Description: During my own childhood, Valentine's Day was celebrated in school with ambitious dedication. Every child took great care to design a shoe box that would reflect one's superior crafting skill and every teacher would complain about the wasted time given them during school. Annually homeroom teachers would beg the art teacher or parents to take over the craft, but to no avail. Kiddom would not allow the Valentine custom to die out; the making of the mail boxes was almost equal to the "sanctity" of Santa Claus, but not quite.

Supply List:

•  one shoe box
•  white butcher paper
•  scissors
•  white glue
•  Mod Podge
•  ribbon and rick rack to trim
•  Victorian scraps
•  paper clay molded angels, hearts, etc...
•  scotch tape
•  one pack of white paper clay, I prefer Model Magic for small children
•  candy mold tray, one with a Valentine theme, these may be purchased from a craft, hobby or cake decorating store.
•  tacky glue
•  soft camel-hair brush

Directions:

1.  Follow the simple directions on the Model Magic label.
2.  Mold as many little candy decorations with the paper clay as you wish. Let these dry for an hour after removing them from the candy mold.
3.  Cut a generous slot into the shoe box lid, this is where the letters are pushed into the Valentine mailbox.
4.  Wrap the shoebox in white butcher paper. Wrap the lid and the bottom half of the box separately. Tape down the edges of the paper with scotch tape on the interior of the box so that the wrapping will appear seamless.
5.  Now cut out your Valentine scraps. These may be downloaded and printed from a great variety of resources from across the web or purchased.
6.  Paste the pictures down to cover the surface of the shoe box.
7.  Paste the molded, Valentine motifs randomly onto the surface of the decorated box.
8.  Glue the trim around the bottom edge of the shoe box lid with tacky glue.
9.  Cover the entire outside surface of the decorated shoe box with Mod Podge using a soft, camel hair brush. Let the Valentine mailbox dry over night.

Overlap slightly the Valentine scraps and white, paper clay pieces.

The SITS Girls show how to make 

a Valentine Letter Mailbox.

Craft More Valentine Mailboxes:

• Valentine mailbox competition at doll school
• "Sweet Notes" from laura vegas 
• Mailbox Valentine Countdown
• Dog Themed Mailbox - Welsh Corgi

craft a vintage envelope tag book

A student's sample of a vintage envelope tag book.

Brief Description: My daughter decoupaged this little envelope tag book several years ago. There are also letters tucked inside of each page as well.

Supply List:

• You may either purchase envelopes or make your own. I've included a template below.
• scraps from newspapers, magazines
• Stamps and inks
• small additional charms, tokens etc...
• yarn
• scissors
• white glue

Directions:

1. As with most collage craft projects, the object of this process is to basically cut and paste. One needs very few directions when this is the case.
2. As for the template, down the image below, drag it into a Word document and size it according to the size you would like for a envelope tag book. 
3. You will need some kind of paper, preferably not too light weight.
4. Use glue sparingly as you go into order to keep the envelopes in shape.
5. Tie the pages together with an interesting bow or yarn.

All instructions and photographs, templates are copyrighted by Grimm 2017

The envelope tag book template.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document. Read the Terms of Use before
using it folks.

More Tag Book Crafts:

• A lovely circus tag book!
• Going Dylusional
• Mini Steampunk Book
• Mini Circular Tag Book

Assemble an embroidered bouquet wrap

You may wish to hang this bouquet
by a vintage dressing table.

Brief Description: I think this is a lovely way to give a simple bouquet of flowers. Baby's breath and red roses would look delightful tucked inside of this embroidered wrap. I used tissue paper flowers for the photograph because these were what I had at hand. Make something new out of something old. 

Supply List:

• embroidered pot holder
• embroidery floss, I used red
• embroidery needle
• scissors

Directions: 

1. Turn the pot holder face down and fold together two of it's opposite points to create the cone shape. Pin down the sides if necessary.
2. Thread your embroidery needle as thickly as you wish and stitch these two side together with a firm decorative stitch. 
3. Stuff the cone shaped wrap with a posy and give it to your sweetheart or friend.

Additional Suggestions: For those of you who still celebrate May Day, this little project would be quiet charming. There are so many of these little embroidered pot holders for sale in antique malls and flee markets for mere pocket change.

The cone shape allows for a charming little
package for rose buds and baby's breath.

An old-fashioned pot holder I picked up in a local antique shop.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2011.

cut sucker sleeves from outer space!

A rocket sucker sleeve decorated with
shiny foil paper and stuffed
with a lemon flavored sucker.

Brief Description: Sucker sleeves "dress up" party favors for classroom parties. When I was very young, if you received a valentine with a sucker attached to it, you were considered a great friend. Not every package of student valentines included more than just a few sucker sleeves with a bonus treat.

Supply List:

• a variety of construction paper
• tin foils or other alternative shiny papers
• white glue
• black permanent ink marker, thin tipped
• scissors
• sucker sleeve templates
• stapler
• suckers, of course

Directions:

1. Cut out the templates and trace around these on top of the construction papers.
2. Cut out and glue together the patterns according to your own tastes. You may choose to use tin foils for the spaceships as well.
3. Use permanent black markers to draw on top of the tin foil. This will keep the ink from rubbing off onto clothing and table surfaces. This ink does bleed, however, so remember to keep your work surfaces padded with old newspapers.
4. Glue around the edges of your front template and then adhere the back template into place. Let this glue dry before stuffing the sucker sleeve with a piece of candy.
5. After stuffing the candy sleeve, you may need to add a few staples to keep the sucker from falling out of it's wrapper.

Additional Suggestions: Teachers and/or camp crafters may elect not to cut and paste these candy wrappers with fancy papers. Small ones would probably be just as happy to color in the templates with colored markers or crayons.

The back side of our rocket sucker sleeve.
Teachers may choose to give students some
shiny tin foil to craft a more realistic
spaceship or rocket!

A sample of a submarine sucker sleeve
colored with a bright yellow marker and
stuffed with a sour cherry sucker

The rocket ship sucker sleeve template.

The submarine sucker sleeve template.

The spaceship sucker sleeve template.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2011.

cut and paste treasure chest candy wrappers

Treat your pirate to Palmer chocolate,
gold coins packaged in our treasure chest candy wrapper!

Brief Description: These little paper treasure chests are easy and inexpensive to make. They make the perfect candy favors for a birthday party or holiday celebration. 

Supply List:

• one sheet of brown construction paper
• black ink pen
• silver ink pen
• scissors
• white glue
• one netted package of Palmer, gold, chocolate coins ( there are other brands of chocolate coins sold in the U.K.)
• pattern for the candy wrapper provided below.

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the templates
2. Trace one of each onto a sheet of brown construction paper.
3. Cut out the patterns and fold/cut where indicated on the pattern.
4. Glue just the out edges only of the back of the treasure chest and adhere this to the front.
5. Color the candy wrapper with black and silver ink as I have shown here in my pictures.

Don't forget to decorate the inside
of the candy wrapper as well

The backside view of our treasure chest

A treasure chest candy wrapper template.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

All patterns and photographs by Grimm copyrighted 2011.

Read more about "How to host a vintage pirate party" at Thrifty Scissors.

applique a pillow with wool hearts

Applique woolen pillows that
I created for my family room.

Brief Description: I hand-appliqued these pillows from old woolen trousers. I hate to toss expensive wool out when I can recycle it in a quilt, table runner etc... Wool is very durable and keeps it's shape longer than any other fabric. For this  reason, I prefer to use it in decorative pillows that I know my family will be using roughly for many years.

Supply List:

• wool scraps, if you purchase these, I would suggest no less than 14 inches of five different patterns/solids.
• embroidery floss in a variety of contrasting colors
• scissors
• the templates below, printed and cut out
• embroidery needles
• soft cotton filler of your own choosing

Directions:

1. Cut out the templates as directed.
2. Cut out six hearts for the pillow depicted at the front of the photograph. The hearts are hand-sewn with a blanket stitch on top of 6 inch by 5 1/2 inch rectangles. There are three rectangles across and two rectangles from top to bottom. 
3. Reserve approximately 16 1/2 inches by 13 inches of one woolen swatch for the back of this pillow. 
4. Stitch these pieces together and stuff.
5. For the folk star pillow, cut four stars, four lager penny circles and four small penny circles. Applique these pieces together as they appear in the photo. 
6. You will need four, 8 inch by 8 inch squares for each star pattern and four additional squares for the back side of the pillow.

Would you like to try sewing some for yourself?
Here are my free templates for the pillows pictured.
This template may be downloaded and sized in a
word document to fit the above measurements.
Read the Terms of Use before using it folks.

photographs and written craft pages copyrighted by Grimm 2011 

Penny rugs or Coin rugs