There is nothing better than receiving a gift in the mail, and this Halloween care package will put a smile on the recipient’s face! It’s such a fun, creative and inexpensive way to show your “boo” how much you care!
It’s been exactly 42 days ago that I last saw my firstborn daughter when we dropped her off at college for the first time (Not that I am counting or anything!)
And honestly, it’s been so hard not having her around the house…I mean, no one else will watch the Real Housewives with me, so I am definitely feeling her absence (But don’t you worry… I’m plugging along watching it without her – because I am no quitter!)
But I will say Mr. Organizen and I are super lucky to have a kid who likes to share all about her college experience with us, so we get photos of her meals from the dining hall, pics of her “game day” attire, and quite a few late-night selfies with her friends…which honestly is the best thing ever to get to be a part of her day-to-day life, even if it’s long-distance via text messages.
One of the things I’ll always remember from being in college is that it was the BEST.THING.EVER to get mail…and even more amazing…to get PACKAGES!!!
My sweet grandma would frequently send “walking around money” for me and my friends to buy pizza in the dorm.
It’s funny how that was over 25 years ago, and I can still hear my friends yelling “Thanks Grandma for the pizza!” into the air as we noshed on the ‘za she treated us to! It’s honestly the small things that make you feel connected to “home” and to your loved ones when you are away at school.
So when our first-born headed off to college, I made a goal for myself to send a themed care package to our “Miss Hay” every month…
okay, maybe I shouldn’t really call it a “goal” cause I think of a goal as something you have to put your mind to accomplish and work hard to complete, and I actually totally geek out over any cheesy mom stuff, so making care packages is actually a totally fun creative outlet for me…
so I guess it’s more of a “FOAL” – a Fun GOAL!!
Yes, I’m a total overachiever with things I like to do! LOL!!
Anywho, I have completely digressed…back to my point…
It is now the beginning of October, so this might be one of the easier months because Fall & Halloween are just so care-package worthy!!
If you have a college-aged kid, or a loved one who is deployed overseas, or even a romantic long-distance relationship, you can use this care package idea for any of them, or really anyone else for that matter!!
Not sure how to make a Halloween care package?
Well, let me break it down for you in 5 easy steps!!
STEP #1 – GET THE GOODS
The first step in making a kick-arse Halloween care package is to find some goodies to put inside.
Being the very poshy, big-spending mama that I am, I always head to my local high-end, classy boutique…
AKA – The Dollar Tree
If I’m feeling particularly spendy, I might also hit up the Dollar Spot at Target, but that can get a bit crazy because they now have $3 and $5 items there! Oh, boy I’m a big spender now!!
For the Halloween care package, I really tried to focus on things my daughter could either snack on or decorate her dorm room with, and luckily there were quite a few cute festive things I found…
*Insider Tip #1* – I try not to send any liquids because spills happen and that can cause a mess in your package.
*Insider Tip #2* – Although seasonal candles are cute and smell good, they aren’t allowed at her college, so keep in mind any safety restrictions the recipient might have!
Here’s a List of THE GOODS I put into this particular Halloween care package!
– Three decorative pumpkins
– Box of Halloween themed Sour Patch candy
– Ghost tin mini-pail filled with a bag of candy corn
– Black sparkly Halloween wreath
– Light up skeleton head
– A Halloween garland
– Bags of trick-or-treat sized candy
In total it was probably around $10 -$15 bucks, so you don’t have to break the bank!
STEP #2 – BOX IT UP
Knowing I was going to be sending quite a few packages this year, I’ve been saving various sized delivery boxes that come to our house (Thanks, Amazon!)
To package this particular package, I placed a few sheets of green tissue paper inside the bottom of the box, then loaded it up with THE GOODS, and then placed a few sheets of tissue paper on top.
STEP #3 – JAZZ IT UP
Okay, I know ya’ll might not agree with me on this cause you’ll think it’s just too much work, but I promise, it’s worth it…before you send your care package, decorate that box!!!
Do you know what’s more fun than receiving a care package?
Receiving a care package that’s decked out on the inside and you know the sender put a little extra effort and TLC into it!
Honestly, not decorating the box is like making a cake and not putting the icing on it! I mean the cake is nice and all, but the icing literally makes the cake!! (You can thank me later for guilting you into doing it! You’re welcome)
And because I know you might be short on time….and I’m just a giving kinda’ gal, I’ve made it so much easier for you, cause I’ll even give you my printable templates for the inside of the box. #thatswhatfriendsarefor
You simply need to download it, print it out (I opt for tagboard/white cardstock), and glue it to the inside of the flaps with a glue stick.
When it’s all said and done, it will probably take you an extra 10 minutes…and it will be so worth it!!
If you want the printable box tags for the inside click here!
STEP #5 – SHIP IT
Once you’ve got the goods in the box and you’ve cutesied up the inside of the box, it’s time to tape it up, slap on the mailing address, and take it to your local UPS, Mailboxes or Post Office…sadly the Pony Express is no longer an option. (They took too long anyway!)
There you have it, folks…5 easy steps to send your loved one a little spook-tacular reminder of how much you love them!
And you’ll be sure to get a reaction like this big ole’ smile once they receive it!!
What do you think?
Got other ideas for care packages?
I’ve been growing my Pinterest idea list here if you need some more inspiration!
Until next time, cheers to sending love via snail mail, and cheers to you!
XOXO,
Magan
PSST – If you want to see other care packages I’ve made, you can find them here!
NOT HALLOWEEN YET? PIN ME FOR LATER!
Pin me! Pin me!
