Babies, Bears and Bags for Operation Christmas Child Filler Donations

Babies, Bears and Bags, Oh, My!  We continued to work on Baby Bundles this week to use up the babies we have on hand for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.  We also had several extra fleece bitty blankets that I considered sending as fillers just as blankets but decided to make them into little bags and tuck in a stuffed animal (see further explanation below).

Baby Bundles--Baby doll with flannel blanket, crocheted hat and a girl size hat to match

Unfortunately I, Cheryl, had a very slow week and only got the blankets for the babies cut out, tho Elizabeth got the crocheting done....hopefully I can finish them this week, but here they are as a Work In Progress.  We choose the colors for the baby's and girl's hats from the baby's outfits.

To be sure the items stay together at the processing center we slip ribbon thru the back of the hat on the baby's head, thru the girls hat and around the baby's waist.  Then we wrap her in the blanket and tie a ribbon tightly around the waist.

Fleece Bags with Stuffies

I have several extra fleece bitty blankets I cut out for my 2 to 4 year old girl OCC shoeboxes.  Elizabeth mentioned the other day how it would be nice to make bags out of soft blanket fabric so the child could cuddle it or carry in it.  So I took the fleece blankies and sewed them up into a drawstring bag and used satin ribbon for the tie (I thought the smooth texture would be different from the fleece and they may enjoy it).

I only made two so far, one the long way to hold a fish stuffie Elizabeth found at the Hospice Thrift Store and the other I sewed the short way to hold a Gund brand

Facial Bar Soap from MDSupplies & Services Review ~ Good Price for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

If you pack Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes in bulk, soap can be one of the harder things to find at a good price...not easy to do deals and coupons for that many boxes!  Here's a good option from MDSupplies & Service's special Shoebox Shoppers order form.   MDSupplies & Services has helpfully made us who pack for shoeboxes a special order form of just items that can go in OCC shoeboxes...plus it has FREE SHIPPING!!!   (Disclosure: post contains affiliate links & I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on them)

  

They offer the Facial Bar Soap - #3 (3 oz) Individually Wrapped (SP30) for  $26.87 for a case of 100...works out to 27 cents a bar.  They also offer it unwrapped:  Bar Soap, Facial - #3 (3 oz) Unwrapped (SPU30) for $24.14 for a case of 100...a

Soap & Crafts for OCC Shoebox Stockpile Saturday ~ 3/25/2017

We were able to get a couple more of the deals on Dial soap for our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes...we're really stocking up!

My sister found another good stuffed animal at a local thrift store.

My mom sewed 14 of these tote bags for her 2 to 4 year old girl boxes.  Some were drawstring and some had handles.  She packed her boxes as she sewed the bags so there is not a picture of them all.

My mom sewed four of these reversible pencil cases.

Also, this morning I got a Snapchat from my aunt (who packs with us) of  a bag full of adorable stuffed animals!!

Spent from shoebox packing budget: $2.81

Added to stockpile:

• 2 dozen bars of soap
• 1 stuffed animal + my aunt's stash
• 14 tote bags
• 4 pencil cases

If you are looking for ideas of what can go in a shoebox check out Filler Items for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.

Babies, Hats and Blankets for Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Fillers

This is our first week to work on fillers for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.  Elizabeth has been crocheting and I (Cheryl) have been sewing.  Check out our gifts below.

Baby Bundles--Baby doll with flannel blanket, crocheted hat and a girl size hat to match.

Baby Bundle number one is my favorite.  I love the sweet face on this doll and her mini Aunt Ida hat looks so cute on her.  I made a flannel blanket with a satin border in a Pooh and friends design for her and Elizabeth crocheted a hat in miniature to match the doll's outfit. Then she made a matching hat for the girl who will receive the gift.

This second one is Elizabeth's favorite. She already has a hat attached to her head so Elizabeth just designed a hat with colors to match hers:  purple, pink and cream.  I also made her a Pooh edged blanket.

To help the items stay together at the processing center we slip ribbon thru the back of the hat on the baby's head, thru the girls hat and around the baby's waist.  Then we wrap her in the blanket and tie a ribbon tightly around the waist.

Aunt Ida Hats--Crocheted hats from the Aunt Ida Hat Pattern at Joy With Purpose

Between crocheting the hats for the Baby Bundles, Elizabeth whipped up these two hats to send individually as fillers.

Filler Tally (to date)

Nail clippers from MDSupplies & Services Review ~ Something Extra to Pack in an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox

One thing I've been thinking about adding to our hygiene kits in our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes is finger nail clippers.  So, these  from MDSupplies & Service's special Shoebox Shoppers order form appealed to me as a cost effective way to do it.     MDSupplies & Services has helpfully made us who pack for shoeboxes a special order form of just items that can go in OCC shoeboxes...plus it has FREE SHIPPING!!!  (Disclosure: post contains affiliate links & I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on them)

What I tried was: Fingernail Clipper without file (FNC3275).  They sell them in a case of 288 for $69.88 which works out to $0.243 per clipper...sounds like a good

Soap Edition of OCC Shoebox Stockpile Saturday ~ 3/18/2017

This was a great week for soap deals for us to add to our Operation Christmas Child shoebox stockpile.  At various times this week, various ones of us stopped at various Dollar Trees to take advantage of the Dial deal we printed coupons for while they were available earlier this week.  I also got a great soap deal at CVS this week, and picked up some toothbrushes on another deal!

 I picked up a little more paracord this week for drawstrings for some jean tote bags we plan to make for some of our 10-14 year old boy shoeboxes.

I ordered from Oriental Trading and picked up some of their "less than perfect" and clearance items.

My sister and I also stopped by a thrift store and found a number of new and like new items...most for a quarter!

We add a stuffed animal to each of our OCC shoeboxes.

My sister crocheted 7 Aunt Ida hats and attached the "Hand Made with Love tags" we designed.

Spent from shoebox packing budget: $26.30

Added to stockpile:

• 5 dozen bars of soap
• 3 toothbrushes
• 5 bundles of paracord
• 24 gliders
• 6 wind up toy/puzzle sets
• 6 lockets
• 500 mini zip-ties
• 6 stuffed animals
• 4 puzzles
• 2 misc toys
• 1 "magic" towel
• 7 hats

You can see all of our stockpile additions shared weekly here:  Stockpile Saturday ~ Adding to the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Stockpile.

Beginning to Craft for Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Filler Donation

After seeing reports of so many boxes arriving in the Operation Christmas Child processing centers only partially filled we wanted to help fill the need for fillers.  Then last week I saw this comment by OCC on their Facebook page and it made us want to do even more.

This weekend I (Cheryl) should finish packing my 14 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for 2 to 4 year old girls and then I will begin crafting for fillers to be donated to the processing center while still crafting for my other family members' boxes and the 100 boxes the kids will pack at the church packing party.

I have way too much fabric on hand to only craft for boxes we pack.  I have some I have personally purchased, but I have way more that I have inherited or have had donated for my projects.  So I hope to find time to make many items for fillers.  One of the items I am sure to make are pencil pouches to fill with school supplies (much like The Pencil Granny & Friends do).  I will be using the Drawstring Pencil Pouch Pattern that I shared recently here on Simply Shoe Boxes.

Elizabeth will be crocheting with yarn she inherited from her Grandmother.  The main items she will be making are hats.  She uses the Aunt Ida Hat Pattern at Joy With Purpose.

Hopefully we will have some fillers ready by next weekend to share with you.

As a reminder, Operation Christmas Child encourages the packing of shoeboxes over the donation of fillers.  We pack as many shoeboxes as we can and use our extra crafting supplies and shopping deals to make fillers.

For more information on fillers for shoeboxes check out these earlier posts:  Donating Fillers for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes  and A Day at the Operation Christmas Child Processing Center.

Happy Packing!

        Cheryl & Elizabeth

EXPIRED Dial Soap Dollar Tree Deal for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

I just wanted to share about a deal I got on bar soap for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes...hopefully some of you can get these as well.  There is currently this printable coupon (you should be able to print it twice):

EDITED:  And it's no longer available, keep reading this blog, and I'll share when it is again!

Nice in and of itself, but if you go to Dollar Tree (you can see their coupon policy

Thrifting and Craftig for OCC Shoebox Stockpile Saturday ~ 3/11/2017

Here's what we've added to our Operation Christmas Child shoebox packing stash this week:

I didn't get anything too great at CVS's 90% off clearance, but I did get these cute Lenticular printed images-it has three images on each card-cute little addition to a box or pencil pack fillers for Pencil Granny & Friends for just about a penny each!  Plus a bar of soap I got a deal on.

I got this bag free to carry a purchase at a small local store, so it is now in the shoebox stash.

My sister found some more like new stuffed animals at a local thrift store...one with tag still attached

My sister crocheted 6 Aunt Ida hats and attached the "Hand Made with Love tags" we designed.

My mom sewed 11 of these reversible pencil cases.

Spent from shoebox packing budget: $2.66

Added to stockpile:

• 135 Lenticular Valentines
• 16 scratch Valentines
• 1 bar soap
• 1 mini tote bag
• 3 stuffed animals
• 6 hats
• 11 pencil cases

We have shared several posts on ideas of Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Stockpile Organization if you are interested.

Combs and Brushes from MDSupplies & Services Review ~ Great to Pack in Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

Finding good, but cost effective combs and brushes for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes can be hard, so I was glad for the chance to look at the ones offered on MDSupplies and Service's special Shoebox Shoppers order form. MDSupplies and Services sells medical supplies in box and has helpfully made us who pack for shoeboxes a special order form of just items that can go in shoeboxes...plus it has FREE SHIPPING!!! I always try to include a comb or brush in my OCC shoebox along with other hygiene items like toothbrush, soap, and washcloth.   (Disclosure: post contains affiliate links & I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on them)

I tried three different hair implements made by Dukal.  First, the most expensive (& biggest option) was Hair Brush, Adult, Gray, 8 long, plastic bristles (HB02).  It

March Item of the Month for OCC Shoeboxes ~ Quality Crafts

Samaritan's Purse has suggested items of the month for packing Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, and for March that is Quality Crafts!  This is a great way to add items to shoeboxes.  

Many "crafters" have a stash of supplies they can whip up a few projects at little to no cost.  We've been able to use some crafting supplies from my late grandmother's stash to make Aunt Ida Hats and pencil bags among other things.  

You can also make kits for the child to craft from.  I used some extra yarn and beads to make jewelry making kits to send in my 10-14 year old girl shoeboxes.

It is also a great way to get others involved...we are blessed to have Chelle's CayBees and Sew Delightful partner with us by creating things for us to put in our

Valentine's Clearance and Donations for OCC Shoebox Stockpile Saturday ~ 3/5/2017

Had a pretty good week for my Operation Christmas Child stockpile...which is good considering some news on the church/kids packing party plans...which I hope to share soon!

Last Saturday on my way home from my church responsibilities, I hit Kmart's 90% Vday's clearance...was sad to only find one pencil pack left, but that's life.

I got some more Paracord at Mighty Dollar.  I plan to use some for drawcords, some for boy's tool kits or knot activity sets.

I got some more Dial Basics at Dollar Tree with coupons, there were a couple packages that had gotten a little torn from people pulling them out of the bin, so, since I was going to take them apart anyhow, I thought I'd buy them and be helpful to the store.

I got some stuff at Dollar General's 90% off Vday.  The roses are a little different, but I thought what girl doesn't like having a flower?

We  also recived 3 boxes from Sew Delightful!  Lots of beautiful hand sewn dresses plus some other goodies!

Got some cute...like new stuffed animals...for $0.25 a piece at a local charity thrift store! 

Also got some other items ranged in price from $0.20 - $1.  I was especially excited about the magnifying glasses as I'd been wanting to add those, and these are plastic so are okay to send, and actually seem to work okay.  Also the 3D wooden puzzle/model which I looked up online and saw same one on Amazon for about $9!!

We got a couple free baseball hats!

This was the extent of my 50% off clearance at DG....thought 30+ motion pictures for a dime would be fun bonuses!

My sister crocheted 6 hats and we'll attach the "Hand Made with Love tags" we designed.

My mom sewed 12 of these reversible pencil cases, you can see instructions here

Spent from shoebox packing budget: $25.29

Spent from gift cards earned or that I won online: $0.31 

Added to stockpile:

• 14 pencils
• 9 paracords
• 1 wooden puzzle
• 6 bars of soap
• 3 little stuffed animals
• 4 zippered bags
• 19 roses
• 2 felt bonus items
• 60 black pens
• 20 red pens
• 5 crayon packs
• 35 mini bonus items
• 11 scarves
• 21 model cars
• 1 ball
• 2 pairs flip flops
• 21 girl dresses for 5-9
• 19 girl dresses for 10-14
• 20 stuffed animals
• 3 clipboards
• 1 Uno game
• 1 dino model
• 1 3D wooden puzzle/model 
• 1 mini ruler
• 3 puzzles
• 10 plastic magnifying glasses
• 1 bag beads
• 6 hats
• 12 pencil cases

You may be interested to read why we pack a stuffed animal in each Operation Christmas Child shoebox.

Dukal Hygiene Cases from MDSupplies & Services Review ~ Good for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

One thing I tried to add to my shoeboxes last year was cases for the hygiene supplies I'd always sent in my Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.  The reasoning was if many of these children are living in orphanages, refuge camps, hospitals, or even mud huts, it could be hard to keep the toothbrushes and bars of soap free from dirt.  It can be hard to find the budget to add that to the shoeboxes though. So, I was excited to get the chance try out various caps and cases from MDSupplies & Service's special Shoebox Shoppers order form.  (Disclosure: post contains affiliate links & I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on them)

The most expensive is $0.165, so not as hard to add them into the budget, although you do have to get 100 or 1140 of them (depending on which item you select).  What I love about these is that none of them have moving parts: hinges,