Heart Shaped Chocolate Box Craft for Valentine’s Day

Have you noticed the seasonal aisles are already stocked with treats for Valentines Day?!

And based on the shelf space dedicated to to them, I think it is safe to say the heart shaped box of chocolate reigns supreme.  I always bring one home for the family on Valentine’s Day.  It’s a classic!  This morning though, I was noticing how much of a premium you pay for those chocolates in that heart shaped box.  And after thinking about it for a while it also occurred to me how ordinary those mass produced symbols of love really are.

So I decided to make my own!  

Why not make your own too.  Once complete, decorate according to YOUR style.  Fill it with YOUR favorite chocolates or make your own treats like pretzels dipped in chocolate.  This handmade Valentine will be infused with love and certainly make someone feel special this Valentine’s Day!

All you will need is an old cereal box (chipboard), a piece of corrugated cardboard, hot glue or Elmer’s, a stapler, gesso and a little red tempera or acrylic paint.  Also gather decorating supplies and a piece of tissue for inside.

Here’s how…

1. Open up the cereal box flat.
2. Cut out 2 long stripes from the ends of the cereal box.  Mine were 8 inches by 1 1/2.  Make them longer for a larger box.
3. Staple the ends of these 2 stripes together, flip the strips and staple the other end.  Now you have a heart shape.
4. Temporarily add a cardboard spacer inside the loop to improve the heart shape/make it a little wider.

5. Now trace this heart shape on the remaining cardboard.  Offset this traced line about 1/2 inch.
6. Cut out the heart shape, trace it, and cut out a second one.
7. Place your heart shaped loop on top of one of the heart shapes and put your stapler on top as a weight.  This will keep your heart loop from moving as you glue it.
8. Now connect the two pieces with a bead of glue  at the intersection of the heart loop and heart shape.
9. Take out spacer and trace the top edge of the heart shaped loop on the corrugated cardboard then cut it out just inside your line (this is important because you need it to fit inside the loop).

10. Cut out a a small channel at the top for the heart shaped loop then glue it to the remaining (offset) chipboard heart shape.

11. Add a little red to the gesso, mix, and apply (preferably 2 coats).  Then you can decorate!  I plan on adding “Be Mine” with glue and glitter once I can remember where I hid the glitter!

That is it and it is actually a lot simpler to make than it sounds!  Give it a try and make someone feel extra special this Valentines Day!

How to make chocolate pretzels…

Microwave semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small cup for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until melted.  Then simply dip pretzels in the chocolate, set on wax paper, sprinkle with nonpareil, and put in the fridge until set.

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Have a favorite Valentine’s Day craft?  Add a link or description in a comment!

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This post is linked up with Tidbit Thursday at Papa is a Preacher by the wonderfully talented Larissa.  Check it out and link up or just enjoy!

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