This website may contain affiliate links. Please read full disclosure here
Deployments are one of the toughest obstacles that a military family must go through. Soldiers can spend anywhere from just a few months to over a year away from home during deployments. Sending your soldier a little piece of home during their extended time away helps to remedy the feelings of missing their loved ones.
Whenever my husband deploys, I make sure to send him care packages regularly. We’ve been on this military journey together for greater than 11 years – but I still continue to send these sweet gestures, and reminders of how much he is missed each time he is deployed.
Each month, I get my creative juices flowing by creating a theme for each care package. I gather his favorite snacks, or any treat that I believe he would enjoy and can’t get a hold of and add a creative design to the inside of the box.
Here are some examples of how to assemble your care package:
In this example I’ve personalized the box to create a Stranger Things theme. Prior to his most recent deployment we binge watched the show and were huge fans. I scoured the internet for care package stickers that I could place on the box handles and proceeded to fill it with snacks related to the show, and things he enjoys – which meant lots of coffee too!
Etsy is a great place to find stickers to place inside of the care packages. You can find many popular themes and it’s as easy as putting stickers on the box handles and sending them off.
During the holidays I like to make his care packages extra special. These are my favorite care packages to assemble.
For this care package I used a combination of stickers and scrapbooking paper to design a Fourth of July themed box. I filled it with items and foods that he could use to celebrate the holiday. I added a little extra flair to his Christmas care package by stapling fairy lights along the inside of the box.
It may not be able to beat the experience of being home, eating barbeque and drinking a beer while watching fireworks. But it helps to break the monotony of just another long day being deployed.
Helpful Tips
- Keep in mind that there are prohibited items that should not be sent in care packages. You can find a list of prohibited items here.
- Also note what country your soldier is deployed to and their list of prohibited items.
- Large flat rate boxes can be retrieved from your local post office.
- Ensure that you have the correct APO address for your soldier and fill this section out on your box carefully.
- Consider how long it takes for your package to arrive. For example, holiday boxes should be sent the month prior to the actual holiday.
- Don’t send perishable food. Home baked goods are a nice gesture, but they may not make it in time to be eaten before they spoil.
- Fill out your customs form. If you need help, ask the clerks at the post office.
- Make sure the contents inside are sealed properly.
- Don’t send photographs or items that you may not want others to see.
- Have fun and get creative! Your soldier will thank you for it.
I hope you enjoyed this helpful guide to sending your loved ones a little piece of home. Please let me know what you think in the comments below!