Valentine boxes/bags

[Linda/NE]

In a couple weeks I need to have a project planned for my preschoolers to make to hold their Valentines. The director has, the past few years, used shoe boxes and such and made them into Lady bugs or something like that. They are cute, but all I see is tons and tons of cutting and preparing for the kids so they can glue everything on.

I'm leaning more toward something that the kids can create more on their own but will look really cute.

Any ideas or sites that might have some ideas?

[littlesista06]

My dd's 2yr old preschool class had the cutest mailbox - made out of a detergent box. I'll see if I can get the instructions - it didn't seem that hard to make and being so big, it would be easy for little hands to manipulate.

[Diane]

I do things simple and quick... I go to Target and buy white lunch bags, stickers, glitter, glue, lace, paper doillies... whatever the kids might want to use to decorate their Valentine bags. It's THEIR creation... not mine, and they are always very proud of them. They could just as easily decorate a shoe box too... just as long as they have plenty of things to glue/stick on them... they'll be happy. Good luck!

Diane...

[arianna]

MM! What about a nosegay style bag made from 11x17 paper. They can color the bag and just use a piece of yarn or construction paper for the handle. ßß!

[kathleen]

I have always found the shoe boxes too bulky, plus it is sometimes hard to find one! My son has used the white lunch sacks several times before. You could also get solid white gift bags with the handles (can find them in craft department of Walmart cheaper than in the greeting card/gift wrap section). At my son's preschool, they decorated their bags and wrote their name on the front. The teacher taped them along the wall so that each child could go along and drop the valentine into the correct bag.

Another thing we have done in the past -- take two paper plates, cut one in half, then glue them together to make a pocket. Decorate, punch holes and tie a ribbon for hanging.

[RCT]

they always used those brown lunch sacks when we were kids...Diane's idea of the while ones is great...then they can decorated them with glitter and doillies....yarn for a handle...good luck....sounds like fun...

[KarlaB]

Dks have made them with the paper plates (like kathleen described) and with white paper bags like Diane mentioned. They have used cut out hearts, glitter, stickers, doilies, etc. Good luck!!

[Linda/NE]

thanks for the great ideas!!!