I'm sure we can all think of someone who is feeling down or under the weather at the moment. Why not make their day a little bit brighter by dropping off a sunshine box on their doorstep? I started this tradition with my grandmother when I was a young girl, and it's one of my favorite ways to give back to the people I love. I'm going to show you how to make your own sunshine box, step-by-step, so you can replicate your own box at home. Let's get started!
First of all, what is a sunshine box?
The purpose of a sunshine box is to simply brighten someone's day. Typically, sunshine boxes are decked out in yellow decorations (i.e. yellow card stock or yellow tissue paper) and filled to the brim with a variety of yellow goodies, from candy to tea packets. These boxes can be a sweet surprise for someone who is sick or going through a tough time.
What do you need to make a sunshine box?
Fortunately, sunshine boxes will not break the bank. In fact, you might even have some yellow items at home that you can use for your box. There also aren't any strict rules about what you should or should not put inside a sunshine box. Here are some of my favorites::
Yellow-colored candy (butterscotch, lollipops, Milk Duds, peanut M&M's, Mr. Goodbar, etc.)
Yellow-colored tea packets
Small yellow flowers (wildflowers will do)!
Yellow fuzzy socks
Yellow nail polish
A book with a yellow cover
Yellow journal
Popcorn
Yellow rubber duckies
Yellow stickers
Yellow confetti/balloons
My grandmother and I also enjoyed putting inspirational quotes/excerpts in the boxes, too (I used yellow card stock paper and cut them into strips to write the quotes on them)
What should a sunshine box look like?
As long as it's yellow, you are good to go! I typically use an old box that I have at home (like a shoe box) and I cover it in yellow or gold wrapping paper or card stock. If I have yellow tissue paper lying around, I will use that to wrap up the individual items in the box. Then, to finish it off, I will use a yellow or gold bow for my final touch. The best part about these boxes is that no two boxes are the same and you can really make them your own, however you choose!
I hope that you enjoyed learning about this tradition that I shared with my Nanny. I would imagine that if she were still here, she would be busy making a lot of sunshine boxes right now. I hope to honor her legacy and continue this tradition for many years to come, especially now, when a little bit of kindness can go a long way.
If you choose to make your own sunshine box, please share your photos with me! I would love to feature your final product on the blog.
Until Next Time, Caroline