Our family has enjoyed putting together Christmas boxes for Operation Christmas Child for many years. Some of us have even had the privilege of working at one of the processing centers for three or four years past. One year we caught on to the idea of using plastic shoe boxes for packing because plastic is longer lasting and it makes another "gift" for the child.
Two years ago at the processing center, we saw that someone had come up with a great idea for wrapping. Before filling the shoebox, they lined the bottom and sides with a bandanna scarf. We decided to copy that idea. Then I came up with a variation on that as I was cleaning out my huge fabric stash a few weeks ago, and I found an assortment of small Christmas print remnants. I cut the fabrics into large squares, hemmed the edges with my serger, and there I had Christmas-themed "wrappings" for the shoe boxes!
You could do this too, even if you don't have a serger. To finish the cut edges, you could do a narrow hem, or you could even use pinking shears to trim the edges. Either method would keep the edges from fraying, and then the child has one more gift to use, instead of wrapping paper to throw away.
I cut my fabrics into squares, about 18" up to 22", depending on how large my remnants were. I ended up with nine squares, enough for three years of shoe boxes.
Two years ago at the processing center, we saw that someone had come up with a great idea for wrapping. Before filling the shoebox, they lined the bottom and sides with a bandanna scarf. We decided to copy that idea. Then I came up with a variation on that as I was cleaning out my huge fabric stash a few weeks ago, and I found an assortment of small Christmas print remnants. I cut the fabrics into large squares, hemmed the edges with my serger, and there I had Christmas-themed "wrappings" for the shoe boxes!
You could do this too, even if you don't have a serger. To finish the cut edges, you could do a narrow hem, or you could even use pinking shears to trim the edges. Either method would keep the edges from fraying, and then the child has one more gift to use, instead of wrapping paper to throw away.I cut my fabrics into squares, about 18" up to 22", depending on how large my remnants were. I ended up with nine squares, enough for three years of shoe boxes.
1 comment:
What an EXCELLENT idea!!!!!
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