DIY camera valentine box

A valentine box shaped like a camera with a strap and a heart shaped lens.

Hardly anyone uses film anymore, but your little might recognize what this is if they have their own toy digital camera, you have an instant camera in the house or you’re a vintage camera buff.

We happen to love the gratuitous use of Valentine’s Day iconography and made a heart-shaped lens. Because in our book there’s no such thing as “too many hearts.” 

Inspired? Create and share by tagging @HallmarkStores.

What you’ll need: 

  • Medium-size box—tissue box, shoebox or small shipping box
  • Cardboard scraps for accents
  • Card stock in at least 3 colors
  • Paint to match card stock
  • Iridescent cellophane wrap
  • Confetti
  • Bottle cap
  • Ribbon for strap
  • Pom-poms
  • Scratch paper
  • Craft knife
  • Cutting mat
  • Scissors
  • Invisible tape
  • Pencil
  • Glue stick
  • Hot glue gun

 

A valentine box shaped like a camera with a strap and a heart shaped lens.

How to make your DIY Camera Valentine Box  

  • Get the free download. Download and print the DIY Camera Valentine Box template. 
  • Decorate the camera body. Cut a hole large enough for valentines in the top of the box. Paint or cover the box in pink paper, leaving the mail slot open. 
  • Add the strap. On each side of the box, in the center of the side and about 1/2” from the top, cut two slits the width of the ribbon you’re using for the strap. Thread one end of the ribbon through the top slit and out of the bottom slit. Fold the end of the ribbon up and hot glue it to secure in place. 
  • Cut out the lens. Draw a heart about half the height of your box on a piece of scratch paper. Cut it out and trace it onto 2 pieces of cardboard—1 piece of pink card stock and 1 piece of iridescent cellophane—and cut these out. You’ll also need to cut out two 1/2” pieces of card stock in another color (we used light blue), each long enough to fit around one side of the heart.
  • Build the lens. Follow the detailed instructions on the free printable to build and attach the lens to the camera body.
  • Make the button. Cut a circle out of card stock that’s a little bigger than the bottle cap. Glue it to the top of the camera. Paint the bottle cap and glue it to the card stock circle. 
  • Make the flash. Follow the detailed instructions on the free printable to build the flash, and glue it to the camera body.

 

Camera ready!

A group of valentine boxes in the shape of fun objects, including a camera, a roller skate, a rainbow, a koala and a dinosaur.

Check out more of our fun DIY valentine box ideas here. Want even more ideas? You know we have ’em: