I "SPHINX" You Should Be Mine...

Because tomorrow is Valentine's Day, I thought I should share this totally un-farmy project.  It's so cute, I can't resist.  My oldest farmhand and I worked on it all weekend while the rest of our house was sick (then I got deathly ill Sunday night - joys of being the mom - you always end up with what they bring home...).  Feeling much better today, and I am excited about tomorrow.  I always make a big deal of Valentine's with my kids.  We decorate the house, make Valentine's, and they always wake up to something really special on Valentine's morning... because their mama LOVES them!!!

This is what is so stinking cute...



The Valentine's box my oldest and I made.  There is a contest, and he really hopes to win.  He has been studying Ancient Egypt in school, and he is really into pyramids and mummified pharaohs, so we decided to kick it up a notch and make a pyramid Valentine's box, complete with lovable mummy, hieroglyphs, and hearts.



This is super easy to make:

You will need: cardboard, box cutter, hot glue gun and about 2 long sticks of glue, markers, wood glue, sand, flour-sack dish cloth or white fabric, red colored paper, heavy gauge wire, adhesive glue dots (found at scrapbook stores), Valentine's ribbon, and a stapler.

  1. Cut a 12 x 12-inch square out of cardboard
  2. Cut four equilateral triangles that measure 12-inches on each side 
  3. Hot glue the triangles onto the square and to each other to make the pyramid  
  4. Cut the top on the pyramid on three sides and then fold the uncut side back to make a hinge 
  5. To make the doors:
    • Cut two 3-inch wide by 4-inch tall pieces of cardboard, score the pieces at 1-inch intervals across the 3-inch width then fold so that it makes a 4-inch column.  
    • Cut a two 3 x 6-inch pieces and score the same way to make a 6-inch long column, this is the header and the footer on the door.
    • Glue the footer or step on with hot glue, then glue the two columns slightly set inside of the step.  Then glue the header.  
  6. You can make a brick pattern with marker on the pyramid or color the door as you like.  Now is the time to draw on the hieroglyphs if you want them.  Click here for an easy to see picture of the hieroglyphics.
  7. Coat each side with wood glue (it's extra sticky) and sprinkle sand over the glue, pressing it into the glue so it sticks.  Make sure to coat the top of the pyramid that hinges too.  You can coat the door if you want, or you can leave it like we did.  
  8. Cut out a stick man shape from cardboard.
  9. Tear a flour-sack dish towel into 1/2-inch strips.  Wrap the mummy with the strips, tucking the last wrapping in so it secures itself.  You can give him eyes and a heart with marker if you like.  
  10. Cut out three two-sided hearts with colored paper and make your quote bubble that says, "I Sphinx You should be mine"
  11. Coil some heavy gauge wire around a marker to make the wires that the hearts stick to.  You need three coils.  
  12. With adhesive glue dots, secure the quote, and the mummy in the door.  
  13. Poke the wire through the top of the pyramid and with long pliers, bend and crimp it so that it stays, you can also use a little duct tape on the inside of the pyramid to help out with holding in place.  Secure the hearts to the wire with adhesive glue dots with the wire between the two-sided hearts.  
  14. Cut a 2-inch piece of Valentine's themed ribbon and staple to the front of the top part of the pyramid so the kids have a handle to lift up on to put their cards into the box. 
  15. Fill with hearts and candy and have a fun Valentine's Day!

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