10 Totally Awesome Birthday Care Package Ideas for the Troops

Inside: Looking for some military care package ideas that you can use for a birthday care package? Check out this tutorial, plus snag a ton of extra creative ideas at the end.

I love birthdays (they’re like your own personal holiday) and celebrating a birthday with a loved one, even if it’s not yours, is so much fun. But during deployment, it can sometimes feel hard to get the birthday celebration going for your loved one. That’s when some fantastic birthday care package ideas become extra important: it helps bring the birthday party to your loved one no matter where they are stationed.

A birthday care package theme can really be anything your loved one is interested in, but I’m partial to making it fit the decade of your loved one’s birth! With a few simple steps and a little extra creativity, you can send your loved one a blast from the past in honor of their birthday.

A Decade-Themed Birthday Care Package Idea

1. Pick colors and patterns that resonate with the decade.

Your biggest visual impact in a birthday care package is the paper you use to cover the flaps of the box. Choosing something that captures the feel of the decade helps you carry out the theme. You may be able to find pre-printed paper in the store, but don’t feel like you’re limited by what stores carry. You can create your own design so you get exactly what you want! Use paint, markers, stamps or stickers to create your own pattern.

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70s: peace signs, tie dye
80s: neon splatter, acid wash
90s: bright colored animal print
2000s: cell phone or other technology pattern

2. Use decade-appropriate slang.

Is there anything more decade-specific than slang? When slang is involved, grandparents have no idea what their grandchildren are saying and vice versa. Each generation has their very own language! Using slang to wish your loved one a happy birthday helps carry your theme over to one more aspect of your care package. You could use these slang expressions on the flaps or on the items you send in the care package. If you’re sending a birthday care package, wrapping certain items (or all of them!) and writing messages on the paper in decade-appropriate slang would be a great touch.

70s: “can you dig it”, “far out” and “groovy”
80s: “like totally”, “rad”, “gnarly”, “tubular” and “righteous”
90s: “as if”, “talk to the hand”, “sweet”, “dawg”, “dope” and “home skillet”
2000s: “fo shizzle”, “crunk”, “drop it like it’s hot”, “phat”, “da bomb” and just about any texting abbreviation (LOL, OMG, etc.)

3. Add images of popular items.

After you’ve covered the care package flaps with themed paper and added some slang expressions, think about popular items of the decade to use as decorations. Whether you print and cut out clipart from the internet, find stickers that mimic the items or use a die-cut machine, a few decade-specific items on the flap will really add a little something extra to your care package.

70s: floppy disks, disco ball (especially if it’s sparkly), disco dancer silhouettes, peace signs and flowers.
80s: boom box, cassette tapes, Rubix cubes, Pac-man, hacky sacks, jelly shoes and anything in neon!
90s: ring pops, CDs, Tamagotchis, Furbys, Gameboy and a desktop computer.
2000s: iPods, giant sunglasses, Razor scooters, trucker hats and camera phones.

4. Send a few items that represent the decade.

If you’re a 90s kid, how fun would it be to play with your very own Tamagotchi again? Or re-watch a classic movie if you were born in the 80s? While not every fad survived the passage of time, some throwback items are still available and would make great care package additions!

70s: a Pet Rock, a mood ring, a cork pop gun, disco music and puka shells.
80s: a rubix cube, 80s hair band music, Hungry Hungry Hippos board game and a friendship bracelet.
90s: Tamagotchi, a boy band CD or mix “tape”, a Beanie baby, a Lisa Frank notebook and a container of Silly Putty.
2000s: Crocs, Beyblades, an iPod, a Livestrong bracelet and a Snuggie.

No matter when your loved one was born or where they may be during their birthday, a decade-themed birthday care package can be a very fun addition to their day. The more creative and personal you can make the decorations and contents, the more they feel like it really is their special day.

What decade was your loved one born in and what kinds birthday care package ideas would you add?

More birthday care package ideas from Pinterest.

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3. Make a Wish Happy Birthday Care Package Idea

4. Long Distance Happy Birthday Care Package Idea

5. Happy 33rd Birthday Care Package Idea

6. Happy Birthday Care Package Idea with Bunting

7. Happy Birthday Care Package Idea with Balloons

Cool Care Package Designs You Can Buy

Don’t want to create all the care package box decorations? You can grab them via The Countdowns and Cupcakes Shop and all you need to do is put the box together. Saves the time of buying all the supplies yourself, but you still get to put the thought into creating the box.

See what I mean with these care package ideas:

More care package ideas for inspiration.

Quote Ideas for Care Packages

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10 Totally Awesome Birthday Care Package Ideas