Ghostbusters Valentine's Box Idea + Three Bonus Ideas!

This year was (likely) my LAST year helping to make a Valentine's box for my child's elementary class.  The teacher for my 6th grader said "We're just going to decorate bags (YOU'RE Welcome!)" And I couldn't help but feel a little sad that we didn't make a box!  Little did the teacher know that I love to, and that my other child was making one and it was probably their last year, too.  

I love the opportunity to craft with my kids.  It's fun to help them see a different way of doing something, or listen to their ideas of how to be creative.  Valentine's boxes have to be a KID craft but I definitely man the hot glue gun (for the most part), and I guide & teach them a thing or two in the process.  We've made medieval castles among countless other projects in the last 10 years since my kids started going to school but Valentine's boxes will always have my heart.

This year my son came home and asked to make something Ghostbusters!  He got a mini version of a Ghost Trap in his stocking which he loves and since it was already in basically a rectangle shape, I thought, what a great idea!  We could definitely make a Ghost Trap Valentine's Day Box! 

Supplies: 

• Box that we spray painted black
• Cardboard pieces that we spray painted silver (We used cream cheese boxes on the front and the back because it was Super Bowl weekend and had them.  We definitely could've tried to be more true to size but we're all about simplicity.
• Bright paper
• Glue Gun
• Paper towel roll
• King Size Sharpie Marker
• Packing Tape for the clear parts on the side and back
• Lids we spray painted for the knobs

Sorry for the terribly lit pre-sunrise kitchen table photos!  I took these on my cell phone because like most mornings, we were rushing out.  The box came back intact but I didn't want to take the chance and not get photos of it!

This really was such a simple project. I hope these photos, supplies, and your own creativity help you and your child make one!  My son got first place in his class contest.  I'm glad the other kids loved his creativity.

I couldn't believe when I went back to look through my pictures to only find THREE other boxes over the years in pictures.  Such a tragedy!  But they are still fun and I wanted to include them for 

More Valentine's Day Box inspiration:

Here's a Star Wars AT-AT Valentine's box in action.  You can see it got set in the snow right before I took this and it had already been through a full day in elementary school.  I can't believe I didn't find a picture of it other than this!  My older son made one this day too but I didn't get a very good photo of his, drat.

This box was surprisingly simple, especially in the supplies department.  Basically it was duct tape, cardboard, and sharpies!  If you want to get a little more technical we also used paper cups for the feet (covered in duct tape) and used spare Hex Key Allan Wrenches for the guns in the front.  My son did all the art and duct tape work, I just helped spray paint and glue gun stuff together.

This Stranger Things Valentine's day box was a fun box that one of my sons made; and it was extremely easy. We took an old recycled USPS box, spray painted it black, and turned it into a toaster... a nod to Eleven's favorite Eggo meal.  For the eggo, he used these paper bags (bonus, you can use them as a healthier alternative to plastic bags afterwards😀) and just drew on it with marker.  Duct tape made the silver detail around the toaster opening.  We simply printed out the Stranger Things logo that we got off the internet and voila.  Pretty fun one, right?  More supplies here.

Do you want an even more simple box?  Heres my daughter's dog that she made in 5th grade and still has in her room today.  I asked if she wanted to paint it and NOPE!  She was happy with it as-is. Easy Peasy!