Operation Christmaschild Boxes

froggy

We do this every year and have several people knitting glove puppets for us.Does anybody have any links to free patterns as they are getting bored with the ones on the shoebox website.

OMR

Froggy, you will have to create an account to log in, but it's free. Then you will find lots of lovely puppet patterns here www.ravelry.com

play2day

Well I have bought all the bits to put in my shoe boxes but am having no luck getting the actual boxes themselves! Is anybody aware of a shoe retail chain who has a policy for donating the boxes as I am tired of assistants looking at me as if I am bonkers. I need 5 boxes. One is a donation from my family and four are in lieu of gifts for friends who have all that they want and need. I will photograph 'their box' and pop the photo into thier Christmas card along with a leaflet and note saying that I have given thier present to a needy family via Link Romania. This certainly isn't a MSE exercise though. The boxes have worked out at around £20 each and that is assuming that I can get a free box to wrap them in.

froggy

OMR wrote: »

Froggy, you will have to create an account to log in, but it's free. Then you will find lots of lovely puppet patterns here www.ravelry.com

Brilliant-thank you.

Margaret54

Hi everyone I have been making up two wee shoeboxes each year for a few years now, and always enjoy doing this. My dh and I were shopping on Monday and we were in a Clarks shoeshop, not to buy shoes, and asked for two spare shoe boxes. The woman was so helpful and said the shop has had about 100 phonecalls this time each year for spare boxes. I went away home with two boxes and have them ready now. We don't have far to travel to our nearest drop in point for the boxes. It seems to be very very popular taking part in my town.

finaniciallyfitforfortys

great thread. Ive been doing them for 8yrs now and love it- have my 2 girls helping. they now ask when are we starting to buy for them . i feel it also lets my 2 know how well off they are.
For those who have stated that they would not send anymore because of it being a means of spreading the gopsel message it was in Mark 16v15 that Jesus said-"He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." The gospel is to be shared.

DaisyFlower

pinkmami wrote: »

I used to do them with the girls. Last time (3 yrs ago) I put in a little letter with my address & the girls wrote on it & fair play to the recipient she sent a thank you note - that was appreciated. But the thing that put me off doing them again was the photo she sent. It was of her, standing at the bottom of a very beautiful staircase with loads of gifts around her & she was beautifully dressed in a very beautiful surrounding. It seemed...how can I say this... wrong in a way as I thought these boxes when to disadvantaged kids. Maybe she was one of those but the photo sent out the wrong impression & I'm not doing them again. The image OCC send out is very different to the image I got from this photo......

I read something else re them going to children who had plenty so it put me off doing them. I also dont like the fact that religion is bought into it so would rather donate to another charity.

Mad-Frog

I think I am going to do one this year, never have done one before I hope they do actually go to disadvantaged children I guess we will have to wait and see

pleasedelete

We do about 20 a year as a family. We collect stuff all year. Clarks are great at giving boxes - I get them in August before the rush.

We spend a day in the October half term doing them. My childrens school sends 100s and they usually go to the same place. They often get thank-you letters - usually from schools or oprhanages- children don't look like they have much. They went to a refugee camp in Africa one year. Tne school add a school card and a school pen etc etc which is why they get letters. We don't put our address in but we put a picture of our children with a note saying Merry Christmas from x and y of aaaaa school in Yorkshire England.