Care packages are becoming our go-to way to reach out to our friends and family while lockdown restrictions are still in place. Here are 10 of our favourites to make the people close to you smile.
Many of us are looking for new, creative ways to brighten the days of the people we love – especially when lockdown restrictions still limit the number of friends and family we’re able to see.
Whether it’s surprising a friend who’s worried about their job with flowers or sending someone a letter through the post to say hello, some of us can’t give our nearest and dearest a big ol’ squeeze right now so we’ve seen a trend in using snail mail to make them smile instead.
It’s something Etsy, the creative online market place, has noticed, too. The website says since lockdown started, its seen a huge spike of 60% in searches for care packages as people are looking for ways to show they’re thinking of those going through a difficult time.
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A representative for Etsy says: “Whether it’s a ‘just thinking of you’ card or a set of succulents there are lots of different options.
“We don’t always need an occasion to send someone a gift. In a time when we’re separated from our loved ones, it’s the perfect moment to let your family and friends know that you’re thinking of them.”
From edible bundles, cute gestures or beauty products to help them unwind, it’s a lovely thought to surprise someone who might need it. Here, we’ve picked out nine of our favourites to suit a range of different needs.
Palette Roses and Gifting
If you’re looking for a gift that will ‘wow’ your loved one, this is the real deal.
Everything about Palette is incredibly beautiful. Thanks to the elegant packaging, the experience is a delight from the moment one of these boxes lands on a lucky recipient’s doorstep. Each bouquet and gift is presented in a huge, pale pink box that opens up to showcase the lovely goodies you’ve picked, alongside a stunning bunch of creamy roses.
There are plenty of options to suit your budget and your friend’s taste. These start with with five luxury rose stems, a brightening face mask and a slab of chocolate, but can include beauty products, candles, an eye mask, snuggly socks and much more.
This gift would be perfect for birthdays, special occasion news, would-be wedding days or just putting an extremely huge smile on someone’s face.
Plant Gift Box
Care Packages: Plant Gift Box from The Watered Garden. This houseplant gift box is the perfect treat for the plant lover in your life.
There are four different types of boxes to choose from depending on the size, number of type of houseplants you’re looking for. Each of the plants comes wrapped in some adorable plant-themed wrapping paper, too.
Bestseller Brownie Box
Care Packages: Bestseller Brownie Box from Bad Brownie. If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face, it’s a brownie.
Bad Brownie’s delectable treats aren’t just any regular brownies, either – with flavours ranging from salted caramel to Ferrero, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
This collection of Bad Brownie’s bestselling brownies is a great way to treat your friend or family member to a range of different flavours – you can choose from a range of sizes.
Oh Mumma
Care Packages: Just For Mum subscription box from Oh Mumma. Whether you’re a mum yourself or thinking of a friend, the Oh Mumma subscription box is the perfect monthly treat for one special reason – it’s not all about babies.
Although the name of this box hints towards motherhood, it’s actually rooted in having something for yourself. The ‘Just For Mum’ box, for example, is full of goodies like beauty products, face masks, cocktail samples from cool alcohol brands and more.
Which brings us to our next favourite thing about this box; Oh Mumma works hard to source a range of products from both independent brands and those you already love. This means you’re as likely to say, for example, “oh brilliant, I love that Benefit highlighter” as you are to be excited about discovering something new.
Lost Stock
The coronavirus pandemic has meant that fashion brands have cancelled billions of dollars worth of clothing orders from factories in places like Bangladesh.
Lost Stock aims to help by collating stock that has already been produced but is no longer being used, packaging this up into surprises boxes which you can buy. Each box supports a worker and their family for a week, and means this clothes won’t go to landfill.
Send a friend a Lost Stock box and brighten their day with the knowledge that they’re helping a family far away.
Recovery food box
Care Packages: Recovery Food Box from Borough Box. We can’t think of anything we’d rather have land on our doormats than a bundle of delicious, foodie goodies. Borough Box does a fantastic range of edible gift boxes, but we like the look of the Recovery Box the most.
It strikes the balance between nourishing but still yummy, including food stuffs like dark chocolate and herbal tea.
What’s in it:
- Apple and blackberry cordial
- Organic 71% rich dark chocolate Peru and Dominican Republic bar
- Sweet grapefruit green tea
- Golden nut butter
- Olive oil, truffle oil and truffle salt gourmet popcorn
- Turmeric and smoked paprika activated nuts and seeds
- Goji pumpkinseed energise bar
- Organic double fruit twists blueberry, raspberry and strawberry
- Rosemary and thyme pitta chips sharer bag
- Spicy bean crush pâté
Shop Recovery Box at Borough Box, £34.99
Cheer Me Up tea box
Care Packages: Cheer Me Up tea box from Bird & Blend Tea Co. Tea is a very special thing. In times of crisis it calms us down and brings us together – in other words, we’ve never needed it more. So, if someone you know is a real tea fanatic, we think they’ll appreciate this cute box of tea-rrific brews.
You can even add a personalised message to tell them just how much you love them.
What’s in it:
- Strawberry Lemonade (a fantastically fruity tea infusion)
- Simply The Zest (sunflower petals and tangy tangerine)
- Morning Kick (energy boosting with lemon and ginger)
- 5 DIY infuser tea sacs
Pick Me Up box of messages
Care Packages: Pick Me Up box of messages from Bread & Jam. Well, this is just about the cutest thing we’ve seen all lockdown. If your pal is feeling a little low, Bread & Jam is creating personalised ‘pick me up’ boxes so that you can tell them how great they are.
Fill out your desired message for 10 little notes, each one with a different reason why you love them. We’re sure that getting this delivered to their door is bound to make their day better.
What’s in it:
- 10 gold or blue slips of paper with your message printed
Aromatherapy gift set
Care Packages: Aromatherapy gift set from Naturally Good Scents. We’re all feeling stressed and overwhelmed in the midst of the pandemic, but if a friend of yours is particularly struggling this aromatherapy letterbox gift set is a gesture designed to help them unwind.
All the products included are natural and plant-based and come in a selection of five signature scents including Serene (geranium rose, ylang ylang and lavender) and Restore (black pepper, bergamot and eucalyptus).
What’s in it:
- Bath Salts
- Bath Bombs
- Solid Moisture Bar
- Pulse point roller ball oil
Shop aromatherapy gift set by Naturally Good Scents at Etsy, £15.50
Hand Care kit
Care Packages: Hand Care Kit from Lush. If someone you know is a key worker, chances are they’ll be washing their hands more than ever before, which is likely causing dry patches and some irritation.
Treat them to one of Lush’s new hand care kits – there’s three to choose from but we particularly like the ‘calm’ option. They won’t be available to buy until 11 May, so keep your peepers peeled.
What’s in it:
- 13 Soap Unlucky for Dirt
- Sleepy soap
- Tiny Hands solid hand serum
- Dream Cream
- Lemony Flutter cuticle butter
Images: Palette Gifting and Roses / Courtesy of brands
Megan Murray
Megan Murray is a digital journalist for stylist.co.uk, who enjoys writing about London happenings, beautiful places, delicious morsels and generally spreading sparkle wherever she can.