“This post contains referral links to Amazon for these products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It does not cost you extra to purchase through my links.”
This year, we made a special Kuromi-Inspired Valentine Box for my daughter’s first-grade celebration. When I asked what kind of box she wanted, she immediately said, “Kuromi!” That playful, slightly mischievous character really speaks to her.
We sketched the design and used only what we had at home—a shoebox, some cardboard, acrylic paint, and a few craft supplies.
It took us about four days, working a little each afternoon. The measuring and cutting were the most time-consuming, and I layered cardboard to highlight certain features. My daughter helped paint, glue, and even suggested some fun tweaks along the way.
When it was done, she proudly carried it to school, cradling it like a treasure. (The tail fell off by the end of the day, but honestly, it was worth it for the flair!)
Weeks later, it still sits on her bookshelf—candy long gone, but Kuromi still shining. She adores it. And truthfully, so do I.
Materials We Used:
- A Sketched Out Kuromi Box
- Clean Shoe Box
- Several Clean Delivery Boxes
- Black Cardstock
- Acrylic Paint (Purple, Black, Pink)
- Hot Glue Gun
Step 1: Sketch out the style of your Kuromi Valentine box. We focused mainly on her head, dramatic collar, and long, devious tail.
Step 2: Based on the size of the shoebox, roughly measure each piece and cut it out on paper first. Adjust each piece against the actual shoebox until you find the sizes that fit well.
Step 3: To create layered details that highlight specific features, first decide which parts you want to emphasize. In our case, I added extra cardboard for the tip of her crown, the points of her collar, her face, and the pink skull.
Step 4: Once you’re happy with the sizing, use the paper templates to trace each piece onto the cardboard. Then, carefully cut them out using a craft knife.
Step 5: Once all the pieces are cut out, start painting them and let them dry completely before gluing them on.
Step: 6: Before painting the box, cut a hole in the top corner. Don’t cut across the entire box, and make sure the opening isn’t too small either. We cut ours about 3.5″ wide and 2″ long on each side of the corner. If the hole ends up being too small, don’t worry—kids can always open the box lid to drop their treats inside.
Next, cut two slits the same color as the box near the corner opening, right where the box lid meets the base. Each slit should be about 3″ long and 0.25″ wide—just thick enough to slide in Kuromi’s cut-out ears, but not so wide that they fall out easily.
Now you can paint the entire box. Depending on the richness and coverage of your acrylic paint, you might need two coats with drying time in between. We painted ours twice.
Step 7: Once both the box and the cardboard pieces are cut out, painted, and dried, start gluing everything together with a hot glue gun.
Begin with the black base of Kuromi’s head and collar. Then attach the white face and pink skull. Finally, layer on the smaller details: the pink tips of the collar, the skull’s eyes, Kuromi’s eyes, nose, and mouth.
Step 8: For the ears, add the pink circles before attaching them to the box. Once the paint is dry, slide the ears through the slits you cut earlier. If the slits are the right size, you won’t need any glue. Ours were just snug enough—I had to gently push the ears through, and they stayed in place perfectly without falling off.
Step 9: For the tail, I used black cardstock instead of cardboard. I cut several strips about 2″ wide and started twisting two pieces together in a zigzag pattern. I made four sets and glued each new section to the end of the previous one to create a long, flexible tail.
This method added both depth and flexibility, making it easier to position the tail on the box. For the tip, I cut out two hearts from cardboard and glued them side by side at the end of the tail to match Kuromi’s signature style.
Step 10: To attach the tail, I hot glued the base to the lower left corner of the box, then twirled it around to the top, letting the end hang freely. To help support the weight and keep the tail in place, I added a small strip of black cardstock halfway up the tail and secured it to the box.
Step 11: Finished product! Here are different views of our Kuromi Valentine box.