Kiss and Tell, Item 1

I get so mushy around Valentine’s Day! Not for romance (although I do have that again in my life- can I get a Hallelujah !), but for sweet, handmade expressions of love. I've always enjoyed making little things for the kids for Valentines. Little plushies, decoupaged Altoid tins… you know, not full-on gifts, just little…tokens.

Last Friday when I got home from work I was determined to put some little gifties together for all of my sweethearts and I was going to use materials that I had on hand. I am that crazy hoarder lady with the Pringles canisters and tin cans piled up in the closet! I figured this was the perfect time to challenge myself to do something with all this trash… um, treasure! 

First gift had to be for my daughter Carmen and her husband since it had to get out in the mail to make it there by Valentine’s Day. I started with a Whitman’s Sampler box which seemed fitting, right? I also had little paper nut cups and I thought I could make a “sampler” of my own. Seems like all my crafts begin with book pages or sheet music!

I tore up some vintage book pages into strips and decoupaged them over the box lid.

While that was drying, I pulled out my stash of scrapbook paper and found this beautiful pad I’d purchased a few years ago. This page with the wings seemed perfect for the box interior, so I just cut it to fit and used double-sided tape to adhere it.

Now it was time for exterior embellishment- the best part! I remembered these gorgeous gold paper doilies and placemats and started playing around with them. The border around the bottom of the box is from a placemat and obviously, the top is just one doily glued over the top and down the edges. LOVE!

Although I loved the way it looked at this point, I knew I wanted it to have more dimension. I have a jar of these button flowers that I have made over the years- I offered them for sale at last year’s Magnolia Marketplace. They’re made of vintage buttons (of course!) and are just so sweet. Plus, adding the bouquet to the top of the box with a heart shaped “vase” gave me my opportunity to add glitter- an absolute necessity for every craft project! This is German glass glitter- my first experience with it and it is lovely.

I tinted a bit of Mod Podge with burnt umber acrylic paint and gave the whole exterior a coat to cut back a little on the super bright gold shine- I love how the entire box is now softer and more aged looking.

The interior is fun too- full of little surprises and treats for Carmen and Jeremy and…. my soon to be GRANDCHILD!!! The baby is due in August – so exciting, right? Anyway, we have a cup full of stick-on mustaches from Dollar Tree- so fun. Some Kisses, of course. A chocolate tart candle and some lip balms, also from Dollar Tree. In the cup for l’enfant I put in a sweet paper doll that Carmen made for me back in 2008 (I’ll bet she doesn't even remember!), a little Piglet and I made a small “A Book of Parents” which is modeled after a tiny book Carmen made when she was 9.

For my sweet girl, I included a necklace with a charm that I made from a china fragment. I used gift card money after Christmas to purchase a soldering iron and I've been having so much fun with it! This is one of the easiest pieces of jewelry I've ever done! The china fragment, encased in copper tape and solder, a little yellow bead charm and a slightly tarnished silver chain that I already owned, but I think she’ll like it just fine.

And there you have it- an extravagant expression of love for only a few dollars! 

Linking to 

Embracing Change's Creative Inspirations Party!