Take a look at the photo. Does that look like the best Christmas present ever? Probably not.
One your child would be happy to receive? Maybe not.
Kids in the UK tend to expect big, expensive presents don't they? This is not big and it certainly was not expensive but I still maintain that it is, in fact, one of the best presents for under £10 ever.
You know what though? There are millions of children (literally, I am not exaggerating) who would think this is an awesome gift, one they would love to receive and would treasure.
You may have seen me post before about the Operation Christmas Child campaign which is run by Samaritans Purse. Basically, you fill a covered shoebox with new but inexpensive gifts and pay £5 transport costs (it was £2.50 back in 2011) and Samaritans Purse transport this box to a child who would otherwise receive nothing.
I won't go through all the information again about how to make a box and what to do with it, that is in this post and this post and of course, you can look at the OCC website but often I hear people say to me how expensive it is to make a box and I just wanted to show you how I do it for so little. You can also look into educational gift ideas, if you want something a little different.
Here is a list of what I included in this box in 2011 (but I still manage to pack a box for around the same amount in 2020 too) -
- M&S Scarf - Bought last January in the sales for 80p
- Mint Humbugs - 79p at Pound Stretcher
- Pack of crayons and pencils - given to my kids at a party (they have too many already, so donated for the boxes)
- Tiger face cloth - blogging gift, so no cost
- Camay soap - (£1 for 4 from Poundstretcher) 25p
- Tambourine - was my girls but never really used, so like new, no cost
- Toothbrush and toothpaste - Lidl £1.58
- New McDonald's toy in the packet - no cost
- Notebook - (£1 for 4 from Poundstretcher) 25p
- Small dinosaur/ horse toys - from party bags my kids received, no cost
- Snap game - Received with a meal at the Rainforest cafe - no cost
- Ben 10 beach ball - Tesco 50p in the sale
- Pack of 3 biros - Tesco, 30p in the sale
- 2 pencils - £1 shop (£1 for 10) 20p
- Winnie the Pooh ball game - from a cracker last Christmas - no cost
Total cost for contents - £4.67 plus £2.50 transport cost = £7.17 total box cost
The key is in the planning and the preparation. All year round I keep my eyes open for bargains and I retain things that the kids are given. Rather than them have an abundance of stationary and things that will just get broken or binned I ask the kids if they want to donate them to the shoebox appeal. Nine times out of ten I get a yes from my kids as they enjoy giving. Isn't that something you want to say about your child?
Go on, make a box this October, I promise you will feel good for doing it.
Why not pin this post for later?
