Whether your loved ones are far from home because of college, a missionary trip, or military deployment, they will feel egg-stra loved with this Spring Easter Care Package! Easter Care Packages are a simple way to let your family member or some-bunny special know how much you miss them!
The month of April is just a few days away which means that Easter is quickly approaching!
In case you are new around here (AKA a newbie reader of my blog)…Howdy! I’m so thrilled you are here! I’ve been sending themed boxes packed with all sorts of treats, snacks, and gifts every month to our oldest daughter who is a freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
It is now my 8th and final month of the school year to create a gift box filled with our daughter’s favorite things.
Here’s a list of the other care packages I’ve created, and I will link all those ideas at the end of the post if you want to read more about other fun box ideas for your kids or family members (of all ages)!
1. Get Well
2. Halloween
3. Blue Themed
4. Winter Holidays
5. Nut Themed
6. Valentine’s Day/Pink Themed
7. St. Patricks’s Day
Most of the boxes have been pretty simple to create because there is usually a holiday-specific occasion to celebrate, and other times, I need a little more help brainstorming new care package ideas so I search my favorite website…Pinterest!!
Check out my College Care Package Pinterest Board if you want to see the great variety of ideas I’ve collected!
For April it was so easy to put together the gift basket in a box to send to our daughter because I essentially just recreated the Easter basket she’d normally receive on Easter Morning!
I think there are certain times of the year that college students especially miss being home and Easter is one of the holidays at the top of that list…so the next best thing is to send a little bit of your family’s traditions in the mail to them!
Since the Easter Bunny is super busy these days, and I know you are too, I have broken down the entire process of creating a mailable Easter basket for your kid into 5 basic steps (with free printables – oh yeah!)…and as a bonus, I’ll share my best tips & tricks if you need a little extra encouragement to get started!
Now that we have established EASTER as our theme…let’s jump right in and get this gift basket made!
HOW TO MAKE AN EASTER CARE PACKAGE
STEP #1 – FIND THE BASKET FOR YOUR EASTER CARE PACKAGE
You may already have a cute basket around your home or you may need to go and purchase one, either way, you’ll need some type of container to create your Easter basket.
Feel free to select a bucket, a pail, an organizer bin of some sort (that could be used in your kid’s dorm room), or other similar items to create your Easter gift.
Finding one at The Dollar Tree was a great choice for me because I didn’t want to invest much money and also did not want my daughter to feel like she had to hang onto it once her semester is over! It also earns bonus points for being super cute and perfect for the whole “bunny” theme!
STEP #2 – GET THE EASTER GOODIES & GIFTS FOR YOUR EASTER CARE PACKAGE
Next up on our list…it’s time to purchase the contents of the package.
I was excited to shop for the things in this Spring Easter care package because I just looked for festive Easter items when I was out running my errands.
Mom Tip #1 – I never send liquids because #spillshappen.
Essentially duplicating what I normally gift in her Easter basket, here’s a list of the Easter items I bought for this particular care package:
- Chocolate Bunny
- Bunny Ears Headband
- Bunny Stuffed Animal
- Haribo Happy Chicks Gummies
- Sour Patch Kids Bunnies
- Starburst Fruit Flavored Jelly Beans
- Peeps Marshmallow Candy
- Spring Themed Mini Can of Pringles
- Fake Plastic Eggs (filled with Easter candy and money)
- Easter Mike & Ike Candy
- Easter Basket Grass (Packing Material Filler)
Since most of it was purchased from a discount store the total price to fill this basket was under $20 so you don’t have to spend a bundle!
* Mom Tip #2 * – You can add some “punny” tags to the candy you are sending or sign a handwritten note to brighten the recipient’s day!
There’s nothing like a personalized touch from home in the basket!! I’ve included the free printable food tags here!
And there are a few blank ones for you to write your own message!
Yes, I know there’s A LOT of candy in this care package…and my daughter is not much of a junk food eater, but I know she has lots of new friends in her dorm so I’m guessing those girls will join in to help her eat all the treats.
If you are having trouble finding enough items, here are some other things you could throw in that have the “Happy Easter” vibe:
- Your Kid’s Favorite Snacks (that would be cheese-its for my daughter!)
- An Easter Sign or Dorm Room Decor
- Festive Window Cling Stickers
- Gum or Mints
- Gift Cards
- Money
- Lottery Tickets
- Favorite Childhood Easter Candy (Cadbury Chocolate Eggs, Reese’s Eggs, Marshmallow Jelly Beans, Pez Candy & Dispenser, etc.)
- A Package of Popcorn, Nuts, or Snack Mix
- Easter Swag & Accessories (think silly sunglasses, festive socks)
- Any Other Easter-Themed Gift Items or Treats!
Mom Tip #3 – Be sure to NOT mail anything fragile or flammable. Most college dorms or greek housing do not allow candles, incense, etc…so leave those out of the Easter gift!
STEP #3 – DECORATE YOUR EASTER CARE PACKAGE
Step #3 is one of the most important steps!! A care package is SO MUCH MORE FUN to receive when it is decorated!
Don’t worry if you aren’t the crafty type, your search for help is over…because I have some free printables for you!!
Simply download the box flap tags, print them on your color printer (I prefer using tagboard/white card stock to make it sturdier), and glue the tags to the inside of the flaps of the box with a glue stick.
In this file download, you’ll find two versions of the tags…one set from “we” for a family/group and the other set from “I” for an individual sending the Easter care package.
Don’t forget – I also have added some cute little food tags you could use too!
Overall, it will maybe take you an extra 10-15 minutes to decorate the box…totally worth it!
If you want the free printable box tags for the inside flaps and the food tags click the link below!
EASTER-THEMED CARE PACKAGE PRINTABLE TAGS
STEP #4 – FILL YOUR EASTER CARE PACKAGE
To pack this care package, I first placed a few sheets of hot pink tissue paper inside the bottom of the box.
Next, I affixed the tags to the inside of the box flaps using a glue stick.
After the box tags are on securely, it is time to load up the package with the Easter basket filled with all the treats and gifts.
Then, I added another layer of pink tissue on top. Lastly, I put in a few personalized, handwritten notes for our daughter!
STEP #5 – SEND YOUR EASTER CARE PACKAGE
Once you’ve made the box all fancy with the printed flap tags and loaded it up with all the goods, it’s time to tape it up, attach the mailing address, head to your post office, and send it to your loved one!
*Mom Tip #4* – If you are frequently sending care packages to the same person, creating a word document of their address and your return address will save you some time and energy in the long run. It’s so much easier to print it out on the computer and tape it on rather than take the time to write it out each time you ship a package.
And it is seriously that easy, friends…that’s how you make a care package in 5 simple steps!
If you missed the free printable box and food tags for the Easter care package, you can grab a set here:
MORE CREATIVE CARE PACKAGE IDEAS
Here’s a round-up of my blog posts from my site featuring the packages I’ve sent in case you need some more inspiration!
1. GET WELL
In September I made a “Get Well” Package filled with all sorts of illness remedies.
2. HALLOWEEN HOLIDAY
For October, I sent a spooktacular Halloween-themed package!
3. BLUE THEMED
For the month of November, since it was starting to get a bit chilly in Michigan where my daughter is in college, I thought a blue-themed winter college care package would be super fun to put together!
Plus it is one of her school colors so it also incorporated some school spirit! #GOBLUE
4. SNOW THEMED
When December came around it was time to really focus on the cold snowy theme…there are lots of “snow” puns with this Christmas care package for December.
5. NUT THEMED
A nut was the theme for January’s box filled with nutty snacks and treats!
6. VALENTINE’S DAY
February’s care package was filled with lots of love, telling our daughter we were “pinking” of her!!
7. ST. PATRICK’S DAY
We sent a big box of all things green, lucky, and Irish for St. Patty’s Day!
* Mom Tip #5 * – Any of these ideas would work great for birthday care packages, exam care packages, or any time your college student needs a little extra surprise gift or encouragement and support from home.
Got any super creative ideas I should use for other upcoming care packages?
Let me know in the comments!
Until next time, cheers to sending a little luck in the mail, and cheers to you!
XOXO,
Magan
Psst – Want more festive Easter ideas?? Check out this Easter Scavenger Hunt (with free printables!)
