Valentine's Day Mail Boxes - Altered Box Tutorial

As a kid, I loved the shoesboxes that we would decorate for the Valentine's Day party. Before we had kids I would make a very elaborate card for my dear husband. Now that we have kids I am back into making them. Last year I got pencil boxes and altered them. This year I found really cute mailboxes at Target. I only bought three. I got white because it would allow me to color them. I had so much fun doing them that Ethan and I went out in -5 degree weather to get more, and the store was all out of them. Ellie thought these were nice, but wished I would have gotten her a red one. Ethan says it would be okay if I made him one, but he would not show his friend! Either way , I am going to go on the hunt for more!

As I said, they all started out white. I used the Alcohol Inks put out my Tim Holtz to add color to them. The photos here do not do them justice. To do this, you will need a pair of disposible rubber gloves, a make-up sponge (the ones that look like triangles) or a good bit of gauze, the alcohol ink and the metal item. Open the ink and drip the color onto one part. For example, I put it on the edges near the door of the mailbox first. Then use the sponge/gauze to move the color around. You can get lots of different effects. I smear the color around to get it all covered, then I go back and dap. Be aware that it will dry pretty quickly. You cannot answer the phone or go to the bathroom and expect to be able to manipulate it. Also, you can add more color. Once it starts to dry it becomes a bit tacky for a short while. For this reason. I put it on wax paper, or balance it on a cup. If it is on paper, it may stick to it. I do this after I have colored all the parts that are to be colored. There are more ways to add more colors or effects, but those will wait for another posting.

Next I pick out the papers I want to use and I measure the areas where they will go. Once I have them cut out I try them out where I want them. Trying to trim paper with glue on it is not fun. Once it is correct, I glue them on. I usually use spray glue by 3M. This time I tried out the UHU Scrapbookers Pen. It worked great for most parts. I will give it a full review in another post.

Once the paper is applied I started to embellish them. I got a bit carried away, but I had so much fun doing it that I did not want to stop. I tried the UHU glue on the silk flowers, but it did not work so they are attached with glue dots, as are the sequins. The big flowers have two layers seperated by two glue dots to add dimension. The fun centers on some of the flowers are rhinestone bling, on others they are sequins (like the black and pink polkadotted one here.) I had to have some restraint on the side where the flag does down since it is flush with the box.

Some of the flowers are from "Got Flowers?," others are from Heidi Swapp and Lil' Davis. Still others are from a silk hydrangea stem I got at the craft store. The green leaves are harvested from an antique hat that is falling apart.

I also attached ribbon and rickrack. I usually run those through my xyron to make them adhere. This time I used the UHU Scrapbooker's Pen and it worked really well. What I like about the pen is that it has a flat edge where the clear glue comes out. This smears the glue as it comes out and reduces that spooge effect you get when you flatten a thick line of glue this helps you anticipate where it will spread to more easily.

I hope this is useful. If you have questions, email me or leave a comment.

I use this same technique on the lunch boxes I alter. If you search my archives, you will find lots of them.

Now, on to Valentine's Day cards...