How to Build a Book Box

Hello!

The world is a nightmare right now and all we can do is try to ride this wave out. But birthdays and special occasions are still happening and you may feel bad about not doing something as special for your loved ones and friends. Especially if you can’t spend time with them.

But something I’ve been doing for a while is making makeshift book boxes as gifts. You don’t need to spend a lot of time and money to make one. As long as you know where to shop and make sure everything is clean you could have a nice little gift to mail or leave outside of their houses.

With everything going on this can be a good way to support the small businesses that are still open and there’s plenty of cheap options if you’re worried about money too.

The Book

Now this is obviously the most important part of the box so it’s important to try to get it right. If you’re going to order a book then try to avoid using Amazon for now. There’s still book shops like Wordery and Waterstones open but if you can shop from a local indie store then that’s even better and I encourage you to do that.

If you can’t afford a new book but you know you have a book that they’ll really like and you don’t want it then that’s acceptable too. If you know they’re going to like it more than you then secondhand won’t hurt and they’ll still be grateful that you’ve given them something new to read.

Candles/Bath Stuff

There’s plenty of small businesses that are still open so you have the option of tracking down and ordering a candle that matches the theme of the book you’ve gotten. You’ll be giving the people who need this money some business and you should get a decent candle too. My recommendation would be Grace and Honey but there’s plenty of other stores too in different countries. If you’re looking for bath things there’s also Geeky Clean! They stock bath bombs, sugar scrubs, lip balms and more so there’s plenty to choose from.

If you don’t have £10+ for a candle or bath bomb – which is around about how much these things tend to come to with UK p+p – there’s probably some small store around like a supermarket or a shop like B&M that also stock scented candles and plenty of bath stuff. I’m not saying go out shopping just for these things, but if you’re there anyway to get food then there’s no harm in having a quick look and grabbing something if you want something for a gift. They won’t necessarily be brand, they might not suit a theme but there can be a good variety of scents for a lower price.

Bookmarks

We all love a good bookmark even if we don’t use them or tend to lose them…

But they’re a bookish goodie that everyone can enjoy and you can easily get to match a theme. Once again if you have the money then there’s plenty of small businesses open. Bookmarks will generally fit in a small envelope so postage shouldn’t be too much and there’s a variety of types.

And if you don’t have the money? You can try to make one of your own! If you’re not very artistic then you can always find a printable one online or just some general pictures you want to stick on one. All you need is some card, a few pens for any drawing or writing and then any images or stickers or stamps you want to decorate it with. You can even make a bookmark for the book you’re giving them to make it even more special.

Chocolates/Snacks/Drinks

So this is something really simple no matter what. As much as all of us would lover to order a special biscuit or tea or anything like that it could be a little difficult right now. And if you find a small business that is providing what you want then go for it.

But the easiest option is to find out what type of drink or chocolate they like and get some on your next necessity shop. You can try and make it look packed all pretty if you want but as long as it’s something they can enjoy it along with the book then it works.

The Box Itself?

For this you can use a shoe box, a subscription box you ordered yourself and kept the packaging from or just whatever you have. If you don’t like how it looks then you can always grab some paint or paper and pretty it up to fit your needs.

And that’s all my suggestions. Let me know if you decide to give making your own a go. I’m sure plenty of people do so anyway but I just wanted to make a few suggestions during this difficult time.

Just remember to make sure all your items are clean, you don’t go out more then necessary and don’t get too close to the giftee unless you already live in the same house!

Stay safe