DIY with The Fab Miss B: Send a Birthday Party in a Box!

Any of my friends will tell you that I love sending care packages. I think my love affair with the art of the care package (and snail mail in general!) started with my Grandma Becky (yep, she's my namesake).

When I was a little girl, my Grandma used to send wonderful boxes of goodies for birthdays and special occasions. I loved the idea that something had flown all the way from Minnesota to California just for me. It looked so dull and ordinary on the outside- a plain brown cardboard box with an address on it. But inside- it was full of foam peanuts that went tumbling every which way with a delightful crinkling noise, hiding surprise after surprise waiting to be pulled out. She used to send candies, cookies, tiny toys, and Lip Smackers lip balm. (I remember sneaking a taste of the orange flavored one- it smelled so good, I thought it would taste that way too. Wrong.)

Anyway, lately I've been super inspired by the beautiful boxes of food and sweets over at Olive and Cocoa. Each one is a little work of art, but the $50- 90 price tags feel pretty unaffordable. Besides, making your own feels more special and personal.

Want to make your own too? You'll need:

An assortment of old fashioned candy (I used rock candy, gumballs, gummy bears, lemon drops, lollipops and some chocolates for good measure)
I also added some fun dime store plastic favors and striped paper straws for fun
A large die cut punch, small hole punch and card stock (or ready made tags!)
Bakers Twine
Cellophane Treat Bags
A Sharpie to Label with
Scissors
A plain shirt box lid (make sure it fits in a USPS priority mail box if you plan to ship it!)
Crepe Paper Folds
Ric Rac
Stapler

The candy I ordered arrived in bulk, so I divied it up into smaller cellophane bags and labelled each one with a die cut tag (I used a large !.5" round punch) and sharpie. I filled the box with raffia and arranged all the goodies inside. The box still looked a bit plain to me though.

I grabbed my trusty crepe paper folds and scissors. Leaving it folded, I created a scalloped edge that will repeat when unfolded. You could also try zig zags or fringe!

Then I used my stapler to attach the crepe paper at the back of the box, stapeling here and there as I wound it around. I started at the top edge of the box and worked my way down to get a pretty ruffled edge and cover the other staples.

I repeated that process with a length of ric rac to make it feel even more cheerful and celebratory.

Now who wouldn't feel special getting a box like that in the mail? No time to make your own? Never fear- I've listed one in my shop and I'd be delighted to send it to someone special for you!

What's the best care package you've ever sent or received?