Have you ever considered sending a care package to your loved one or seen festively decorated ones and wondered how the heck did they do it?
I’m here to put all your nerves at ease and make creating a care package a fun project to spread the holiday cheer to your service member.
To ensure that your package gets to your service member on time make sure to check out holiday care package deadlines.
First things first.
At any United States Postal Service location, you can grab boxes for your care packages. You do not need to pay for them until you mail it out, and I always grabbed Priority Mail boxes. It will be incredibly more expensive if you use a box that is not Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express, as those already have set prices and you can ship domestic or international for same price.
Create a theme for your care package.
Scrapbooking paper is a great and easy way to decorate the inside of your box. Pinterest is also a great resource for looking up different ideas for care packages. For instance, decorating the inside of the box with candy corn scrapbook papers, a quote from Hocus Pocus, stuffed with candy and beef jerky topped with fake spider webs and fake spiders.
Some examples for decorating the inside of Thanksgiving boxes may be decorating the inside of the box with brown and orange scrapbook paper with cut-outs of pumpkins and leaves. Another fun thing to add to your box is a secret message at the very bottom. Whether it is something funny or simple like “Gobble Gobble” or “I’m thankful for you.”
For Christmas care packages it could be themed around How the Grinch Stole Christmas or Merry Christmas. Take a look at Instagram and Pinterest for various ideas of fun ways to decorate your box.
NEVER decorate the outside of the box if they are packaged in the Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express boxes. The USPS staff will ask you to remove it, so don’t waste your time in the first place.
For domestic packages ensure that you are following the guidelines in the US to ship and do not include items such as; aerosols, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, cigars & tobacco, cremated remains, dry ice, firearms, fragile items, glue, lithium batteries, live animals, matches, medicines & prescriptions drugs, nail polish, paint, perfumes, perishable items or poisons. For more information make sure to visit here.
Below are ideas that you can add to your care package that are military approved. If shipping overseas, make sure to add a general overview of what items are the package to your customs forms.
Toiletries
- High-quality socks
- Foot powder
- Hand Warmers
- Baby wipes
- Deodorant
- Dental Floss
- Lip Balm
- Sunblock
- Toothbrush
- Cough drops
- Icy hot
- Vicks
Entertainment
- Board games
- Deck of cards
- Reading materials
- Pencils
- 3M wall hooks
- Photos from home
- Letters
Food
- Hot sauce
- Packets of condiments
- Water flavoring packets
- Hot cocoa mix
- Instant coffee
- Powdered creamer
- Granola bars
- Tuna fish
- Candy
- Beef jerky
- Slim jims
- Protein bars
- Gum
- Sunflower seeds
- Spam
- Non-chocolate candy (it melts way to easy in the packages)
- Dried fruit
- Trail mix
- Cookies
- Fresh baked holiday treats
Change up your care packages and add fun surprises every once in a while. Always add extra items for the service members to share with their battle buddies.
Make sure to tape up the sides of your box to be nice and secure and mail off. If you need assistance filling out the customs forms the staff are very helpful.
Remember, if you don’t have the time, you can still send amazing care packages with Hero Care Packages! Learn more here.