Stocking Stuffer Ideas

[PoetryLover]

I'm curious to know what other people use as stocking stuffers for both children and adults. This year I will be stuffing 3 stockings, my stepdaugters' and husband's. Expensive items are out for me, as money is very tight right now. But I want to refrain from filling the stockings with "stuff" that is cheap but not useful. I will include some candy, but I don't want to give each girl a stocking filled with candy. I'm thinking along the lines of some art supplies, hair accessories, etc.

Partly I want to know what others are using as stocking stuffers for the borrowed ideas. :-) And partly, just for fun and personal interest. As a new stepmom and soon-to-be bio mom, I want to create wholesome family traditions. I have fond memories of Christmas Stockings as a child.

Thanks so much for sharing!

[tessie]

Every year we received an apple, an orange, some nuts, a bag of chocolate coins and a toothbrush + some small gifts. The gifts were usually inexpensive things like a pair of funky socks or gloves, stickers, hair accessories, pens and pencils, other stationery items (e.g. pencil sharpener and rubbers), an annual (I don't know what they call them in the US but it's a hardbacked comic book) or other book, small lego set (one of the ones with say a vehicle and person), playdoh, puzzle book, colouring book, nail polish, a tree decoration.

Random gifts I remember were indoor sparklers, packets of sunflower & pumpkin seeds, magic tricks, training chopsticks and gingerbread people cutters.

[April411]

Well, when the back to school sales were going on I bought a bunch of stuff to use as stocking stuffers (25 cent boxes of crayons, $1 crayola markers and colored pencils, ) I also think playdoh is a good idea. You can get a pack of 4 for less than 2 bucks and break it up. I also regularly find stuff in Target's dollar section (stamps, hair ties, work books)

[pitter_patter]

So far I have chapstick, bath paints, little handmade soaps and a box of crayons for each. I'll also do Christmas socks and a few other little things like flashcards, some candy and possibly homemade playdough.

[BellinghamCrunchie]

Originally Posted by April411

Well, when the back to school sales were going on I bought a bunch of stuff to use as stocking stuffers (25 cent boxes of crayons, $1 crayola markers and colored pencils, ) I also think playdoh is a good idea. You can get a pack of 4 for less than 2 bucks and break it up. I also regularly find stuff in Target's dollar section (stamps, hair ties, work books)

I pretty much do this all year round, looking for deals on items that I can put in stockings. During the school sales I got 4 bottles of Elmer's glue (not the tiniest size) for 25 cents each. After Halloween you might find some Halloween stuff that doesn't look too Halloweeny that might work for stockings at a discount (I got DH a black coffee cup last year).

Things I have put in stockings before are buying a box of hot cocoa packets and splitting them up, chapstick, small LED flashlights that I found for 99 cents (these were unexpectedly quite a hit), juice boxes (not too expensive and take up room and DD never gets them so they are a treat).

[kittenwhip]

one apple, one orange, one coke in a glass bottle, some lip smackers (bought on sale with coupons), stickers (on sale again!), new set of markers (purchased at a back to school sale for less than a dollar) and maybe a few other little things from Target's dollar bins.

[Tilia]

I have found some cute stuff so far:

a wooden top from www.maplelandmark.com
crayon rocks! www.crayonrocks.net
Christmas ornament
hair clippies
keychain
flannel beanbags
candy
gum

[Tilia]

Oh! And I heard that you can get a travel version of Hungry Hungry Hippos at Target for 99 cents with a coupon. The details are at www.afullcup.com in the Target forum.

[elsie]

We usually do a giant orange, some candy, nail polish, bath bubbles and some other knick knack type thing.

I remember sa a child we often got oranges and batteries.

[dancebaraka]

All we do is stockings here, and with only one dd & my raging holiday cheer, my problem is usually getting too much stuff

I like to trade for handmade goodies- both locally & here at MDC- and use these for Akasha's solstice stocking. Last year she got felted whales and a knit monkey. Also some local soaps and bath yummies. Loved these!

Like others I also collect little things throughout the year for free/ on the super cheap. I have a little stash of bubbles, stickers, crayons. We live in a tiny apartment so we like to have a few beautiful things to be well loved, and then just usuable items...
I also include things like fun toothbrushes and hair clips. Homeopathics and bubble bath. These items will always get used and enjoyed.. and we go through a lot over the year.
And finally, we like to add one item that we've been wanting for her or she has really wanted that is spendy. Last year it was her Sigg.

Glad I am not the only one already feeling the holiday spirit coming on!

[annettemarie]

Great thread! I'm subbing.

[Maluhia]

We do an apple in the bottom, one candy bar and a tshirt, ususally funny that gets used for sleeping or yardwork. My Step Dad started the tradition of tshirts in stockings (rolled up in the leg) when I was a teen with a thsirt that said "I put the fun in dysfunctional" - my family is strange, in a good way

I recently started peruseing This Tshirt Blog to search through categories to find something I like - and they seem to link to all the tshirt places I'd never think of so, it works.

[4evermom]

I'm tempted to make cute bead and wire bugs (yeah, I was looking at a Martha Stewart book ) or flowers...

I'm trying to avoid the cheap stuff that is going to end up in the trash, too.

Things I've done are character bandaids that were on sale for $1 a box. Ds was thrilled with the transformer ones. I gave him a pack of AA batteries that came packaged with a screwdriver that looked like a battery. He thought that was cool. Sometimes there are packages with mini flashlights.

Mood rings (ds is really into these)
Post-it notes
Lipbalm
Bath fizzies
Smelly or special shaped soap
Socks
Fake snow (tube of powder that you add water to)
Beads that are ultraviolet sensitive and turn from white to colored in the sun

I'll probably get ds a small lego set because we don't open presents first thing, just the stockings, so it will give him something to do to make waiting easier. I always loved getting a paperback, myself. I get dh some dark chocolate in odd flavors, maybe a nut mix or spiced nuts.

[Samm]

DD's stocking is also a place to get those things that I don't buy throughout the year . . . like princess bandaids, cereal staws . . .

[Pinoikoi]

We ALWAYS get an orange of some kind in the toe. Toothbrushes are always a hit. Crayons and or colored pencils.. I like the tshirt idea- we are big Star Wars and Star Trek fans here, so I know they will be well loved.

Gift cards to "activities" we can do as a family are a staple... bowling, movies, etc and the amounts can be around $10 each and still thrill.

[1growingsprout]

Around here stocking stuffers are usually items that ive stocked up during the year that are extra special and extra ordinary. For example my kids love bath and body works bath bubbles but I never ever pay full price. but I got a smoking deal ( $1 bottle this year) so each kid will get one bottle in their stocking. My kids love character toothbrushes but they are ususally$$ but if i can catch a sale and coupon they come to about $1 as well same for flavored toothpaste. My girls may get hair pretties or a fancy hairbrush, art supplies are always a favorite etc....my 9yr old ds is really into art supplies (markers, paper, crayons, etc)

I shop all year long and keep a huge stash , i dont like to do food for presents, i find with all my kids food just creates more of a mess and if something gets misplaced then I run the risk of bugs (gotta love AZ)

[pitter_patter]

For my husband I have done:

a Starbucks gift card
a magazine subscription-buy the magazine and stuff it in the stocking with a little note that you bought him a subscription
socks
deodorant
shaving cream-he likes the Bigelow brand at Bath and Body Works, I found it on super sale and bought a few tubes
mints or gum
a special new ornament-there is a store at the local mall that sells personalized ornaments at good prices, this is now a holiday tradition for us. The website is www.treasuredornaments.com, most malls have a similar kiosk November-December.

[sweetjasmine]

I do stockings for my step kids as well as my 4-year old grandson. He gets things like matchbox cars, little dinosaur toys, nerf ball, etc. My granddaughter is only 6 months old.

I usually get my dsd pink and girl things, she loves that. She's 11 years old and very girly. Lipsmackers, light cologne spray for girls, hair accessories, stickers, maybe stuff like markers and note pads, etc., tiny containers of playdo. My two middle dss's are teens and they get things like matchbox cars (they like to collect them), one year they got pocket knives. Everyone gets a little gum and/or candy and chapstick (which they all like to use, but not my grandson).

Dh and I don't put anything in our stockings.

[LittleBlessings]

childern- colourig books, fruit, markers, little toys,bubble bath

Teens- I just get those teen packs at walmark that has a magazine,shampoo,bottle water, gum, and other stuff

Husband-shaving gel, body spays, lotto cards, candy

[LittleBlessings]

Originally Posted by PoetryLover

, I want to create wholesome family traditions. I have fond memories of Christmas Stockings as a child.

Thanks so much for sharing!

This is not a stocking stuffer but one thing we do every year is get the childern one special christmas tree ordiment