Upcycled Valentine Box

Years ago a sweet person gave me a heart-shaped box of fragrant, hand made soap.  After the soap was used up I couldn't bear to throw away the sturdy box....heart shaped ones are rare.  Anyway, I decided to decorate the box which was plain white with black words.  

I started by lining the the inside with scented shelf liner paper (purchased years ago from the Laura Ashley store).  I used Heiko double stick tape as an adhesive...wet glue may wrinkle the paper.

I searched through my appallingly large stack of Valentine papers until I settled on a rose patterned one which I applied all over the outside of the box, even the bottom. To the top of the box I added a pink trimmed heart doily and a red one.  The die cut vintage figures were found in my overflowing Valentine ephemera stash and were affixed with sticky foam squares. Two strips of lace were glued onto the the box top.  I think they were purchased at Daiso.  Adhesive strings of tiny pearls (BFC wedding section) were added to the box top.  Finally, four real dried roses (They were originally on some of the bars of soap.) and some artificial  blossoms were glued onto the bare spots on the box.  I wish I had more roses but perhaps someday I can dry some from my yard and add them to the box.

I'm not sure what I will do with the finished box.  Perhaps I will use it to store handmade Valentine cards or more ephemera...LOL!  Oh, maybe I will make some handmade soap, fill the box, and give the gift to the person who gave me the original box of soap.  Now that's recycling!