Have you heard of a box of sunshine? It is a fun gift idea and I just love making one. Basically, it is a box that you fill with anything yellow. Fill it up with small yellow items! It is then presented to a friend who might need a little sunshine in their life.
If you know of someone going through a rough time and you just want to brighten their day, this is a great way to do it! I usually cover the box itself with yellow cardstock or wrap it in yellow wrapping paper. (Trust me, yellow cardstock is easier to find than a yellow box or yellow wrapping paper!)
For this cute little Box of Sunshine, I actually used a very small yellow laundry basket that I found for a dollar at the resale shop. The gift is for someone local so I can easily transport as it. It won’t be mailed or wrapped. So let’s call this one a Basket of Sunshine. Inside, I stashed some a charm pack with yellow fabric, a dish towel, a yellow/white striped blouse that my friend will love, a book, a hair clip, Raisinets (my fave!), strawberry wafers, Trident gum, a cute sunshine decor item from Dollar Tree, M&Ms, a yellow rubber ducky, a pair of yellow sunglasses, and some yellow sewing pins. My friend is going to LOVE it! It’s just perfect for her! The best thing about this is you can customize it so easily for specific people.
What Do I Include?
I usually head to the dollar store down the road to get some less expensive items for fillers and then throw in one or two more expensive items. For example: I usually add Peanut M&Ms. (They come in the yellow bag.) I also add a yellow purse-sized package of Wet Ones hand wipes, yellow Chap-Stick, small yellow bag of potato chips, a 20 oz. bottle of Lemonade, a yellow bath scrubbie, and a yellow package of Juicy Fruit chewing gum.
Now for my more expensive items I sometimes add: yellow dish towels or washcloths (Who doesn’t love a new washcloth?!), yellow home decor items like a small candle, yellow lotion from Bath & Body Works or similar brand, or a small tote bag that is, of course, yellow.
If my giftee friend is a quilter or sewist, then the Box of Sunshine is even more fun to put together! In those boxes I add yellow thread, or yellow fat quarters, yellow precuts (like a layer cake), or a pattern featuring yellow fabric. These things would tickle any creative who loves fabric and thread!
These yellow precuts from Riley Blake are so darn cute! I just love them lemony yumminess! These would be perfect in a Box of Sunshine! You can find them on Missouri Star Quilt Co. or click here!
I try to add one homemade item to each Box of Sunshine that I have made. Handmade items just add that special vibe to the box that says “I love you and I care about you.” So, what are some small yellow handmade items you can add to your box? Here are some ideas I have used: 1. A Yellow Pillowcase. These are super fun to make and everyone loves and actually uses pillowcases. You can click here to find our free pillowcase pattern on Nancy’s Notions. 2. A hand towel that is either embroidered or appliqued. It can be as simple as their initial. 3. A pin cushion. These are fun to make and of course, easy to make with yellow fabric. Perfect for a quilter or sewist! And 4. My favorite go-to handmade gift – the rice bag. These can be microwaved or kept in the freezer. There are different versions of these but my favorite is using flannel and using rice as the filler. You can find the directions for making my version of it here. Use yellow flannel and voila! You have a handmade gift they will use and appreciate!
Pick and Choose
Of course, I would totally pick and choose from these ideas to make the Box of Sunshine as big or as little as you need it to be. If you filled it with all of these ideas, you would have quite a bit of money in it. The best thing about these gifts is that you can tailor it specifically to the friend that you are gifting it to. I have given many of these over the years and have gotten such cheerful and thankful responses back. Plus they will think you are so creative! You can just act like you thought of it. I won’t mind. (And spoiler alert: I got the idea from someone else too.)
These are all great yellow items for a Box of Sunshine! Yellow thread, the Yellow Brick Road pattern (one of my all time favorites!!), and yellow sewing pins! You can find all of these items on Missouri Star Quilt Co. or click here!
A Few Tips to Make It Even More Special
- Line the interior of the box with yellow cardstock. It adds so much yellow to it that it actually feels like it is glowing when you open it!
- Don’t add anything to the box that isn’t yellow. (All packaging needs to be mainly yellow or gold.)
- Add a small card to the package where you refer to it as a Box of Sunshine. That way they “get it.” Not everyone will understand right off the bat why everything is yellow. It’s best to just spell it out for them. “Dear friend, I thought you could use some cheering up, so I made this Box of Sunshine for you. Everything is yellow! I hope it brightens your day! Love, Beth”
- If it is going to be mailed, consider the weight of your items (maybe no candles or heavy lotion bottles) and don’t add anything that will melt. (Goodbye, M&Ms!)
- Have fun with it! Giving gifts is way more fun than receiving them, in my opinion!
‘Til next time! Happy gifting and sewing!
Beth
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What a great idea Beth!! I may have to “borrow” it.