I have to admit…. those boxes of Valentine chocolates are a guilty pleasure of mine. Every year for as long as I can remember, a box of chocolates is my one request on Valentine’s Day. Can you believe that the last time I actually got one of those boxes was when I was a teenager. Every year, I’m the sap going into the store after Valentine’s day buying that clearance chocolate for myself.. Hey – I’m going to get those boxes of goodness one way or another!!
The refusal of those in my life to actually buy a box of chocolates for me over the course of decades and decades got me thinking. I mean, who would intentionally turn down such an unbelievably simple request? Have they all thought I was just kidding? Are those boxes simply too cheesy to buy as a gift? Maybe they aren’t special enough? Truth be told…. those boxes are cheesy. And for the price tag that comes on a simple box of chocolates…. they are definitely not special enough. And for someone like me, who would NEVER normally ask for something with little red hearts… I suppose there could be the fear that those boxes were not macabre enough for my taste, and I wouldn’t like them. Gift giving can be hard enough, but there is some sort of strange pressure at Valentine’s Day for your gift to mean something more. So, for those of you that have found yourself thinking… these boxes are just too ridiculous to spend money on… I have a solution!
I recently visited that bright pink & red Valentine aisle of my local grocery store. Staring at all of the choices of Valentine Chocolate Boxes I thought to myself…. I can make these special. My crafty brain started spinning as I considered all of the possibilities… Maybe a Victorian inspired Box of Chocolates, or chocolates fit for a Rockstar, even a Gothic Valentine Box…. The beauty of upcycling these boxes is that you get to give a cool box of chocolates as a gift (doesn’t everyone want chocolate?), not some cheeseball red heart…. you get to tailor the decor to the taste of your special someone… you get to give a gift that is handmade with blood, sweat, and tears… I mean, handmade with love…. and these boxes are totally worth keeping after the binge chocolate eating has passed.
I grabbed a variety of boxes …. different sizes, different materials, even different chocolates. I figured I’d try to cover as many bases as I can for this tutorial, and hope one works for you. Here are a few things to know when searching for the perfect box to upcycle… The majority of the boxes are made of cardboard. Some have fabric tops, some are metal boxes and some are plastic. I bought at least one of each. I like the fact that a metal box will definitely have the longest shelf life after the holiday has come & gone… BUT word of warning when choosing a metal box. The chocolate manufacturers LOVE stamping their logos into the metal. For instance, Dove puts out some really nice boxes, but the word Dove is HUGE across the side of every box. If you planned on painting the box, you’ll be stuck with “Dove” sticking out like a sore thumb! Instead, look for boxes with a small logo that can be easily covered up once you start adding your odds and ends. Even with many of the cardboard boxes, you will notice raised designs. This isn’t too much of a hindrance if you plan on covering the surface with paper or fabric or anything else… but if you were just going to paint the box, you’ll be stuck with the raised design.
I do have a confession about this project…. when I grabbed those boxes of chocolates, and my goth-it-yourself wheels were spinning… I had absolutely NO IDEA what I was going to do with each box. I am a habitual crafter, so I already own a lot of odds and ends that I can use for a project like this. My plan was just to pool together anything that I thought might work, and simply start playing and painting and gluing and sewing…. I was heading back to elementary school art class! I grabbed fabrics, scrapbooking papers, wallpaper samples, faux flowers and plants, clipart images, paper crafting supplies, paints, stencils, small frames, metal trinkets, Halloween decorations, ribbons, lockets, washi tapes, stickers…. OK, you get the idea. The reason I tell you this is two fold…. One – when you start a project like this, there is no wrong way to create these boxes. I urge you to pile together any found objects you may already have, and explore what you can do with them. Once you lay everything out and start playing, you’ll be amazed with what you can come up with! Two – this is a DIY tutorial, but for a change, I cannot show you a picture of the tools I used for each box… because I created them on the fly… and was certainly not going to disassemble them just to take a picture of my supplies. So, I offer up a look at my pile of odds and ends instead. I ended up using many of these items but certainly not all. Below I will walk through how I made each box, the tools I used, and links to as many similar items as I can find.
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Box #1 – A Cardboard Russel Stover Box of Caramel Chocolates
2020 UPDATE: A limited release of these boxes (and other styles) are now available for purchase in the Me and Annabel Lee Shop. If you find they have sold out, feel free to message me via Etsy to arrange a custom order.
- Black Corrugated Cardstock – I found mine with scrapbooking paper at a craft store, but here’s an Assortment Pack of Corrugated Papers
you can buy online.
- Black Braided Trim – Here’s a 3/8″ Braided Trim
similar to the one I used
- Wooden Skull – This was an ornament that I purchased during Halloween, and set aside for craft projects.
- Jewelry Pendant – I used a Raven Skull pendant I found in my stash of jewelry supplies.
- Black Fringe
- Black Paint
- E6000 Adhesive
you can buy online.
similar to the one I used
1. Using the top of the box, trace the heart shape onto the back of the corrugated cardstock
2. Cut out the cardstock about 1/8″ bigger than the traced heart
3. Using the E6000, adhere the cardstock to the top of the box.
4. Paint the skull ornament with the black paint
5. Once dry, attach the jewelry pendant to the skull using the E6000.
6. Attach the skull to the top of the box using the E6000.
7. Run a bead of E6000 along the outer edge of the corrugated box top, and attach the braided trim. I worked on small lengths at a time to ensure the trim would have time to adhere along the edge. I also used small clips to hold the trim in place while it dried.
TIP: start at the bottom point of the heart so the ends of the trim can be tucked under and glued to the under side of the lip.
8. Paint the inside lip (edge facing up) of the bottom box black.
9. Run a bead of E6000 along the intersection of the side of the box, and the top. Attach the fringe. Again, I worked on small lengths at a time to ensure the trim would have time to adhere along the edge. You’ll notice that I left the side of the box red. I liked the bit of red peeking thru the fringe, but if you prefer all black, then simply paint before adding the trim.
NOTE – When using E6000, it is a good idea to allow the glue to completely dry overnight (24 hours to be safe) before using the object. When creating this box, I did not wait 24 hours between each step, but did wait for the glue to fully set between steps, and then allowed the entire box to dry overnight.
Box #2 – A Plastic Heart Box of Hershey’s Nuggets
- Black Paint
- Damask Stencil
- Red Paint
- Stencil Brush
- Succulent stems
- Skeleton Hand
- Black Velvet Ribbon
- Skull & Crossbone Charm
- E6000 Adhesive
1. Clean the box of any sticker residue
2. Paint the box with the black paint
3. Paint the succulents black – I used a spray paint for this and left bits of natural color
4. Once the box is dry, add the stencil using the red paint & stencil brush. I intentionally blotted most of the paint off of my sponge before applying the stencil to give more of a distressed feel
5. Adhere the stems and the hand to the box using E6000
6. Tie a velvet bow at the base of the hand
7. Glue a Skull charm to the bow
Box #3 – A Metal Heart Whitman’s Sampler Box of Chocolates
- Black Paint
- Polycrylic spray
- Small Ornamental Plaque
- Black Faux Flowers
- Small Plastic Skeleton
- E6000 Adhesive
1. Clean the box of any sticker residue
2. Paint the box with the black paint. I really liked the raised roses design, and thought they looked even better once painted black.
3. Once the paint is dry, spray a coat or two of Polycrylic Spray and allow to completely dry. This helps prevent the paint from scratching off of the metal.
4. Using the E6000, attach the floral stems to the top of the box
5. The only problem was the Whitman logo that was raised in the metal. To cover this up, I painted a small wooden decorative piece and glued that over the logo, and the ends of the flowers.
6. Lastly, glue the skeleton between the roses
Box #4 – A small Russel Stover Cardboard Box of Chocolates
- Black Glitter Cardstock
- Black Striped Washi Tape
- Small Craft Frame
- White Paint
- Cricut Image or Sticker – here are some Anatomical Stickers
you can buy online
- Cardstock
– I used black
- E6000 Adhesive
you can buy online
– I used black1. Using the top of the box, trace the heart shape onto the back of the glitter cardstock
2. Cut out the cardstock about 1/8″ bigger than the traced heart
3. Using the E6000, adhere the cardstock to the top of the box.
4. Paint the small frame with the white paint
5. Cut a circle of cardstock to fit inside the small frame.
6. Use your cricut to create an anatomical heart, or use a sticker, and adhere to the cardstock.
7. Run the washi tape along the side of the box top. Depending on the size of your box, and the size of your washi tape, you may need two rows. Just be sure to match the stripes, and start the first row at the side’s top edge, where it meets the top. If the second row of washi tape extends past the box edge, you can simply fold it over the edge
8. Along the lip of the bottom box, attach the washi tape in short lengths of tape, running the opposite direction as the box side. This part is slightly tedious, but worth it. Press the washi tape against the inside corner and then fold over the edge to the back. Luckily washi tape is very flexible, so going around corners is no trouble
9. If you want to finish the back of the box, trace another heart and cut out of decorative paper, slightly smaller than the tracing. Glue the paper to the back covering the washi tape edge.
If you decide to try your hand at these, please send pics! I’d love to see what you come up with!
Looking for more Valentine DIY Projects? Make this Edgar Allan Poe Chalkboard Art, or this Black & Red Love Quote Serving Tray. Or maybe you want to add your own chocolates to these fabulous boxes… try these Raspberry Filled Skulls. And don’t forget this years Gift Giving Guide for your Dark Valentine!
Wow, those are beautiful and so inspirational! I especially like the box with the raven skull.
Thanks Septicemia!! That one was definitely my favorite too! Thanks for leaving a comment… always great to meet fellow bloggers! I’ll have to keep an eye on your site from now on!
Love these Alex! Grab some stuff, put it together and see how it turns out is pretty much how I craft all the time! I never would have willingly sought out heart chocs but I think I may have to, one of these would look amazing with my Valentine installation 😉 Sx
Thanks Sue!! I know – for once, hearts are fitting in with my decor!! Can’t wait to see what you come up with if you give it a go!!
This is absolutely perfect! I’m getting married on Halloween and have been racking my brain on what to do with the rings. Totally getting a small heart box, maybe decking it out with scrap leather and lace!
Alyssa – So glad you liked the post! These would definitely make great ring boxes!! I am totally obsessed with Halloween inspired weddings… (I have a section dedicated to weddings on my blog) and with all of the holidays finally almost over, I have a ton of wedding projects that I’ll be posting… so stay tuned for more ideas! Good luck with your boxes! Please send pictures!!