This is a Valentines Mailbox that I made for my neighbor girl. They had a contest at school and she won second place with it.
I just glued white material onto a box and then glued lace material over that. Then I glued on ribbon, beads and other lace. The hearts were decorated with lace and beads and glued to back of box. I inserted her photo in a smaller heart inside the middle large one.
First, let me say you are very talented. The box is beautiful.
Maybe next time this situation arises you can have the child come over and do her own project, one that she can take pride in. Not every child has someone to help them do such things (the word being HELP, not doing the whole project) The school was wrong to have a contest so unfair, you followed their loose guidelines so I don't see you being at fault. Sad that a lot of kids probably put a lot of work into theirs on their own and lost to a bunch of boxes made by grownups/older siblings, etc.
I made a cake for girl scouts, not having a mother that could cook I actually followed all three rows of instructions, 1 egg here, 3 here, 2 here. You see what I mean. I realized it was too soupy, so I thickened it with tapioca pudding out of a box without added ingredients and added a couple drops of peppermint extract. (I just didn't want to not bring something) I frosted it and won! They asked what I put in the cake and I told them I had no real clue and quietly told them what I had done. )
I was happy my cake won and a few year later I signed on for 4 years of cooking classes in high school. I can now cook, but that cake taught me not to be afraid to experiment with my mistakes. I would not have been proud of my cake if someone else had made it for me and I won.
Maybe you can write a letter to the school about future contests and making them fair.
When I was in elem. school, my grandmother did the very same thing for me. I won no prize although it was just wonderful and the most beautiful, because the teacher judges knew that I had nothing to do with it and that it would be absolutely an unfair advantage over those children who really tried their best to make something themselves and compete among themselves. It wasn't about the winning, it was about children exercising their own imaginations.
You can still redeem yourself by sending a note to the neighbors and tell them that you truly enjoyed trying to help the girl win the contest, yet you finally realized that it wasn't about winning, but rather about her learning to be artistic and to use her own mind. Invite her and her mother to join in some other crafts that you enjoy and offer to both instruct and allow her to observe how things are done so she can begin to try doing things on her own even sooner. God bless your loving efforts and help you to mend any damage. :
There were no strict guidelines. They were just asked to bring a box, either made by them or by anyone else. She did help me with some of the gluing of the flowers. I guess I should have mentioned that.
She won second place for a box you made? Don't the other kids call that cheating? Adults should not be making things for kids contests, and passing them off as the kids. Just not a very good thing to teach the kids.
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