Homemade Dinosaur Valentine Box (Shoebox Craft Idea)

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How to make a homemade dinosaur Valentine box from a shoebox, the perfect Valentine's Day box idea for elementary school kids. Pair with printable dinosaur Valentines to give to classmates, friends, and loved ones!

My Jaden happens to love dinosaurs. Even though we don't really have a Valentine's Day party on the schedule, I still thought it'd be fun to make him a special dinosaur Valentines box he can put his Valentines in but also turn into a keepsake/treasure box after Valentine's Day has passed.

I can remember making a special Valentine box for classroom Valentines every year when I was in elementary school. In fact, I still have one of those Valentine shoe box ideas in my cedar chest.

It just so happens I had a couple of shoeboxes, waiting to be used for a special shoebox craft or project of some sort, hangin' out in my craft closet. When asked what dinosaur Valentine box he'd like to have, he chose his favorite, of course… a Triceratops Valentine box, a great way to use up old shoe boxes and the perfect place to stash your Valentine cards!

You'll find printable dinosaur Valentine's Day cards to go with your box for Valentine's Day parties further below.

craft supplies for making a dinosaur Valentine box, including a shoebox, hot glue gun, paint, poster board, an egg carton, wiggle eyes, and a sponge paint brush

Materials and Supplies Needed for a Homemade Dinosaur Valentine Box:

To make this DIY dinosaur Valentine box, you'll need a few simple supplies, most of which you can probably find at the dollar store or craft store.

open lid of red triceratops Valentine box

How to Make a Dinosaur Valentine Box

Note: This is a fun way for kids to get in on the crafting with this DIY dinosaur Valentine box, though they will need supervision, as it does require using a glue gun, box cutters, and craft knife.

I've had mixed feelings over this dinosaur Valentine's Day box. Before the eyes or any other features were added and it was just the box with a crest, Dan mentioned it looked like Lisa Simpson. After it was completed, I kinda thought it looked like a razorback… I think it's the red (the color Jaden chose) and the fact that we used to live in Arkansas, home of the Razorbacks, so we saw them everywhere all the time.

Either way, it's a Triceratops Valentines box, and I'm stickin' to it. So, here's how to make this cute li'l guy.

First Make the Triceratops Crest

The first step in creating a Triceratops Valentine box is to cut the dinosaur's crest from the poster board. The size of the shoebox will determine how large you need to make the crest.

measuring shoebox for red poster board dinosaur crest

To make the dinosaur's crest, you'll need to follow these steps…

  1. Cut a large circle from the poster board, however large you want your crest to be, again depending on the size of your shoebox.
  2. You'll need to cut flaps on the bottom edge of the crest to prep it for gluing onto the top of the box.
flaps cut on the bottom edge of the poster board for a Triceratops crest, on a shoebox
  1. Cut large triangles all around the outside edge of the crest, resembling the crest of a Triceratops.
  2. Decide on placement of the crest, and use your box cutters to cut the lid of the shoebox in half, right in front of where the crest will sit. (We decided to cut our lid in half, so the crest remains stationary and is less likely to get torn up; and also because we used a shoebox with a flip-over lid.)
  3. Next, use your hot glue gun to glue the back part of the shoebox lid down; that way, it can't be lifted, thus maintaining safety of the crest.
  4. Then just glue your crest in place, using the flaps you created, to do so.
placing triceratops crest onto shoebox to make a homemade dinosaur Valentines box

Hardest part and best part of the craft is over… Whew!

Painting Your Homemade Dino Valentine Box

Now for the fun of painting and decorating, and this is where kids can especially get involved in the creative, crafty fun.

Paint your box whatever color you choose. We chose to use red poster board for the crest, which pretty much matched the paint that Jaden chose.

If you get a little paint on the poster board, that's ok… Crafting is messy; embrace it! Fair warning: It may take several coats of paint to cover any writing on the shoebox. 

You can also paint the tips of the crest a different color if you choose. We went with brown on the tips.

Decorating Your Dinosaur

Once the paint is dry, it's time to add the finishing touches. This is where the egg carton and cardboard cones come in.

The lid of your egg carton should have an edge with round shapes on either end. When I saw this, I saw the perfect platform for the wiggle eyes to rest on.

  1. Cut one whole side with the 2 round shapes out of the egg carton, leaving the flat edge around the bottom.
  2. Paint this to match your box.
part of an egg carton painted red and glued onto a red painted shoebox
  1. Once the paint has dried, add hot glue around the bottom edge, and put it in place on your box lid.
  2. Then glue the googly eyes in place with a couple dots of glue.
glueing googly eyes onto red dinosaur Valentine box
  1. You'll need three horns. The two cardboard cones will work for the upper horns. Cut a rounded piece out of one side of each cone, so the horns will point outward from the box rather than straight up, when placed on the dinosaur's face.
cutting rounded curve out of cardboard cone to create Triceratops horn for homemade dinosaur Valentine's day box
  1. Add glue around the edge and glue in place, one horn on either side of the eyes.
glued horns in place on dino Valentine box with large googly eyes
  1. For the third horn, you'll need either a smaller cardboard cone or the pointed piece that sticks up out of an egg carton, which is what we chose to use… It's all about using what you have. Cut the rounded cone shape out of the egg carton.
  2. Add glue around the bottom edges of the cone, and place it on the edge of the box lid, centered between the eyes.
glued horn for Triceratops dinosaur Valentine box
  1. Lastly, the mouth… Use one of the edges you cut from the cardboard cones for the bottom part of the mouth, glueing the piece in place beneath the lid on the box itself.
  2. Shape one of the egg carton bowls into a beak of sorts with scissors. 
  3. Glue the “beak” into place on the edge of the lid itself, beneath the single horn.
putting a Triceratops beak in place with pieces of an egg carton on a red Valentine box

Making this cute Valentine's Day box is so much fun, especially when you're done and now you get to use it to hold all your Valentine's Day cards.

Free Printable Dinosaur Valentines

Expert Tips and FAQ's

Where do the Valentines go?

If you're using the box as a Valentine box for classroom Valentines, you may want to cut a slit in the top of the lid, so there's a place for the Valentines to go. We're using it as more of a treasure or keepsake box, so we didn't add the slit. You can also just have kids open up the front flap to deposit their Valentine cards.

Do I have to use a shoebox to make this DIY dinosaur Valentine's Day box?

You can use any kind of box to create a really unique Valentines box, including a shoebox, cardboard mailbox, tissue box, or cereal box.

More Valentine's Day Ideas

Just a few more fun ideas for Valentine's Day, including Valentine treats…

More Valentine Box Ideas

My friend Mariah over at The Simple Parent, has 20+ Valentine boxes for boys. You'll find all sorts of Valentine's Day boxes for elementary school aged kids, including Valentine shoe box ideas!

If you're on Pinterest, you can find a ton of creative Valentine box ideas, including…

triceratops dinosaur Valentine box

Just remember: This craft is not about perfection… It's about creating something your child will treasure for years to come, and all because you took the time to make it with him/her. Just be creative and have fun with it!

You'll find printable free dinosaur Valentines to go with your Valentine box below.

I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to leave a comment, and follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. You can subscribe to my email list too.

Triceratops homemade dinosaur Valentine box painted red with eyes and horns, sitting on a table
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Homemade Dinosaur Valentine Box

How to make a homemade dinosaur Valentine box from a shoebox, the perfect Valentine's Day box idea for elementary school kids. Pair with printable dinosaur Valentines to give to classmates, friends, and loved ones!
Prep Time5 minutes
Active Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Valentine's Day
Yield: 1 box
Author: Mel Lockcuff
Cost: $10

Materials

Instructions

Make the Triceratops Crest:

  • Cut a large circle from the poster board, however large you want your crest to be, depending on the size of your shoebox.
  • Cut flaps on the bottom edge of the crest to prep it for gluing onto the box.
  • Cut large triangles all around the outside edge of the crest, resembling the crest of a Triceratops.
  • Decide on placement of the crest, and use your box cutters to cut the lid of the shoebox in half, right in front of where the crest will sit. (We decided to cut our lid in half, so the crest remains stationary and is less likely to get torn up; and also because we used a shoebox with a flip-over lid.)
  • Next, use your hot glue gun to glue the back part of the shoebox lid down; that way, it can't be lifted, thus maintaining safety of the crest.
  • Then just glue the crest in place, using the flaps you created, to do so.

Paint the Homemade Dino Valentine Box:

  • Paint your box whatever color you choose. We used red paint to match the poster board we used for the crest. It may take several coats of paint to cover any writing on the shoebox. 

Decorate the Dinosaur:

  • The lid of your egg carton should have an edge with round shapes on either end. Cut one whole side with the 2 round shapes out of the egg carton, leaving the flat edge around the bottom.
  • Paint this to match your box.
  • Once the paint has dried, add hot glue around the bottom edge, and put it in place on the box lid.
  • Then glue the wiggle eyes in place with a couple dots of glue.
  • You'll need three horns. The two cardboard cones will work for the upper horns. Cut a rounded piece out of one side of each cone, so the horns will point outward from the box rather than straight up, when placed on the dinosaur's face.
  • Add glue around the edge and glue in place, one horn on either side of the eyes.
  • For the third horn, you'll need either a smaller cardboard cone or the pointed piece that sticks up out of an egg carton, which is what we chose to use… It's all about using what you have. Cut the rounded cone shape out of the egg carton.
  • Add glue around the bottom edges of the cone, and place it on the edge of the box lid, centered between the eyes.
  • Lastly, the mouth… Use one of the edges you cut from the cardboard cones for the bottom part of the mouth, glueing the piece in place beneath the lid on the box itself.
  • Shape one of the egg carton bowls into a beak of sorts with scissors.
  • Glue the “beak” into place on the edge of the lid itself, beneath the single horn.

Notes

Where do the Valentines go?
If you're using the box as a Valentine box for classroom Valentines, you may want to cut a slit in the top of the lid, so there's a place for the Valentines to go. We're using it as more of a treasure or keepsake box, so we didn't add the slit. You can also just have kids open up the front flap to deposit their Valentine cards.
Do I have to use a shoebox?
You can use any kind of box to create a really unique Valentines box, including a shoebox, cardboard mailbox, tissue box, or cereal box.

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