Crepe Paper Flowers and Girls Valentine Boxes

As a child, my very favorite Valentine's Day activity was decorating a box with my Mom to hold my Valentine cards in for the class party.  Remember those days?  Now I look forward to decorating them with my own kids.

This Valentine's Day 'box' is an oatmeal container.  If you want to, you can cut a slit in the top of the lid for the Valentines to drop through.  If a card is too large, just take the lid off so it will fit.

The oatmeal container is covered with scrapbook paper.  The leaves are cut from construction paper then bent in half to give them some dimension.  The flowers are made from crepe paper streamers. 

How to Make Crepe Paper Flowers 

 

1. Choose your colors.  I used three shades of pink.
2. Stack three layers of streamers on top of each other.  For a solid color flower fold one long piece into thirds.
3. With a sewing machine stitch down the center of the streamers using a gathering stitch (longest stitch length).  The streamers will gather up some as you sew.
4. Pull one thread on one end to gather the streamers.
5. Fold the streamers in half at the stitch line then roll them up into a circle.  You can glue it to a circle of card stock to hold it's shape, or glue it directly onto something.
6. Fluff the flower by separating the layers of streamers.

 Another way to use gathered streamers...

My daughter and I made this box to look like a suitcase.  We started with a white box, added strips of scrapbook paper, gathered streamers for the heart, and added a handle. 

I remember watching my mom in anticipation as she sewed down the long streamers for my box.  I was so impressed that they magically gathered as she went.  Now you can be impressive too, and your kids have a good incentive to eat their oatmeal.  :)

Today's Fabulous Find...Paper Streamer Flowersand Girls Valentine Boxes   Linking up to some of these great parties:

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