DIY School Keepsake Box

My youngest niece is starting kindergarten in a few weeks.

I'm pretty sad because that means all the kids in the family are officially old farts. We have no itty bitty cutie wooties anymore! 

 Now they all know what were talking about so we have to watch what we say...... they're swimming without floaties......and getting their ears pierced!  I just can't take it!

This is why I'm campaigning hard to get my sister Kinsey  (she's the 3 daughter and 3 years older than me) to get that eggo preggo!

Sure, I may be the married one and she's not  (but really.....what does that matter these days) .....and sure I'm the one who is having the baby fever......but homegirl needs to make me a baby!

I REALLY REALLY want the excitement of a pregnancy and birth and the fun of a baby around.....but I'm totally not ready myself.  In fact I wanted a kid more before I was married than I do now that I am.  With each passing day I add an extra year onto the ETB  (estimated time of baby)

That's why I think it's time for her to do it!  It will bridge the gap and then give my kid a cousin that's 2 or 3 years older.....friggin perfect!!!

And not to mention her boyfriend isn't getting any younger....he turns 31 this week

Ok......so I  know it's not THAT old but work with me here people.....I'm campaigning.....you reach a little.

Of course this is all in good fun....I wouldn't really want to push anything.....just make them realize what they really want deep down inside ;) haha 

Anyways...kid starts kindergarten.....I'm sad.....but somehow during this depression I thought of a great idea....why not make my niece a cute keepsake box for all her Kindergarten treasures

Kindergarten is the year where every paper, drawing, note, sticker, and rock is the most important thing in the entire world.   You need a place to put it all.  

Find a good box and wrap it up

I used the same method to cover the box as I do in my CUPCAKE STAND TUTORIAL  <-----Click

That way there isn't any folds on the side and it looks a little more clean

Then I cut a piece of poster board to cover the top of the box and decorated it to look like a piece of paper

 I found some card stock school themed stickers  on clearance over by the scrapbook paper in Michael's.

I stick them to poster board and then trimmed them to size just to make them a little more sturdy.

I hot glued some cardboard pieces onto the backs of them so that they will give a pop out effect to the box

Yes, I work on paper plates

Write what you want on it and glue on your stickers

I really like the pop out stickers it really makes the whole thing....well....pop!

I used the other stickers I had to decorate the sides of the box

I am entirely prepared for my niece to really not care when I give this to her.  This is after all the same little girl that loudly exclaimed  "It's JUST shoes"  when she opened her birthday gift from me.  haha

It's one of those gifts that adults will appreciate more.  But I have hope that she just MIGHT get excited the first time she brings home something worthy of putting in the box.  And maybe someday when she's older she'll look back and smile.