Je T'aime, Valentine

Bonjour, mes amies! I'm on the Eyelet Outlet blog today, with a Valentine gift idea that could work at any time of year, really. I started with an inexpensive papier mache box and a heart punch, added lots of fun Eyelet Outlet embellishments-- including my beloved Eiffel Tower Brads-- and here's what I came up with:

I do love banners! They are easy and fun to make, and can be adapted to literally any occasion. For this one I punched medium sized hearts and tiny circles from a gorgeous paper by Blue Fern Studios that's technically got nothing Valentine-themed or Parisian about it, but still struck me as being perfect for both anyway, lol! Then I got right to the FUN PART: embellishing! In addition to Eiffel Tower Brads, I've got some Star Brads, Swirl Bling, Paper Flowers and Heart-Shaped Pearls.

My favorite Paris Love Washi solved the biggest problem I've had in the past when decorating little boxes: how to neatly cover the edge of the lid? Washi is not only the perfect size for this job, it's also self-adhesive! I added a band of Skinny Hearts Washi to the bottom of the box, as well. I could have done the entire bottom of the box that way, but I had a cool index page from an old Michelin Guide to Paris that I was dying to use.

I wanted the top of the box to coordinate with the banner, so I used the same elements, again--Eiffel Tower Brads, Swirl Bling and Paper Flowers --but made them a little more prominent, to suit the size and shape of the lid. Inking the edges of everything gives a sort of vintage vibe and ties all the elements together.

One of the things I like best about this idea is its flexibility. Whether your Valentine loves Italy, Dinosaurs, Sports or Gardening, Eyelet Outlet has a brad for that!

I hope you'll be inspired to make something extra special for your Valentine this year! ♥♥♥