As a young girl I loved wrapping Christmas presents. In fact, my parents would tape up my own Christmas boxes and let me wrap my own gifts because I loved it so much! So, you can imagine the joy that I received in the past from wrapping cardboard shoeboxes for our Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts!
This year we decided to use plastic shoe boxes instead of cardboard shoe boxes because the plastic bins can be repurposed and resused! So, as much as I will miss being able to wrap our boxes, I still had to come up with some way to make the plastic bins look pretty for the Operation Christmas Children! Plus, part of the fun in opening a gift is the element of surprise! So, initially using the clear boxes posed a little problem, but I soon found a solution…bandanas!
I purchased one bandana for each box. After serving as “wrapping” or decoration for the OCC box, I love the fact that the bandana can be repurposed/reused just like the plastic box! The bandana could become a headband, towel, scarf, baby blanket, etc.
Wrapping your OCC box with the bandana is super easy!
Simply begin with your empty plastic bin.
Lay the bandana over the box. Diagonally or horizontally…either way is fine.
With your hands, press the bandana down into the box.
Fill the box.
Once the box is full, fold the excess corners of the bandana into the box.
Snap in the lid…and that’s it! You have “wrapped” your plastic OCC bin!
Easy! Cute! Reusable!
Attention Bloggers: Please join in and help spread the word about this amazing organization by blogging about your Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts and linking up your post(s) below!
![OperationChristmasChildLinkupBanner1[1]](https://lh5.ggpht.com/-suLzvx1aO40/UId7fyJW9YI/AAAAAAAAJIM/5xt-qmEtH4I/s1600-h/OperationChristmasChildLinkupBanner1%25255B1%25255D%25255B5%25255D.jpg "OperationChristmasChildLinkupBanner1[1]")
Disclosure: As a member of the iHomeschool Network’s Samaritan’s Purse Blogger Team, I write about the ministry on a volunteer basis. All posts are my own thoughts and do not necessarily reflect the views of Samaritan’s Purse. I am not on employee, agent, or contractor of Samaritan’s Purse.
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Marilee Springer
I love the idea of the plastic box, but OCC can’t send as many of those in a crate as they can actual shoe boxes. I think this raises the price of the postage.
Mama Jenn
Thank you so much for the heads up!!!
Mama Jenn
Thanks Dawn! I was kinda trying to keep going with the “re-purposing” idea! 😉
Dawn @ TheMommaKnows.com
Oh Jenn that’s a GREAT idea! At the Collection Center where we volunteer every year, another thing that we recommend is lining the clear boxes with wrapping paper, pattern side out, so it shows through but stays nice. I like your bandana idea much better though! 🙂
Mama Jenn
Thanks! Yep, Hobby Lobby is probably a good place! Occasionally I can find them at the Dollar Store, but this time I got them from Michaels, using my coupon of course! 😉
Mama Jenn
That is a great idea! I think they would be great! My hubby collects things like that from hotels so that I can donate them to homeless ministries, but I definitely think they could work in OCC boxes! Great idea Sarah!
Mama Jenn
Very cool idea with tying them together! Thanks for sharing!!
Mama Flock
Great idea! We usually put some bandanas in the box anyway – never thought to use them as “wrapping.” If you put two bandanas back to back, it’ll be one color on the outside of the box and another lining the inside (thinking of the red-green combo).
Bandanas are usually about $1 at Walmart, too, for others looking for them. Probably Dollar Tree, too, when they have them in stock.
Sarah
I have a bunch of tiny bar soaps from hotels, would those be ok to put in??
Angel Fauci-Wills
Awesome idea! I’m going to do it! Hobby Lobby has a great variety of them too.
Mama Jenn
Thanks! I got the bandanas from Michaels Craft Store.
ticiaM
Genius!
Laura Phillips
I LOVE this idea!
Jolanthe
Love this idea!!! Where did you find the bandanas???