How to make a vending machine valentine box

Need help with a cute and easy school Valentine’s Day box idea? We love making valentine boxes with the kids, but sometimes we’re short on time and just need a simple valentine box that can be put together real quick. We’ve designed three printable valentine boxes for easy assembly. You can simply print, cut, and glue and you’ve got a completed box. Doesn’t get much easier than that! The kids can also make them unique by adding embellishments and extras to create a DIY valentine box they’ll love taking to school.

#1 – DIY Vending Machine Valentine Box

We’ve seen a few vending machine Valentine’s Day boxes floating around the web and decided to create an easy DIY vending machine box the kids could easily make. This is a great box for elementary aged kids and needs very little adult assistance. You can make it real simple or add extras to make it more realistic. Download the valentine vending machine at the bottom of this post.

The vending machine printable measures 11×17″. If you don’t already have a box on hand, our free printable fits perfectly on the Home Depot small moving box that is 11×17″. And bonus, the small Home Depot moving box is only $1! To get rid of all the logos and writing on the box you can either paint the box, wrap it in wrapping paper, or turn the box inside out. We opted to turn the box inside out.

To turn the box inside out, carefully cut the seam of the box with a knife so it can be opened up flat. Turn the box over to the non printed side (so it is inside out) and glue the seam back together using a hot glue gun. Tape the box together like normal using packaging tape.

Print the valentine vending machine file on regular weight 11×17″ paper. Attach it to the box with white Elmer’s glue or a glue stick. Using a hot glue gun, add your Valentine’s Day candy of choice to your vending machine. Use an exacto knife to cut a slit for a dollar bill to fit in and cut out the bottom slot for the candy to be retrieved (or the kids can use this hole to put valentines in).

We added a little window to our vending machine valentine box, but this is totally optional. To do this cut four strips of cardboard the length of your vending machine window. Hot glue the corners together to make a rectangle. For the glass we laminated a plain laminating sheet (you could use any clear plastic, for example a sheet protector sleeve would work if you don’t have a laminator). Glue the sheet to the cardboard rectangle and then cut the excess clear plastic that’s hanging over the edges. Hot glue the vending machine window to the valentine box.

Our Home Depot box already had holes in it for holding the box so we just used these holes for kids to put the valentines in. If needed, cut larger. If your box doesn’t have a hole for kids to drop valentines in, add one. 

The kiddos loved making this valentine vending machine box! It only took us about 20 minutes from start to finish and was super easy to assemble. Kamaile can’t wait to take it to school and show all her friends her cool valentine vending machine box!

#2 – Toad-aly Awesome Toad Valentine Box

This toad valentine box is super simple and cute! There are two pages to print: the body on 11×17″ regular weight paper and the head/arms on 8.5×11″ cardstock paper (make sure it’s cardstock so it’s a little more sturdy). Cut out all the pieces and glue on to your valentine box. We used the Home Depot small moving box that is 11×17″ and turned it inside out (so the box is plain). You could easily paint your box green or wrap it in green wrapping paper (check out the dollar store for cheap wrapping paper). The toad Valentine’s Day box took us less than 10 minutes to assemble. So cute and super easy!

#3 – Beary Cool Bear Valentine Box

This beary cool bear Valentine’s Day box is just as easy as the toad valentine box. Simply print the free printable bear valentine box below, cut out the pieces, and glue to your cardboard box. Make sure to print the ears and arms on cardstock paper so they’re more sturdy. If your box doesn’t already have a hole in it for the kids to drop their valentines in, make sure to cut one.

Making school Valentine’s Day boxes with the kids is a fun tradition in our house! The kids look forward to making valentine boxes together and then making our own valentines to hand out at school. If you need ideas for easy DIY valentine cards, check out our free printable Valentine’s Day cards here.

Put on a Valentine’s Day movie and have fun making unique school valentine boxes and cards together. Download the free printable Valentine Vending Machine Box, Toad Valentine Box, and Bear Valentine Box below.

Happy Valentine’s Day friends!

Much love and aloha,

Stacey + Niki

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