Academe

I have wanted to make one of these for a few years. A custom valentines box. I know, weird. I'm not even into those anyway or their bland red execution, but as I was browsing MS.com looking at craft ideas, I found this link and decided to do it, just a wee bit smaller. You can view her video for a better idea on the steps to follow, but here's a short version (and my few alterations).
She suggests using matboard for the box top and bottom, which I used here. First, cut out one heart shape to trace using grade school techniques here: fold a paper in half, cut out a heart 'half' and unfold, resulting in a perfectly symmetrical shape. Trace this onto a piece of the matboard and cut out. Now cut out a second heart from the mat board using the first matboard heart, NOT the template. This will give you a slighly larger heart, which, once walled will fit snugly over your bottom piece. (this is a tip not noted in her tutorial) Then use posterboard cut into 1" strips and hot glue around each matboard heart. I won't go into detail- but her video demonstrates this part well. Voila! The first picture you see is my box top and bottom and all the glue goop that is flapping around. No matter. Let's hide some mess by making the top and bottom panels. Martha suggests using posterboard for this, but I feel it's too flimsy, esp. since you'll be using the edge for pulling the box open so I used more matboard. It was a little tricky to cut with pinking shears but easy to trim down and reshape. Cut those and glue on with your glue gun. Done- see picture #2. Now what? That's what I asked myself. I liked my little box but now had no idea what to do to it. So many options- paint it? fabric? paper? do I stamp it? glue things on it? Try tons of things- could be way fun to see. The box itself doesn't take long to make- about 20 minutes or so. For this one I used velvet paper, cut again in 1" strips and glued them to the side of the outer box. I then coated the upper edge and lower visible edge with a pale pink, chunky glitter. After that I busted out some first grade whoop-art and did some tissue texture! Used a pink-edged circle punch from Martha and punched out a lot of tissue circles, then wrapped one around the end of a pencil, dipped it in glue and placed it on. Yeah- kind of tedious and more work than it was probably worth, but look at how frilly and obnoxious! Perfect for the possibly frilly contents inside... if you know what I mean. Topped the tissue with a little vintage foil cupid and it's done! Fill with candy, naughty little things, what have you....