Quick Crafting for Upcoming Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Party

Proudly placing her finished shoebox on the stack (from a past packing party we hosted).

Our family planned to spend the afternoon trying to finalize the organization of the kids Operation Christmas Child packing party Sarah is hosting.  We had dresses to roll and tie up with yarn so they didn't take up much room, hygiene kits to make (Sarah shared on YouTube how we made them), bag up small toys, and more.  When Sarah did the final tally of the stock we were short over thirty stuffed animals,

Last Minute Tote Bag Sewing for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes ~ A Guest Post by Cheryl

Hi!  Since my daughter Sarah took over the blog I have been asked by readers to make guest appearances as I have time.  I thought I'd stop in today and say hello and share a few last minute sewing projects for Sarah's 10 to 14 year old girl Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.  I haven't really done much sewing in the past few months, so it was nice to whip up a couple of special things.

Sarah has an owl themed box and I have seen so many cute owl stuffies around the internet that one night in bed it hit me why not make an owl pocket on a tote bag.  So here is my

First Skirt of the Month Finished for an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox

When I shared the fun items I received for Christmas for my Operation Christmas Child shoebox stockpile, I mentioned my mom gave me a "skirt of the month" coupon.  She is to buy fabric each month and I am to sew a skirt for a shoe box girl.  Here is the first one completed.

I had sewn a floral skirt with gingham accents so I showed her that skirt and asked her to choose a main and a contrasting fabric.  My daughter said when she took her

Pattern & Fabric Donation: A Colorful Dress for an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox

My friend Joanne offered to sponsor a dress for my Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.  She let me choose a pattern from the See & Sew collection she sells and fabric and buttons to make it.

She wanted me to use some of the new line of fabric she had just gotten in.  I was able to choose from any of these colors.

Satin Blanket Binding on Bitty Blankets for OCC Shoeboxes

I recently tried out another idea I've had for making bitty blanket loveys for the 2 to 4 year old Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.  Kristy, from Hopeful Threads, had sent me some crafting goodies a while back and included were two packages of blanket binding.  Such fun prints and it is silky smooth -- just what little ones would love to finger as they fall asleep or need a little comfort.

I love Winnie The Pooh.  The ORIGINAL Winnie The Pooh, not so much the Disney "impostor" as I have heard him called.  It's sort of like if you've read the book you'll hate the movie idea.  Once you have read the original stories the cartoons don't

Crafting Tote Bags for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes: Playing Catch-up

I played catch-up this week on my Operation Christmas Child shoebox crafting.  I have had these hand towels and bandannas longer than I want to admit.  We purchased most of the towels after Christmas clearance for a quarter or less and some were from my late mother-in-law's stash.  We sent many as towels in the boxes but I wanted to craft with some.

The bandannas were used as table decorations at a church banquet.  When my daughters are in charge of the decorations they always try to use themed items that can then be packed in shoe boxes.  These make perfect drawstring bags.  They are

I Finally Finished A Little Sewing for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

I haven't gotten a lot of Operation Christmas Child shoebox sewing done the last couple of weeks.  I have been moving my sewing room around and sorting my shoe box crafting supplies.  I also finished a pair of drapes (finally) for my daughter (we won't even mention when I started them).  Next up on my sewing table is a load of drawstring bags and a handful of bitty blanket loveys.  But first, here is what I did finish.

God Made Puppies Shoe Box

My attempt at designing a skirt with a drawstring/elastic waist combo.  This fabric

Hello Kitty Themed Operation Christmas Child Shoebox

My Hello Kitty themed Operation Christmas Child shoebox began with free band-aids from a CVS deal and a free toothbrush from a coupon.  The fun thing is I have only paid for the shirt ($1) and the socks (20 cents) so far.  I will be adding a few more things, but the total should still be only a few dollars.

My husband had found these shirts for $1 last fall and I decided I'd make skirts to match them.  The flower fabric was donated by Red Thread Stitches and the trim and gingham fabric came from my mother-in-law's stash.  I chose this fabric

Flower Power Skirt for an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox

I had the pleasure of ordering fabric for an Operation Christmas Child shoebox project once again from my friend's online store. She donated the fabric & trim for the skirt and the yarn for the hat.

My husband had found a dozen of these wonderful, high quality knit shirts for just $1 last fall and I am going to make skirts for each of them. They are for 5 to 9 year old boxes.  This is the first one I

Teddy Bear Day ~ First Operation Christmas Child Shoebox for 2015

My friend runs a brick and mortar discount craft store.  She recently opened an online store, The Rag Bag of Shelby [Updated:  no longer in business], and donated fabric for me to make a dress for one of my shoe boxes.  I got to "shop for free" at her online store.  I chose this sweet cotton fabric Teddy Bear print--it is a Boyd Bears print.  It so soft to the touch.  So I began to build my first shoebox for the 2015 Operation Christmas Child collection around this dress.

Do you remember the Kohl's Cares Bear I wrote about earlier that I just couldn't resist?  He will be tucked inside the box with the dress.  I added the blue bow to

The Last of the 2014 Dresses for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

Here are my final Operation Christmas Child dresses for 2014.  They are all packed up and delivered to our church to start their journey to the little girls who will hopefully enjoy wearing them as much as I enjoyed sewing them.  And hopefully some will find their way to girls who need them for protection as I explain in this post:  Why I Sew Dresses to Include in my Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.

Hearts and Flowers in Pink and Purple.  This is a seersucker type fabric.

The Life Saver Snowman Box ~ How an Operation Christmas Child Theme Shoebox Came Together

I think everyone who has been reading Simply Shoe Boxes for any length of time knows I love to do theme boxes for my Operation Christmas Child kids.  They just seem to come together without much effort sometimes.  Such is the case with the Life Saver Snowman Box!

I shared how I came across a ghost beanie baby in a lot I had purchased for my shoe boxes.  I transformed the little guy into a snowman by removing his tongue, his "tail" and the "peak" on his

Hot Wheels & Matchbox Car Totes for Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Gifts

My daughter had a half yard piece of black and white checked fabric she had used in the center of a table for our annual AWANA grand prix (like the Boy Scout’s Pinewood Derby).  When they canceled any future races it was her job to find new homes for all of the supplies--and my Operation Christmas Child shoebox stock benefited.

She also had a dozen or so new, in package Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars.  They allowed the smaller children, who couldn't make a car, race these.  Checkered flag and race cars – a perfect match.   I love it when one man’s trash becomes a

Twins ~ Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Crafting Progress Report

This week's Shoebox Sewing & Crafting for Operation Christmas Child  includes Twin Sets.  I have read of people doing "twin boxes." They either put two of everything in one shoebox or make two matching shoeboxes.  This came to mind with these two projects.

Brother & Sister Set

After sharing this fabric and teddy bear on Simply Shoeboxes' Facebook page asking should I use it for a boy or girl I decided to make both since there seemed to be a tie.

I had this little short set with the red shirt from a Dollar General clearance sale.

I needed another teddy for the little boy box and found this red fella just waiting to be sent filled with

Preparing Toddler Puzzles to Fit Into Operation Chrismtas Child Shoeboxes

I shared earlier how I had received a couple dozen toddler board puzzles that were too large to fit into my Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.  I also inherited some wonderful Noah's ark fabric that matched the theme of the puzzles.  Well, with my daughter's help we have finished the puzzle project and have 23 ready to

The Hare and the Garden Apron for An Operation Christmas Child Shoebox

My Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Sewing & Crafting for this week includes another garden apron for a 10 to 14 year old box.  The color in my images is not too great, sorry about that.  The lighting was bad and my camera has been doing some wonky things!

Once again I began with the flip flops and matched the fabric and trim from what I have on hand to

Why I Add Trim to the Hem of My Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Pillow Case Dresses

I like to keep things simple when packing my Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes or crafting items to tuck inside. The simpler I do things the quicker I can do them and the more I can make and thus the more I can pack.  But I love adding just a little touch of something special at the hem line of my pillow case dresses.  I imagine the little girl looking down at her dress while wearing it and the part she can see the easiest is the last several inches.  So I love to add a little extra fun for her to enjoy.  My favorite, and what might become my "signature" is the last one.

Decorative ribbon -- such a fun addition.

Ribbon and roses -- just a tiny touch of femininity.

An Added Pop of Color -- on busy prints adding a little addition of a plain fabric and some colorful

A Trio of Aprons ~ Operation Christmas Child ShoebBox Crafting

My Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Sewing & Crafting for this week includes a trio of Aprons for 10 to 14 year old girls.  I began with the flip flops I had on hand and matched the fabric to them.  From there I match them with the bias and quilt binding and then yarn for matching hats.  Because I use prepackaged bias and quilt binding these whip up quickly.  Thankfully I have a lot on hand inherited from my mother-in-law and also some I was able to pick up for just a quarter at a closeout craft store, otherwise I would be making it from the fabric.

The flip flops and fabric were donated by Kristy of Hopeful Threads.

Tea for Two Inlaws ~ Crafting for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

This week's Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Sewing & Crafting brings our families together.  I inherited this black and white tea cup fabric from my sister via my mother and niece.  When my sister died a couple years ago she had several pieces of fabric she had gathered to make my mom a quilt with a Tea Pot/Tea Cup theme. Her daughter gave it to my mom who passed it on to me to use for my dresses.

When I saw it on my fabric shelf I decided it was perfect to make into a dress in honor of my husband's cousin who is like a sister to him.  She wears a lot of black and white and she enjoys a

Fit for a Princess ~ Crafting for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

I just love how shoe boxes come together.  My weekly Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Sewing & Crafting includes a special "designed for a princess" set.  This grouping began last Christmas when my daughter gave me the little princess doll.  She knows I love dolls and wanted to give me