Make a treasure box for less than $10 in less than 10 minutes

Looking for a cheap gift for a toddler or little kid? We had a little gift exchange with some other families and I had to buy something for a 2 year old girl for less than $10. I was pretty pleased with what I came up with, and think this is a great gift for pretty much any kid, including babies.

To make a “treasure box”, buy a gift box or one of these cute pressboard suitcases, and a pack of alphabet stickers, available at Target, scrapbook stores, amazon, or if you are fancy, The Paper Source.

Use the stickers to put the recipient’s name on the box. I like to add “treasures” but if the child’s name has too many S’s or E’s, you won’t have the right letters left over after you’ve spelled the name.

Depending on budget, put some treats in the box, or leave it empty. For a young toddler, I like small plastic animals or bath toys. For a big girl, crayons and stickers. For my 24 year old sister, I would leave it empty so that she can put her souvenirs from Florence inside.

The faux vintage lunch box I used in this picture cost $5.99 at my local independent toy store. You can find them online by searching for “paper suitcase” or “Paper Mache Box with Handle“. Prices vary but you can usually find them under $10. The ones below sell for $25 for all 3.

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Whitney

RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area where she writes about parenting, crafts, and activities that moms can do with babies in tow. She and Heather also publish 510Families.com, a site for East Bay parents.