DIY ladybug and dog milk jug valentine card boxes

Milk Jug Valentine Card Boxes

What kid wants an ordinary shoebox for his valentines when he can make a cute critter with some personality?! They may require a little help from mom, but our milk jug valentine card boxes are inexpensive and fun to create.

Start by repurposing an empty gallon milk jug, wash it up and remove the label with either warm soapy water or a little Goo Gone. Don’t forget to remove the date imprint—a dry erase marker will do the trick. Just swipe it across the date then rub it off with a paper towel.

Once your kid chooses which design he’d like—an adorable ladybug or a floppy-eared dog— have him draw a mouth on the jug, using the dry erase marker.

This is where you will need to step in and help by cutting out the mouth using an X-acto knife and then painting the jug with spray paint appropriate for plastic. Allow the paint to dry for at least 24−48 hours.

If your child has chosen the ladybug, she does requires a bit more work than the dog—she’ll need her head painted black, using a brush, before features can be applied. This high-maintenance gal also needs holes gently punched for her pipe cleaner antennae and hearts painted on her back. But she is so darn cute!

Our dog, like any typical guy, needs only a few features to get him ready. We dressed him up with sappy googly eyes, felt floppy ears supported by hidden floral wire and a few freckles here and there.

Your kiddo will be delighted to have a critter devour his valentine cards instead of stuffing them into the usual shoebox. We bet he’ll have a slew of new ideas for next year’s creation!

milk jug valentine card boxes instructions

what you'll need
ladybug
  • empty gallon milk jug
  • Goo Gone
  • dry erase marker
  • X-acto knife
  • hole punch
  • red spray paint suitable for plastic
  • black acrylic craft paint
  • flat artist’s paintbrush
  • round artist’s paintbrush
  • 6" craft stick, painted black
  • googly eyes
  • small piece of red felt
  • small piece of black felt
  • small hot glue gun
  • 4 black pipe cleaners, cut in half
  • scissors
dog
  • empty gallon milk jug
  • Goo Gone
  • dry erase marker
  • X-acto knife
  • gray spray paint suitable for plastic
  • 1 sheet each of red, black and gray felt
  • scissors
  • hot glue gun
  • 12" floral wire, cut in half
  • googly eyes
let's do it
ladybug
  1. rinse jug, remove label with warm soapy water or Goo Gone
  2. remove date imprint using dry erase marker and paper towel
  3. allow jug to dry
  4. draw mouth on top of milk jug around lid (large enough to fit your fist inside) using dry erase marker
  5. cut out mouth using X-acto knife
  6. using hole punch, punch 1 hole about ½" above each circular indentation on sides of jug (these will be for antennae)
  7. spray jug with red spray paint, let dry at least 24−48 hours
  8. place jug on its side resting on handle; mouth should face you
  9. using dry erase marker, draw line around top third of jug to distinguish head from body
  10. paint “head” of milk jug with black acrylic craft paint using flat paintbrush, let dry
  11. apply second coat if necessary
  12. attach black craft stick to jug handle using hot glue gun (this is the ladybug’s “belly” allowing her to sit without rolling over)
  13. with handle facing you, glue 3 pipe cleaner “legs” on each side of jug (about 2 inches away from handle)
  14. bend pipe cleaner ends to form “feet”
  15. lay jug belly side down resting on craft stick
  16. cut 1 heart shape out of black felt for nose (about the size of a quarter)
  17. glue googly eyes and felt heart “nose” to face
  18. cut 2 heart shapes out of red felt (about the size of half-dollar)
  19. attach red felt hearts to each end of remaining pipe cleaners using hot glue gun
  20. insert each pipe cleaner into hole above eyes (glue in place if necessary)
  21. paint or stamp small black hearts on body using round paintbrush, allow to dryDIY ladybug & dog milk jug valentine card boxes | Everyday Dishes & DIY.comDIY ladybug & dog milk jug valentine card boxes | Everyday Dishes & DIY.com
dog
  1. rinse jug, remove label with warm soapy water or Goo Gone
  2. remove date imprint using dry erase marker and paper towel
  3. allow jug to dry
  4. cut lid and threads off top of jug
  5. draw mouth on side of jug with indented circles, using dry erase marker
  6. cut out mouth using X-acto knife
  7. spray jug with gray spray paint, let dry 24−48 hours
  8. cut 9" red felt tongue using scissors
  9. attach tongue inside bottom of jug (inside of mouth) using hot glue gun
  10. cut 4 black felt ears, one pair slightly smaller than the other
  11. place 1 − 6" floral wire on each large felt ear
  12. glue small felt ears on top of large ears to cover wires
  13. attach ears to dog’s head with hot glue
  14. bend wired ears slightly
  15. cut gray felt in small oval shapes, glue googly eyes on top then attach to face with glue
  16. cut black eyebrows, freckles and heart-shaped nose out of felt
  17. attach to face with glue
Cheryl Says
A dry erase marker can remove not only imprints but also permanent marker! Who knew?

DIY ladybug and dog milk jug valentine card boxesDIY ladybug and dog milk jug valentine card boxesDIY ladybug and dog milk jug valentine card boxesDIY ladybug and dog milk jug valentine card boxes