Make these handmade Valentine’s popcorn boxes and fill with festive treats. Great DIY Valentine’s Day idea for school and preschool made with a Cricut maker.
I have a fun and colorful DIY Valentine’s Day project for you today! Creating handmade Valentines is something I really enjoy so when I learned that Chloe’s daycare room will be exchanging Valentines, I was immediately on Pinterest brainstorming cute ideas for one-year-olds.
I came up with the cutest mini popcorn boxes made using a predesigned template and my Cricut Maker cutting machine. I whipped up some little heart gift tags to top things off and filled them with a fun Valentine’s Day trail mix that’s sure to be a hit with toddlers. Keep reading for the full tutorial and the download link for the free printable gift tags!
cricut tutorial: diy valentine’s day popcorn boxes
These DIY Valentine’s Day popcorn boxes are a simple project you can make with your cutting machine. I have a new Cricut Maker and love it so much I try to find ways to use it any chance I get ;).
The Cricut Maker has a Scoring Wheel that allows you to create professional quality fold lines on your project. I tried it out for the first time on these popcorn boxes and was very impressed! Folding these boxes was easy thanks to the score lines.
Supply list for popcorn boxes
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- Corrugated Cardboard Pack (packs include 10 corrugated sheets and you’ll need 1 sheet per popcorn box)
- White Cardstock
- Martha Stewart Scalloped Popcorn Boxes template found on Cricut Design Space
- Printable Gift Tags (download in the instructions below)
- Hot Glue Gun
- Cricut cutting machine (I used my Cricut Maker but any cutting machine will work for this project)
- Scoring Wheel
- Fine-Point Blade
- StandardGrip Cutting Mat
- Scraper and Spatula Tool Set
step 1 | open box template in cricut design space
Open the Martha Stewart Scalloped Popcorn Boxes template on your computer, tablet, or phone. You will need to log into the Cricut Design Space software.
The template is set up to cut out 6 total popcorn boxes, two of each color. You can customize the design to cut the number of boxes and colors you need.
step 2 | cut your boxes
Click “Make It” and adjust the cut settings based on the paper or material you are cutting.
Design Space does a great job of walking you through the cutting and scoring steps. It will first prompt you to insert your Scoring Wheel so it can score all of the fold lines.
Once the folds are scored, your Cricut will pause and you will be prompted to switch to your Fine-Point Blade so it can make all of the cuts.
Waiting for your machine to score and cut each box and switching tools in the middle takes a bit of time, especially since you’re likely making multiples of these popcorn boxes. I was curious so I set a timer for this step and one box took less than 2 minutes (1:43) to score and cut.
step 3 | fold boxes along score lines
The score lines make folding these boxes really fast and easy! I was able to fold one box while waiting for my Cricut to cut the next box. You end up with precise folds that look so nice.
This popcorn box template has all of the score lines you need to fold your box including bottom flaps and a side flap to connect the two edges.
step 4 | assemble boxes using hot glue
Once you have all of the flaps folded, you’ll need to adhere them with glue or tape of some sort in order to assemble your box.
I ended up using hot glue and it worked out really well. You have to be mindful of the little strings of glue you can get with hot glue but otherwise, it’s a great solution.
I also considered using glue dots but you would need a lot of them for all of the little flaps and I was making 15 boxes. Plus I wasn’t sure glue dots would hold up well with the corrugated paper.
Other types of quick-dry glue or maybe even double-sided tape could work. I suggest testing out whatever adhesives you have.
step 5 | load gift tag template into design space
You may download the free printable heart gift tags I designed via the form below. The colors match the pack of corrugated cardboard!
Download your FREE Valentine Gift Tags
Add these cute heart-shaped gift tags to your Valentine's Day treat boxes! Subscribe for instant access to the free printable gift tags plus weekly organizing and DIY tips.
Open a new project inside Cricut Design Space and choose the upload button from the left-hand menu. Upload the JPG gift tag file and choose the Complex option.
On the next screen, you will be prompted to select and erase the white background. Click on the white outside of the hearts to make the background transparent.
On the next screen, select “Save as a Print Then Cut image”.
Now that your image is uploaded, you can insert it into your project.
With the image selected, resize it to 7.5 inches wide using the sizing options in the top menu.
step 6 | print then cut gift tags
Click “Make It” and Design Space will prompt you to print the gift tags on your printer. I printed these on a lightweight white cardstock paper.
Your design will print with a black border which your Cricut will use as a cutting guide.
After printing, follow the onscreen prompts for cutting your labels. Be sure to adjust the material type you are cutting. Stick your labels on a cutting mat and let your Cricut work its magic.
After your labels are cut, weed away the extra paper and use your spatula tool to gently life the paper hearts off of the cutting mat.
step 7 | attach gift tags to boxes using hot glue
Get creative with this step! Write your child’s name on the front or back of one of the hearts, tie them on with baker’s twine, or do like I did and hot glue a pair of them onto the front of the popcorn boxes.
toddler valentine’s trail mix
supply list for trail mix treats
- Trail Mix (recipe ideas linked below)
- Plastic Treat Bags
- Ribbon
step 1 | make a festive Valentine’s day trail mix
Fill these DIY Valentine’s Day popcorn boxes with a tasty treat! I found tons of great Valentine’s Day trail mixes that are perfect for these boxes. Here are some recommendations:
- Valentine’s Day Popcorn
- Cupid’s Crunch
- Valentine’s Snack Mix
- Valentine’s Day S’more Popcorn
- Valentine Muddy Buddies
step 2 | fill treat bags with trail mix
Fill clear treat bags with your popcorn or trail mix. This will keep your Valentine’s Day treats fresh and contained until they make it home and can be emptied into the popcorn box.
step 3 | tie with ribbon
Tie the treat bags with festive ribbon. Look for Valentine’s Day ribbon or select solid colors that coordinate with your DIY popcorn boxes.
FREE PRINTABLE VALENTINE GIFT TAGS
Use the form below to download these colorful, heart-shaped gift tags! Perfect for attaching to your Valentine’s Day treats.
Download your FREE Valentine Gift Tags
Add these cute heart-shaped gift tags to your Valentine's Day treat boxes! Subscribe for instant access to the free printable gift tags plus weekly organizing and DIY tips.
Looking for more Valentine’s Day ideas? Here are a few from my archives!
- Mini Candy Boxes & Printable Gift Tags
- Glam Valentine’s Day Greeting Card
- Free Valentine Art Printables For Your Gallery Wall
- Pretty Pink Paper Peonies
Happy Valentine’s Day!