For family and friends that will not be home for the holidays, it is time to send your special holiday greetings and presents.   One of my all time favorites is to send a Christmas tree with the gifts wrapped and placed under the tree. This idea is easy to make and special to receive. It is a Christmas tree made by you and your family with all the Christmas gifts placed under the tree.

The first step is to plan and prepare the gifts that will be wrapped and put in to the box. If you have a special missionary that loves home cooked goodies,made them and wrap and place them in the box along with the presents. Once you have the goodies and the gifts prepared to go into the special care package then you are ready to find the perfect box that will carry them and the Christmas tree that you will make.

Look for a strong box that has a lid that will open up and can stand at the back of the box with all the wrapped gifts in it. Once you have the box take a sheet of paper that is the size of the inside lid. On the paper draw and color a Christmas tree. This can be a family project or as a home evening activity. You can also sketch in the tree and leave it on a table for the next week and let everyone in the family fill in the tree so that it becomes a group effort.

Once the tree is colored, glue the paper on the inside of the lid and place the lid on and send the package. You can give direction that the package be opened as soon as they receive it. When open they will have a Christmas tree from home to enjoy until Christmas and then Christmas morning they can have fun opening all the special gifts. Remember it is not expensive gifts that carry the holiday spirit it is the care and effort that goes into a gift that makes is special. This is the perfect item to send to someone who will not be home for Christmas.