A Bottle of Goodies is 13 Ounces or Less
Thanks to all the Idea Room readers who stopped in yesterday. If you’re just joining, today’s post is from a series I’ve started on GiversLog that has become my personal favorite. I’ve been mailing gifts that are 13 ounces or less. And thanks to a few brilliant readers, we’ve come up with some fun things. Like today’s idea. I know it is going to have you running to your recycling bin and pulling out any waterbottles you can find.
This idea came from the lovely Miss Cocoa of Chocolate on my Cranium (can you guess what Cocoa and I have in common? A complete and shameless love of chocolate, maybe?) When I first started this series, Cocoa told me about how she did this. After my friend heard about it, she suggested a bottle exchange. Such brilliance. We exchanged a few emails and agreed we’d send anything that could fit in a water bottle. So first, here’s what I mailed.
Have you ever tried a kneedable eraser? I love the things.
I used free printable labels from here and here.
And now, here is the happy mail I got in return. (Thanks, Sherry, you rock!)
Notice any similarities? We were both all grins when we opened our mailboxes. It turns out we both like turquoise, just a little.
For any of you who are still here, and haven’t run for your water bottles yet, I invite you to join in. If you have any fun, real mail that weighs 13 ounces or less, snap a shot and add it to the flickr group. We’d all love to see it.
Tags: 13 ounces or less, care package gift ideas, gifts for nieces and nephews, gifts for someone away from home, gifts for the grandkids, gifts that are cheap or free, inexpensive gift ideas, mailable gifts
March 18th, 2010 at 6:50 am
Clever Cocoa! (who just won a giveaway on my blog and I just learned is related to me through a cousin . . .) This idea is sheer genius! I just need to know how she got that spiral notebook into the bottle. My brain can’t wrap itself around that one. Love, love, love it!
March 18th, 2010 at 8:43 am
I dare say your bottles turned out WAY prettier than mine. :D Can you picture cute invites to a Pirate or beach themed party? Fun, fun, fun!
March 18th, 2010 at 10:06 am
Can someone organize a bottle buddy (like pen pals) so I can get goodies in the mail?
March 18th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Ok, so did you seal the bottle up with anything? I’ve been watching you blog about all of this and think it’s fabulous, but wonder what my mailman would say when I hand it to him at the post office. I know someone who did the frisbee in college and a flip flop I think. Actually 2 flip flops at separate times, i think. Very curious about all of this. My sis lives in NY and needs some happy mail.
March 18th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Clever! I love that you actually just sent the bottle in the mail. I am definitely going to have to use this idea. Did you cut the bottle though, to fit everything inside, and then tape it up?
March 18th, 2010 at 11:31 am
Hi Sara,
Thanks for stopping by. The flip flops are hilarious! I actually considered sealing the bottle, but then decided to just mail it. It seemed to get there just fine. So far I’ve gotten every reaction at the post office, from a big grin, to a suppressed one, to no reaction whatsoever. It’s actually my favorite part, seeing if I get any sort of a rise when I mail it off. If you do send something, I’d love to hear.
March 18th, 2010 at 11:34 am
What fun! This would be a great way to ship off some of the little tiny toys that are taking over my house. Maybe I’ll do this w/the kiddos. We’ve moved so many times they have friends all over the place. How much fun would that be for a kid to get in the mail!?!
March 18th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
this one is great! i love being able to see the goodies inside. i wonder what each worker who handled it was thinking when they saw it :)
March 18th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Ah, you are so lucky to be able to send those packages! In the Netherlands things quickly get expensive if they are over a certain size (34cm by 24 cm by 4 cm), which is quite problematic if you want to send that is not a book or something like that!
But I we hadn’t had those regulations, you would find me filling up a bottle right now. Just because it would be such a nice suprise for the receiver. Thanks!
March 18th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Hi Tegan and Tage!
Yes, you guessed it. I did what Cocoa did, and I used a craft knife to cut a door in the side of the bottle. Once I’d slipped everything in, I just stuck the label right over the little door. It worked really well.
March 18th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Thanks for replying! That’s what I was wondering was how you got things inside….duh you would need a door!
March 19th, 2010 at 7:17 am
Aha.
Mystery solved. I’ve been trying to figure out how on earth you got everything in there and made it look so perfect and pretty. Sneaky! : )
This is such a lovely idea and so very clever. This series is definitely one of my favorite blog reads, Amber. Keep them coming!
March 19th, 2010 at 9:50 am
I love the bottle idea! I am definitely going to go rummage for empties.
March 19th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
i seriously love, love , LOVE this!!
March 20th, 2010 at 8:50 am
What a truly fabulous idea!
March 21st, 2010 at 7:24 am
This is so WILDLY FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! I know your post master is LOVING all your creativity… you must putting some serious SMILES on the entire post office staff— When ever I mail out anything funny or silly I can’t resist showing it to everyone standing in line… hope you shared this with all!!!! :):):)
March 24th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Slammin’. Simply slammin’.