Welcome to ByrdFeed where you’ll find endless ideas and inspiration for packing Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes. Through shoebox unboxings, bargain shopping hauls and, occasionally, some shoebox gift DIYs, I hope to inspire you in your OCC shoebox packing. Enjoy!
What is Operation Christmas Child? The Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child, collects shoebox gifts filled with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items and delivers them to children in need around the world to demonstrate God‘s love in a tangible way.
This is a very cute bonus box! The little doll is adorable. Her outfit is great. I used to buy my daughter boys slim jeans when she was about that age. That bear is so huggable. Thanks for sharing 😊❤
Oh, thanks for letting me know that you used to buy boys slim jeans for your daughter at that age. Makes me feel even more comfortable about doing that.
This is such a cute box!! I love when you show the totes you make! It really encourages me to try and make tote bags. I have to find a pattern first. Wow! You are a fantastic box packer!!
Check RU-vid for how to sew a super simple tote bag. The channel I used when I originally started making these is called LearnCreateSew. Using her instructions I made a pattern or template on posterboard so that I could easily make the tote over and over again. I make mine a little bit wider than her dimensions, though.
I always loved puzzles too. This is such a pretty one! Yes, best to leave the box intact sometimes. Her T-shirt is awfully cute too and love the addition of the recorder! 🩵
Adorable theme. When you opened the box and I saw all the items on top it made me smile. I’m sure it will make this young girl smile with joy too. Love the shirt, socks,beanies, puzzle. So many fun items. ❤
I never saw that decorative duck tape at HL. It’s adorable! Cute lid! I love those nice jump ropes. Quality is so good. Love all the pouches/purses. You know I love all the cat items. I love that t-shirt and really love the cat socks😻sooo many cute accessories in this box. Perfect puzzle. Love the way you packed it . Oh the tin is adorable 😺 love the bandaids in that! This theme is very cute and you did a great job combining cats AND dogs into your theme. TFS sharing this cute box 😊
Thank you, my friend. It originally started out as a dog box, but quickly morphed into dogs and cats. I think it became a lot more fun and interesting with both. TFW 🥰
Trish great box!! I live puzzles and am including several in boxes this year. I agree about leaving the larger puzzles in the box for the wow factor. She will love all her gifts.
Darling box! I love that puzzle! You found a lot of fun kitty and doggie items! Very fun that both you and Denise shared boxes with a recorder in them. You definitely found some wonderful treasures for this young lady. Thanks for sharing!
Very cute box Trish! The earrings are adorable. I love that you included so many fun little bags. Girls need little bags to hide their things. So glad you fit 2 stuffies. Very pretty t-shirt! TCP does run small but they have the sweetest shirt graphics. The puzzle is a wow and I agree with presenting it in the original box looks so much nicer. TFS!
Originally, the cat stuffy didn’t fit. I had to remove the squishy barking bag clip and a pair of scissors in order to fit in the cat. That was a couple months ago, but just before I filmed the unboxing I opened the lid and immediately saw a space that I could squish the bag clip into. It was weird. Almost like the seas parted to allow me to return that silly barking bag clip to the box 🤔😯🙌
What a wonderful box! I love the cat shirt and that puzzle is so pretty. I am sure she will love everything in this box. I put the same tote bag in one of my boxes. Those earrings are so cute. I love cats and dogs-but mostly cats. Really cute theme. Thank you for sharing.
I love these earrings! Those with the friendship bracelets are going to be so fun to wear. The puzzle is my favorite! I really enjoy doing puzzles and that image was so cute!
Aren’t those earrings darling? I usually don’t do big danglies for OCC boxes, but these…I just had to. I think a girl this age will get a kick out of them. Thanks for watching , AnnaBeth 🥰
Those earrings are so stinkin’ cute. I love that puzzle! I think I have the same one tucked away! I agree with including the box for that big wow puzzle. I think it will stay and look nice that way. Love the coloring and drawing books. I would have loved those at that age. Her shirt is adorable and TCP definitely runs small imo also! Thanks for sharing this one Trish! It might be raining cats and dogs but the sun will come out when she opens this box! ☔️☀️🐈🐕🦺
Wow, wow!! I love all your boxes, Trish, but I think this one is exceptional. Such a great variety of gifts. You always manage to make it all look so attractive also colorful and fun. I think this young lady will be delighted
Hi Trish, This is a fun box for Miss 10-14. I love the puzzle and agree, a bag of random bits of cardboard does not look like a much of a Wow! The t-shirt is gorgeous I also like the recorder. This week, I found name- brand recorders at my grocery store on super clearance for $2. So, I am looking forward to checking out your website for some sheet music. On another coincidence this week, I packed a cat squishmallow purse/ pencil case the same colours as Chip. As the name implies, I was trying to squish a plush into a 2-4 year old box with a baby doll - Or what prefer to call, one flat packed cat.TFS!
I love this box so much!! I grew up completely animal obsessed, especially dogs. I still love dogs so much. I hope a girl who is a fellow animal lover receives this box ❤
Second box I seen today with a recorder, I guess the universe try to tell me that I need to practice my recorder more 🎵🎶 I love how you basicly have a box in a box in a box, you created a box-ception! :)
Hi Linda. When you first made your comment I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant, but now that Nancy commented, I realized you may not be an Operation Christmas Child shoebox packer and therefore do not realize that some of us pack many boxes, like 50-100+, therefore we shop year-round and purchase things when we see them or a little bit at a time, as budgets permit. Collection week for OCC shoeboxes is at the beginning of November so it takes time to shop, collect, pack and get them ready for collection week. 😊
I need to go shopping with you! Your dollar tree is stocked up! I'll need to keep an eye out for those watercolors at mine. Also love all the journal and notebook options you were able to find!
Haha, well come on over 😀. You should see the Prang watercolors soon. Some of my stores had them in the Crafters Square section and some of them had them in office/school supplies.
They are definitely thinner than a quality puzzle that you might pay $6-$10 for, but not so thin that they don’t stay together. Back when Dollar Tree was $1, the 100 piece Puzzlebug puzzles used to be thicker when they were packaged in that more sturdy cardboard box that was not collapsible. That, of course, is when I liked those puzzles best. I still buy them, but it’s a shame that the price went up to $1.25 and the quality went down at the same time 🙁. Next time you are in a DT, open one of the boxes and check it out to see if the pcs are thick enough for your liking.
You should see the Prang watercolors, soon. Most of my stores have them in the crafts section, but a couple had them with office/school supplies, so be sure to check both. I know you found the rescue heroes since you commented 👏
Brilliant video love the doll and teddy and those little tote bags are the best. So good to see this box from start to finish and picked up a few tips on how to get items in. Thank you Trish.🏴☀️🦋☀️
I love to watch you shop then later see how your boxes come together. It’s a time thing not like you do a box in one trip. Over time it all comes together.
Thank you, Vickie. You hit the nail on the head. It is definitely a time thing. Typically I have so many boxes in the works that it doesn’t bother me to wait as long as it takes to pull together a themed box that I am happy with. TFW 🥰
Wonderful! I laughed when you said the crayons are from a back to school sale..,I’m in Canada and school ends at the end of June! Our back to school sales are late August!
Yes, I was surprised, too, when Walmart started displaying their BTS prices on school supplies the week after our kids got out of school for summer break here in St. Louis USA 😯. Talk about pushing it!! 😜
Yes, elastic is a great thing to include. When I include fabric I typically include 1 inch wide elastic for a waistband should she want to make a simple skirt 🥰
Nice haul! The notebooks are especially nice! I'd just be cautious about sending the "I believe in magic" one... Many of the places the shoeboxes go can really be bound in magic/witchcraft... Thanks for sharing! 😊
Thanks for sharing. The timing is perfect for my weekend OCC shopping. Love the new notebook options. I too splurge occasionally on the DT cute ones for the themed boxes. Oklahoma’s DT warehouse was hit by a tornado a few weeks ago so our stores have been slow to restock anything and especially these new fun items.
You got some really great finds there, Trish. Everything is so colorful! I was just in Dollar tree yesterday and picked up some of the new journals. I really like the puzzle bug puzzles. I hope our stores get the Prang watercolors paints.
I found the new make a face sticker books this week too. They are so cute! Also found the journals. My favorite one is the one with all the hearts. 😍 I haven't seen the car pens or Prang watercolors yet. What a great size paint set for boxes or filler. I did find some 36 count colored pencils again this week. I'm putting some of those with advanced coloring books and sharpeners for filler. If I couldn't pack boxes I believe I would still have fun packing filler. 😃
I agree about the filler. I think I will be searching out bargains for OCC for the rest of my life and if I ever get to the point where I can’t or get tired of packing shoeboxes, I will continue to send filler.
Thank you for once again sharing your finds and also for sharing your wonderful shoeboxes with us. You and several others on YT have really inspired me and helped me to step up my shoebox packing game and for that I am forever grateful to y'all. ☺ A while back I was lucky enough to find some of those car pens that you showed near the beginning of the video. I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that they are not only super cute pens, but the doors really open on them AND they are pull-back cars that actually work!!!! 🥰I can't wait to pack them in some of my boy boxes with some cars and a couple of pieces of the Hot Wheels track that I found on clearance at Family Dollar for a quarter (for 2 pieces of track and a connecter). The track pieces are very bendable and work really great with the Hot Wheels launchers that I found at DT and they all fit great in the OCC GO boxes. I can even see the kiddos "driving" that pen along the tracks, pulling it back, and then watching it go..... yes, I tried it and it's definitely fun. 😂 It's so hard to find new things for the boys that when I found out those pens are actually pull-back cars too I have been on the look out for them every since. 🥰
I’ve been lucky to find everything but the make a face dinosaur and unicorn sticker books and socks of course. Love those! I love all the new journals! You are right… Dollar Tree does a great job with their journals and I am even using some of those smaller journals instead of a large composition book! I just couldn’t help myself with the Mylar journals! They are awesome! sometimes they are just the perfect fit. Love the robot composition book and the car pens! Oh it’s so fun when DT gets in new stuff! Thanks for sharing your visit and haul! Fun trip!
Thanks Denise. DT always has great journals, but I’ve been extra impressed with them as of late. I have lucky socks store. I don’t know why, but for some reason, that’s the store that gets all the great socks and it’s not one of the bigger stores. Go figure. Thanks for coming along, friend. 🥰
I rarely buy notebooks/composition books at Dollar Tree but I saw several I really like. So...off to Dollar Tree tomorrow. What I really like are the socks at your stores. I almost never see the socks you're able to get.
It’s funny, Maureen, there is one store out of about 6 that I shop, that carries the great socks that I always show. And it’s not even a big store. The other stores rarely, if ever, get them in. I can’t figure out Dollar Tree to save my life 🤔.
