---
title: "Getting Started with Shoebox Christmas"
description: "How to sign up, create your account, and understand who you've been matched with."
url: https://support.kohatree.co.nz/en/articles/25-getting-started-with-shoebox-christmas
collection: "Using Koha Tree as a Gifter"
updated: 2026-10-22
language: en
---

# Getting Started with Shoebox Christmas

How to sign up, create your account, and understand who you've been matched with.

Kia ora, and thank you for being part of Shoebox Christmas! This guide covers signing up, creating your account, and understanding who you've been matched with.

## How sign-up works

1.  Head to [kohatree.co.nz](https://kohatree.co.nz) and find a project in your area (search or browse by rohe/region).
    
2.  Click **Join** on a project that has spots open.
    
3.  Create an account (or log in if you already have one) — this is how you'll see your match details and keep track of your koha.
    
4.  Once you're matched with a tamaiti (child), you'll see their details on your **Your Koha** tab.
    

**One email = one account.** If you sign up more than once with different email addresses, it can be hard for us to tell which account your match is attached to. If you're not sure whether you already have an account, try logging in with an email address you might have used before, rather than creating a new one.

## If a project shows as full or "notify me"

Popular projects can fill up quickly. If a project shows as **full**, or tells you it'll **notify you when it opens**, it means someone has already joined and there isn't a spot free right now. You can:

-   Join the notify list so you hear if a spot opens up, or
    
-   Browse other open projects in your area or nearby regions at [kohatree.co.nz/explore](https://kohatree.co.nz/explore)
    

If you were on a notify list and the project filled before you got a chance to join, that's usually because quite a few other people were on the same list — spots go fast in the run-up to Christmas.

## Understanding your match

Once matched, you'll usually see:

-   **Age**
    
-   **Gender**
    
-   **Initials** (to protect the child's privacy, you won't see their full name — just their initials, e.g. "SB")
    
-   Sometimes a note about interests, if the school or organisation has provided one
    

That's usually all the detail available — schools and organisations collecting this information try to keep it simple and privacy-safe for the tamariki involved. If you'd like a steer on what to buy with limited information, see **What to Buy & How to Prepare Your Gift**.

## Is this project still happening?

If you're ever unsure whether a project is still active — maybe you haven't heard anything in a while, or a school mentioned they're not running it this year — the quickest way to check is to log in and look at **Your Koha**. If your match is still showing there, it's still on. If you're still unsure, get in touch and we'll double check for you.

## Something not working?

If you're logged in but can't see the options you'd expect (for example, you can only see ways to donate but not your match, or a project you joined isn't showing up), see **Troubleshooting** — this covers the most common account issues.