My partner and I are very proud to be transgender. This Christmas I decided to combine my love for them as well as the transgender community with a romantic keepsake box.

Step 1: Stuff You Will Need

You will need:

cardboard source (i used a pizza box)
scissors
glue
paper
pencil
love poem/letter
knife/x-acto knife
button from a pair of jeans
bread tie
string
glitter (blue, pink, white)

This is my poem. I wrote it. You can write your own or pick one from your favorite poet.

Plagiarism is bad!

Step 2: Let's Begin

First you need to write a poem or letter to the one you love. This poem is mine, I own it. Type it into the shape of a heart. This was kind of difficult for me so good luck! Print it out to be the size of the box you are planning to make. Fold the edges down to the size you have chosen.

Step 3: The Base

Trace the poem paper onto a box a bunch of times. I came out with 12. The more layers you have the deeper the box will be. Cut out all the pieces and stack together.

Step 4: Stencil

Put a piece of paper over your poem and make a rough outline of where the words are. Fold the paper in half and cut out a heart. Check to make sure the heart fits snuggly over the poem.

Step 5: The Work

Place the heart stencil over the stack of cardboard. Use a knife (better than mine) to cut out the hearts all the way through. Since my knife is so horrible I had to go back and even everything out with a pair of scissors. Personally I like how rugged everything is. If you don't you can use a pair of scissors to even all the layers up.

You're going to want to save out the best looking heart to go on top.

Step 6: Let's Stick Together

Glue all the pieces together and put under a book (or pack of paper) for an hour or so.

Step 7: SPARKLES!

While we're waiting for that to dry we can start on our topper. measure out five sections and apply glue to the middle section. Sprinkle some white glitter on it. How pretty <3

Step 8: The Outside

Now that the inner box has dried, place the stack on a piece of cardboard and trace the base. Turn it on its side and mark it. Flop it on it's back and draw one more line. When you cut it out, be sure to leave some slack. Cardboard tends to shrink when you fold it.

Step 9: Coming Together

Fold the cardboard piece around the stack. Cut off the extra. Go ahead and glue the string to the bottom part of the card board. Then add the heart shaped poem on top. Put some glue on the bottom of the stack and place evenly over the poem. Make sure the poem lines up with the hole in the stack.

Step 10: More Squishes

This is to cover up the pizza logo and optional.

Trace the shape of whats left of the cardboard piece onto a piece of paper. Cut out and glue. Make sure to glue the bind and push the back tight against it. Slap a book on top of that bad boy and give it another hour or so.

Step 11: Yay!

While we wait let's go back to the heart. It should be dry by now. Turn it sideways to let all the extra sparkle fall off. Apply a stripe of glue on either side and add pink sparkles. Let that sit.

Step 12: That's Trans-tastic ;)

After the pink has dried, shake off any extra pink the add glue to the last two strips. Pile on some blue sparkles and wait for it to dry.

Step 13: Glue the Heart on Top.

Step 14: Time to Button It Up

Poke two small holes in the lid of the box. You made need a knife to do this. Thread the bread tie through the pants button. Slip the two ends of the bread tie through the holes you just made and pull tight. Fold the ends to the side and cut off the extra.