Hello!! The end of last year proved absolutely crazy between work, new hires, a studio move, sick kids, and the usual holiday madness! As I looked back on 2016 however, I realized that most of my favorite memories revolved around eating (ha) or making stuff with the kids. So, as we kick off 2017 — yes, I realize January is almost over! — I’ve resolved to craft more and work less. : )
Did you ever see the movie Amelie? It’s one of my all time favorites! There’s a scene in the movie where Amelie finds an old lost box filled with treasures from someone’s childhood. She secretly returns the box and watches as its owner is filled with nostalgic memories and sentiment.
Ever since watching that movie, I’ve collected cigar boxes and stuffed them with bits from here and there. I used to dedicate a box to each holiday we’d take, filling it with memorabilia and treasures that I could look back on years later (it was much easier than a scrapbook, and better because you can hold each piece in your hands and discover it all over again!).
There’s just something kind of magical about little boxes – they make an intimate little vessel and turn whatever they hold into a mini treasure of sorts. We had some old mint tins lying around and decided to turn them into little love boxes for Valentine’s Day.
We’ve made these little treasure boxes before and it’s a hit every time: perfect for little fingers, hard to mess up, easy to do with few materials, and a gorgeous little gift or decoration for your shelf. Also, I usually break out some of our special stickers just to maximize the treasure factor…
Materials:
-Empty Mint tins
-Colored tape / washi tape
-Stickers
-Beads / buttons / glitter (optional, but always a good idea)
-Valentine messages (optional)
-Glue (optional)
PROCESS:
1. Rinse out the mint tins to get rid of all dust. I printed out a bunch of “I love you”s and put them out with the supplies.
2. Cover the tin with tape. To get the most bang for your buck, encourage the kids to cover the inside and outside, but try to avoid the hinges or you won’t be able to close the box!
3. Sometimes I’ll cut a bunch of washi tape to give the younger kids a head start.
4. Once the tape is down, add stickers to the background. This part is definitely the most fun
5. The great thing about these little boxes is that the the stuff inside can be 3-D! In order to make some of the stickers pop out, make a little loop or make a little accordion fold in some paper and glue or tape the end to the box.
6. Add beads or buttons, and that’s it! If you’re feeling VERY ambitious, you could seal the tape and stickers with a transparent sealant like Mod Podge, or add glitter glue.
Ella has been eyeing these butterflies in my office for weeks, so she was over the moon to use them (she also decided midway through this box that she might keep it for herself, ha).
This project is also mess free – YAY!!
It’s a great thing to do with all ages – even the most simple approach results in something that feels special and lovely…
The older two got cameras for Christmas, and when I went to change the baby’s diaper, I came back to this…they had styled their projects and were shooting them!! Clearly, we can’t miss an opportunity to memorialize a successful project. Apparently the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The sweetest part was when Atticus held Ella’s dress back so it wouldn’t be in her shot
Looks like I’ll have some proper assistants pretty soon!
Have fun with this – and keep in mind it’s a great thing to do yourself (with a few friends and a bottle of wine)!
Maureen xoxo
from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2kf9mYg via kid games toys
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