How to Pack a FULL OCC Go Box for a 10-14 Year Old Girl

One problem I run into when packing Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, is how to fit in everything I want to send.  A shoebox just doesn't seem to hold everything I want to give to the child.  Over the years I've learned some things to help me fit more things in, and love testing to figure out new ways to make things fit.  So I thought I'd share some things I've learned in case it could help someone else!  You can see in the photo at left everything I got in this one box.  Here's a list of what fit in (in no particular order):

1. Pencils-14
2. Puzzle
3. Cotton gloves
4. Socks
5. Wistle
6. Ball
7. Plain pads of paper-2
8. Toothbrushes-2
9. Toothbrush case
10. Soap
11. Washcloth
12. Stuffed animal
13. Decorative box
14. 1 Subject notebook
15. Set of Lego type blocks
16. Set of jacks
17. Recorder
18. Loom bracelet kit
19. Extra loops
20. Extra hooks
21. Sample finished bracelets
22. Bag for loom
23. Necklace
24. Hair clip
25. Hair rubberbands
26. Crocheted hat
27. Comb
28. Handkerchief
29. Top
30. Mini Apples-to-Apples game
31. Slapper game
32. BB maze
33. Noisemaker
34. 12 pack colored pencils
35. Pens-2
36. Pencil sharpener
37. Eraser
38. Self inking stamp
39. Stencils-2
40. Ruler/stencil/protractor combo

First thing I did was remove all unneeded packaging, that alone freed up a lot of space!!

And here's how I fit it all in (I actually took these photos as I took the box apart after packing it, so some of the small things were actually packed at a later step, but will only show if photographed earlier):

First I put in the paper flat on the bottom, and some small things against the sides (fell down a little in this photo).  This photo also shows how to fit more in the easy way-find mini versions of things...like this Apples-to-Apples game!  Not to take away from WOW items, but finding mini of some things helps you fit more in.

Then I took the little box, put the lid on the bottom to make it open (it fit just right beside the plain paper) and put some small things in the corners (actually squeezed them in around larger items later)  . I took apart the recorder so it'd fit.  I put double bagged soap right against the, laid the pencils along the back, squeezed a hair clip between them and the soap, and handmade hat next to it.  I was trying to make a flat base beside the box for the next item.

I even put a pencil inside the recorder to save more space!!

The puzzle box I needed the flat base for, it JUST fit next to the small box.  Into the small box I put a ball, stuffed animal, gloves, and another small item.  Along the back of the boxes I put the colored pencils (I like to put flat/square items right next to each other, seems to fit best that way...no air! :) ).  I put the toothbrush case behind that, and a par of socks rolled up beside them.  Along the back I slide the spiral notebook, it will fold over, when the box is closed.   ...now the puzzle box seems large...but there's a surprise in it...more about that later...

I took apart the Fun Loom kit- I put the lomb in a bagged in the space on the bottom of it (top in picture) I put some extra bands and hooks I'd bought as well as a marble maze.  Behind it I put the loops, hooks, and tool that came with the loom and a folded up washcloth.

Here's what the other side of it looked like.  I put pens between the studs and hooked on some finished bracelets as an example.  The loom itself was pretty thick, but most of that on one side I filled in as you can see in the photo of it in the box, and while I put some things on the other side, I mainly saved room by putting it in just right so the edge of the little red box fit between the nobs, so it could fit in the box.

And now for a little on the puzzle box:

First we built the puzzle...

 (this has a few advantages: 1-it takes less room.  2-it helps explain to the child what a puzzle is if it's new to them.  3-they can put it all together in a few pieces first)

Then I took it apart in pieces, put them in a bag.

then put it in the puzzle box

Then I added in jacks-carefully put in next to each other to take up as little space as possible, and a pencil sharpener.

Then, remember that Lego type kit whose box was bigger than the GO box?  Well, when I put all pieces together just so, so as to take up as little room as possible, this is how little room it took.  (I put it in a re-sealable bag with the instructions.

I put that and the jacks balls in (the barely fit height wise-had to break the puzzle apart just right to leave room) and the building kit fits beside it.

Finally, I put in a few flat things.  A couple stencils, a ruler/protractor/stencil combo, and a handkerchief.

And finally, this is the whole box closed...took two rubber bands, but it all fits!!!!

Remember, you don't have to use an official GO box -- check out this post for details on what kind of box to use to pack an OCC shoebox.

What's your favorite hint to fit more in an Operation Christmas Child shoebox?