Surprise Additions to Planned Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

When I began packing, I had some fun additions to some of the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes I already shared here.  I thought you might like to see the additions, too.  Do you remember my "Bunny in the Garden" box?

When I went to finish packing my boxes I had two fun additions.  First my daughter finally found some garden tools for my garden apron boxes.  Best thing about it?  It cost just 10 cents!  And
secondly, this delightful little puzzle of the bunny!

Next up is my "Tea for Two In-laws" box.

I had wanted to find a tea set to include, but we weren't able to find one.  When my cousin-in-law came for the packing party she brought one with her!

It had so many pieces to it she thought it would be a great idea to split it into two boxes.  So she took the tea pot and two cups, saucers & spoons and the rest were tucked into the  "Fit for a Princess" box.  I love how the polka dots go perfectly with the dress fabric in the princess box.

And finally, the Turtles!  I hadn't really put a post up about a specific box for these, but I did share about winning the Matching Puzzles in a blog giveaway.  I had a cute short set with green in it for a 2 to 4 year old boy, and these worked perfectly with it!

The little stuffed turtle was in a lot of Beanie Babies we either got on Ebay or my daughter bought at the local Hospice thrift store. I was tickled to find him tucked among all the bears, bunnies and dogs.  And check out this perfectly delightful turtle fabric!  It is seersucker and was among what my father-in-law brought from my late mother-in-law's stash!  It is probably 20+ years old.  It was perfect for a drawstring bag to hold the puzzle pieces!

In case you hadn't noticed, I love making my Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes special; and themes are my favorite way to do that!  What do you enjoy doing to make your shoeboxes extra special?

If you like to craft items to make yours special check out our Crafting For Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes Tutorial Index.  Lots of patterns, many with illustrated instructions, for items perfect for shoeboxes.