DIY Valentines Day Retro Kitsch Candy Boxes
Alright y ’all, continuing with the trend of vintage things I love but aren’t always in my budget, like my DIY Malm Fireplace. In this case, I could probably afford the real thing but let’s get straight to the point: spending $50-100 on a vintage box of chocolates that doesn’t actually have chocolates inside would raise some eyebrows in my house. So i’m going to take my first pass at a retro inspired Dollar Tree DIY.
I made all my valentine’s day gifts under $20
Retro Dollar Tree DIY using craft materials, fake florals and ribbon
As part of a Valentine’s Day collaboration with several other amazing creators on Instagram, within the theme of gifts for friends I made my own Dollar Tree kitschy, and I mean KITSCHY boxes of chocolates for Valentine’s Day gifts. My hope is that these can live on as fun future Valentine’s Day décor as well, even after the chocolates are gone.
Be sure to check out the amazing budget-friendly, dollar-tree sourced DIYs from my collaborators on Instagram:
Inspiration
Antique malls, estate sales, etsy and ebay are all great places to find authentic, to-die-for vintage heart-shaped Valentine’s Day candy boxes. On average these are spendier online, in the $50-100 range depending on condition and style of the box. Check places like Facebook Marketplace, Craig’s List and estate sales especially off-season for larger lot deals to pick these up on the cheap.
Vintage heart-shaped Valentine’s Day candy boxes via Flickr
Supplies
You can get all your supplies from Dollar Tree, there’s a ton of options to design however you like but I suggest shopping several sections to get the kitsch vibe: wedding decor, baby-themed party supplies, floral, craft and seasonal.
Valentine’s Day boxes of chocolates: I did pick-up one large size Walton’s (for even more crafting surface area) at Target for $5
Wider-style ribbon: this is used to create the fabric/satin lid
Thin ribbon and lace: this can be used for edging and detail
Fake florals
Tulle: this can be layered and glued to your boxes and to close and tie-off the boxes once you’ve removed the plastic
Detail craft supplies: glitter, sequins, gems, pearls, ribbons, valentine’s favors (like the heart-shaped rings) - if it’s going to make your box extra, get it.
How-to
This is not a super prescriptive DIY, but with the budget-friendly options to design your own over-the-top candy boxes - the opportunities are endless.
First step: easily create the “satin” top by layering and hot gluing wide ribbon across the top, cutting about a 1/4 inch edge following the heart shape, and gluing underneath the edge of the lid for a seamless box top
Designing your own box is simple: more is more. Check out vintage Valentine’s Day Candy boxes for inspiration. When in doubt, add pearls, lace, sequins, florals and layer.
Final step: because you will have removed the plastic wrap from the chocolates, you’ll want to tie the box together. I thought adding the wide tool was a nice final touch that had a vintage vibe but you can use any of the ribbons.
