Gift giving is my love language. There's nothing that pleases me more than putting together the perfect gift. So what to do when there's no special occasion to prepare a gift for? Well, care packages of course! The great thing about a care package is that it can come in a time of need or come as a complete surprise and be happily accepted either way. It can be overwhelming to start so I'm going to share my process with you here today! I put together a care package for the purpose of this post and will be giving it away! Stay tuned, and I'll tell you how to enter and win at the end!
1.) Gather The Contents. There are a few different ways to decide what to include in your package. If you're preparing the gift for someone imparticular, you can customize it to that person's interests. If you don't know where to start, choose one item and build around it. When I prepared this care package I knew I wanted to make it as part of a giveaway, meaning I had no idea whos hands it would end up in. I chose the notebook as a starting spot and then chose things of similar color and theme to combine it with.
All the items have a stationary theme and can be purchased in my shop! The wicker butterfly and light leaked vintage photo are special vintage items that I included to give it a more personal touch. Adding old and new can give a gift a more thoughtful and personal feel. The best rule when finding your items is to have fun and pick things that you love, you can't go wrong!
2.) Grab Some Packing Materials
I collect vintage magazine clippings, old photos, interesting paper clips, stickers, and other ephemera. Whenever I am ready to send something I go to my stash. I totally get that not everyone is a paper hoarder (like me) but I'd be willing to bet that you'd be able to come up with some pretty cute things on the cheap. Either already in your home or by checking out the clearance sections at your nearby craft store.
The glassine bags are my go-to when throwing together a little card pack for a care package. I love that they're sort of transparent but also contained. It adds a level of interest and texture.
An old box (We'll wrap it so don't worry about it being nice). Just find something that is sturdy and a good fit.
I buy decorative shred from the dollar tree to pack most of my gifts. It's biodegradable and pretty and works well as a filler.
3.) Start Packing!
Include a special note and use you're paper scraps and clips to create something unique and fun.
I like to tie the gifts together with twine or string. Pack it all up with love, that's what truly makes it a care package, right?!
4.) Prep the Box
Pack everything up, nice and tight and secure. I like to fill the bottom with a little packing, then arrange the contents, then fill to the top with more packaging. Save the card for the very top!
5. Secure, Prepare and Decorate your Package
Use packing tape to seal the box, make sure everything is packed securely and that you haven't left anything out! Once you're all set, find a wrapping paper that will be suitable for shipping. Plain packing paper will do the job wonderfully, I have an extra large roll of this packing paper decorated in white dots that I love for shipping packages in. If I remember right I got it from Target a few years ago, the "Spritz" brand. You can really use any sturdy paper, I've even used Rifle wrapping paper, with its matte finish and extra heavy weight it holds up great in shipping.
I print my own label from USPS.com so that I can decorate the package in my own way, without having it taped over by the postal workers. In this case, I'll print the label later and place it on top the of the yellow accent paper. Then I'll use clear packing tape to secure the entire top of the package before taking it to be posted.
I hope this post inspires you to create a care package for a friend soon! They're just as much fun to put together as they are to receive, it's a win for everyone! Now, do you want to learn how you can actually win this one?! Just hop over to my Instagram page and follow me there, then tag a friend in the post about this blog post! Easy Peasy, good luck!
-C