Creative Decoration Ideas for Your Superhero Box

Every year, we have thousands of sponsors and volunteers who help decorate and make our service projects special for every child who receives them. This year alone, over 1,000 Superhero Boxes have been lovingly decorated and packed, with more signing up every day! If you’re one of the lucky ones who will be a part of our service activity team build in the future, we’re here to inspire you with some Superhero Box decoration ideas! 

Foster Love’s Superhero Boxes are already filled with essentials that make every child feel empowered, but when you decorate the outside, you’re doing something even more powerful. You’re reminding a child in foster care that they are seen, celebrated, and loved.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUPERHERO SERVICE PROJECT HERE

Decorating Tips to Power Up Your Box

Each Superhero Box includes bold, uplifting designs ready for coloring, plus a cozy pillowcase that can be decorated too (Remember to use only fabric markers for the pillowcase inside so the artwork stays safe and lasting!) Your creativity helps turn a simple care package into a meaningful gift.

There are so many small touches you can add to make your box feel extra special for the child receiving it. Even though the box itself is designed with superhero illustrations, there’s still plenty of room for your imagination. You can also layer over the original design for more space and let your work shine!

 Try using:

• Washi Tape for fun borders or lightning bolts
• Construction Paper cutouts (stars, masks, hearts, capes)
• Glitter or sparkly glue to make designs pop
• Stickers with encouraging words or superhero symbols
• Decal Tracers to make copying designs easier
• Markers & Paint to fill in designs and add your own
• Handwritten Notes with kind messages like “You are loved” or “You’re a real hero!”
• Cutouts from Magazines of your favorite superheroes
• Flat Foam Paper to add a 3D flair
• Yarn or String to trace designs or make your own

Here are some ideas to spark their inner hero:

Markers & Paint

• Color in the printed superhero designs with bright, bold shades.
• Add speech bubbles with empowering words like “YOU’VE GOT THIS!” or “BE BRAVE!”
• Draw stars, lightning bolts, or comic book effects around the borders.
• Use glow-in-the-dark paint for a cool way to add nighttime magic. 

   Glitter & Sparkly Glue

• Outline the superhero cape or logo with glitter to make it pop.
• Create sparkly shooting stars or magic swirls for a fun effect.
• Use glue and glitter to make capes sparkle or stars shine.
• Spell or draw with hot glue, then paint over for a cool 3D effect. 

Construction Paper

• Cut out superhero masks or emblems and glue them onto the box.
• Make paper “buildings” along the bottom to create a comic book cityscape.
• Fold hearts or stars and write kind words on them: “LOVED,” “STRONG,” “SMART.”

 Flat Foam Shapes

• Layer foam shapes like masks, stars, or shields and glue them on for a 3D effect.
• Cut long strips of foam and glue across the box as a utility belt. Don’t forget to add the tools!
• Build a comic book-style skyline made with black, grey, and yellow foam.

 Yarn/String

• Create motion streaks like you’d see in a comic book: behind a flying hero, a leaping action, or zoom lines.
• Outline the edge of the box or the designs with yarn for a textured border.
• Spell out words or create dialogue bubbles and “explosions” with encouraging or heroic phrases.

 Washi Tape

• Add washi tape borders in colorful patterns around the box edges.
• Make lightning bolts or zigzags using tape in different colors.
• Divide sections using washi tape to look like comic book panels and draw a mini story in each one (ex: “You are brave” > “You are strong” > “You are loved”)
• Add background elements to the original design using fun patterns. 

Your Effort Goes a Long Way for a Child

Adding thoughtful touches like yarn and string turns a decorated box into a work of heart. Every word and drawing tells a child in foster care:

“You are loved. You are special. You are a hero.”

With a unique Superhero Box, you’re helping fulfill the mission behind every S.U.P.E.R. Box:

• Self Assured
• Uplifted
• Proud
• Empowered
• Resilient

Be the Hero Behind the Scenes

Whether you’re coloring one box or gathering your whole team for a volunteer day, every box you decorate becomes part of something bigger. It’s a small act that sends a powerful message. And that’s the real meaning behind every box decoration superhero moment.

For those who feel like creatively-inclined, consider sponsoring a project for one of our volunteers to decorate!

SPONSOR A SUPERHERO BOX HERE