Stocking Stuffer Ideas - Page 2

[Pumpkin_Pie]

I do a christmas ornament every year too, but I hang it on the outside of the stocking too, so it is part of the stocking gift.

For the inside, I comb sales/clearance/dollar bins all year long. I keep a drawer or bag of stocking stuffers and by the time Christmas comes around, I have a bunch of little things that I know DS will love.

I also stuff my own stocking . Mostly because there is noone else to give me one, and I LOVE stockings more than regular gifts. This year I hit up a craft store that was going out of business and everything was half off or more. I bought a couple of pairs of knitting needles, some yarn, some chocolate treats, and a few other things that I can't remember right now.

I also keep and use coupons for things like $5 off a $5 purchase. I have received and used 4 of these in the past two weeks. I don't usually find them quite so often, but when I do, I make sure I use them. I bought DS 2 books, myself a pack of yarn bobbins and a row counter (for knitting), I also bought a 3 pack of knee socks from Sears/Lands End that will go in his stocking. I had a $10 off a $10 purchase so they came out to $2.50 for three pair.

One more place that I shop for stocking stuffers is yard sales. I found some art supplies for DS's stocking at some yard sales this summer, and also a face painting kit. I have found things for myself at yard sales in the past, but didn't have much luck this year.

Stockings are my absolute favorite part of Christmas morning, and I LOVE finding things for them all year! :

[mumkimum]

I'll usually get 1-2 items that are 'bigger' (like over $1) for each person, and then an assortment of stuff that gets shared among all stockings. For dd I like to do a kids tea, hair or jewelry thing, small legos or playmobil, and fun bandaids, stickers. For dh I like to do underwear , maybe pen or calculator for work, and his favorite anchovy stuffed olives.

I'll get one favorite candy bar for each, veggie jerky, dried fruits, nuts to fill up the rest.

[OkiMom]

I have to say I enjoy stockings more than regular presents at times. I really think they are fun to put together. With DD1 last year she got: art supplies (finger paints, markers, crayons), playdough, a small piece of candy (she rarely gets candy so it was a real treat for her) and a small stuffed animal. DD2 (all of a month and a half old at the time) got some bath toys, a teething ring, a onesie and a small stuffed animal. My husband got a toothbrush, socks, rank (yes, Im a romantic one aren't I) and a few odds and ends. I got umm, nothing. DH forgot to get me a stocking last year. I spend maybe 10-30.00 per person. Usually the older the person is the more I spend on them (the stuff I get my husband is more expensive than DDs items and less likely to be able to get on clearance).
This year I have no idea. We probably won't do them since we will be gone for Christmas.
We do give one ordament out per person per year. I have a collection of houses my mom started for me the year I was born that they still make and I still get each new one.

[dancebaraka]

Originally Posted by 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.

love your tradition great idea !

[caiesmommy]

I Stockings! My fave part of the holidays!

I shop for
dh-orange, nuts, wasabi peas, shaving cream, lotto ticket, organic/fair trade coffee, a knitting pattern if I find one he'd like, new change "purse!"

ds(3)-orange, wasabi peas, fruit to go bar, this year I've got him a cow finger puppet, a dinosaur travel coloring book/crayons, book, bubbles, sidewalk chalk and I'll hit the crayola discount store

dd(just shy a year at xmas)-first xmas so i'm crocheting her some soft balls(may do ds one too), book, hair things, brush, slipper/shoes, ornament, and organic dried baby treats(which she's not had yet so that will be her first "treat")

This year I'll do one for myself, if dh doesn't pick up the slack(he never does a stocking for me,but w ds's age he may realize this year..plus I want a stocking xmas morning!)

A couple of years ago M-I-L and F-I-L stopped doing stockings for each other,but continued to do them for us, so we've started doing there stockings...really small ones but I JAM them full..we exchange gifts/stockings xmas eve morning
M-I-L-SUPER EASY! She's my easiest!-orange,nuts,sudoko book from dollar store, kit kat singles(her grandma use to buy her a kit kat every xmas, so now I do), something santa-this year it's matching mugs for her and F-I-L of santa's head. Tea bags(usually ones that we have that are wrapped individually), lotto ticket, smelly candle...then whatever I find in the cheap bins at michaels...
F-I-L-orange, nuts,McDonalds coupons, lotto ticket oriental rice cracker mix frm Bulk store, wasabi peas, shaving cream, lighter fluid,

I spend about 50 bucks on stockings...this year I'm trying to cut down..which will be difficult since I'm ADDING me and dd

[caiesmommy]

That t-shirt sites GREAT!!! I found a ton that dh would think are hilarious..I've been trying to find my cousin a present so I think I'm set! Hopefully they ship to canada!!

[Alyantavid]

The kids' stockings are usually filled with small, cheap, useful things. They always get a toothbrush (from the dollar store), a car ($.50-1.), bubble bath (found on sale), crayons/markers, candy, chapstick. I think this year I'm going to get them each a movie card to rent a movie as well.

Dh's a little harder. He gets a cd, toothbrush and candy.

[mysticmomma]

Originally Posted by LittleBlessings

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

We also do this and write initials and year on it so the kids can take it with them when they move out.

Something my IL's do that I love is they wrap the stocking presents.

[gillibean]

We do an orange, word-puzzle book (or something similar) and writing/colouring utensils. The puzzle book keeps everyone occupied till it's time to open presents. My parents used to also put those individual cereal boxes in our stockings. The idea is that we could eat straight from the box and it would save on breakfast dishes. (My mom lamented that most of us poured it into bowls so it backfired on her - we also had more than just cereal anyway so there were always lots of dishes anyway.) We'd get a few odds and ends too and some candies but the puzzle books usually took up quite a bit of space.

[gillibean]

I forgot, one year DH and I had no money to spend on stocking stuffers so we just picked up random things from around the house and put them in each other's stockings. It was cool to see what each of us chose. We were just as excited as we would have been with new stuff, it was the surprise that was so much fun.

[CameronsMama]

Stockings are BIG in our family, too! My mom, MIL and FIL all come over super early Christmas morning, or sometimes stay the night Christmas Eve, and we all do stockings together in the morning. I try to stick with useful things, so usually ds gets art supplies, cars, etc. Last year the dollar store had these cool towels that are a 1x1 inch square and you get them wet and they expand into a washcloth sized towel. Those were a HUGE hit, the adults had as much fun as ds did! I'm going to see if I can find some more for this year. For the adults I have ds make (or help me make) ornaments, I usually put a couple small pics of ds in little dollar store frames, and home made treats. We don't do much candy anymore. I redeem our reward points with our credit card for gifts cards to starbucks, home depot, etc, and use those for stocking stuffers, too.

DH often gets a funny t-shirt (this year I think he'll be getting one that says "I did NOT escape...they gave me a day pass" he saw that in a store the other day, and thought it was funny- the shirt is on sale for 8.99, and I have a 15% off coupon for that store!) and sometimes a book. For me, I like to get myself crafty stuff, sometimes some makeup (don't wear it often, so it's a treat) or word puzzle books. I keep an eye out year round for good clearance items/dollar bin finds and tuck them away. I found a small nerf football for ds, on clearance for $1.48, I have a feeling there will be endless rounds of nerf football games in my living all day.

Originally Posted by mumkimum

I'll usually get 1-2 items that are 'bigger' (like over $1) for each person, and then an assortment of stuff that gets shared among all stockings. For dd I like to do a kids tea, hair or jewelry thing, small legos or playmobil, and fun bandaids, stickers. For dh I like to do underwear , maybe pen or calculator for work, and his favorite anchovy stuffed olives.

Ooh, great idea!! I'm going to have to steal it- DS is obsessed with bandaids these days, he'd love to get some in his stocking!! I usually see fun ones at the dollar store, I'm going to have to look next time I go!

[PoetryLover]

Originally Posted by gillibean

I forgot, one year DH and I had no money to spend on stocking stuffers so we just picked up random things from around the house and put them in each other's stockings. It was cool to see what each of us chose. We were just as excited as we would have been with new stuff, it was the surprise that was so much fun.

This reminds me of a particularly hard Christmas as a child when there were absolutely no presents under the tree. My parents couldn't afford any gifts. I remember asking to bake cookies and to make homemade ornaments for the bare Christmas tree, but my mother refused. I guess she felt that there was no such thing as a Christmas without presents. However, we had stockings from previous years and my sisters and I put pencils and stickers that we'd gotten from school, along with pictures we'd drawn in each other's stockings. And we did so joyfully and were so excited to open our stockings Christmas morning. It is about surprise and, also, no matter how old we may get, there's a childhood innocence that is almost magical in itself.

[EviesMom]

We always do socks, fruit, candy, new toothbrush and toothpaste, bath gel for adults or bubble bath for the kids, art supply or two/fancy pens or sharpies for adults, stickers, and a book. Then there's one or two items that differ for each stocking. I always get 1-2 kitchen supplies like peeler, cheese slicer, etc. in mine.

[PoetryLover]

Originally Posted by 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.

Your Tshirt idea is a big hit in this thread! Thanks for the link.

Wow, there are so many awesome stocking stuffer ideas! Thanks to all who are posting them. I will definitely be looking for deals all year long from this point on. It makes so much sense. Plus, I've recently started couponing at drugstores and am AMAZED at the deals. Today I got my husband a new razor with a $4 off coupon and the razor will be free after the $5 rebate. I saw some free, nearly free and even "overage" coupon deals that I want to get for my older stepdaughter. It's so exciting to think that I can start now, even on a tight budget and prepare very nice stockings for Christmas. Also, the back to school sales are a great time to shop for stocking stuffers. And planning ahead takes the stress out of the season.

Thanks so much for all the ideas. I'm already super excited about Christmas!

[Gray's Mommy]

What a great thread!!

We do the whole fruit, candy & toothbrush thing too. We also put odds & ends that I have bought over the past months. My kids love the glow necklaces & the $1 store normally carries them year round. They love chapstick, little trinkets & rocks My boys love the "fancy" rocks you can buy.

[sweetjasmine]

Originally Posted by gillibean

I forgot, one year DH and I had no money to spend on stocking stuffers so we just picked up random things from around the house and put them in each other's stockings. It was cool to see what each of us chose. We were just as excited as we would have been with new stuff, it was the surprise that was so much fun.

Originally Posted by PoetryLover

This reminds me of a particularly hard Christmas as a child when there were absolutely no presents under the tree. My parents couldn't afford any gifts. I remember asking to bake cookies and to make homemade ornaments for the bare Christmas tree, but my mother refused. I guess she felt that there was no such thing as a Christmas without presents. However, we had stockings from previous years and my sisters and I put pencils and stickers that we'd gotten from school, along with pictures we'd drawn in each other's stockings. And we did so joyfully and were so excited to open our stockings Christmas morning. It is about surprise and, also, no matter how old we may get, there's a childhood innocence that is almost magical in itself.

These posts are both so sweet!!

[mommariffic]

I love love love stockings
It's so much fun to shop for little treasures!

DD will probably get crayon rocks, some fun hair clips from Etsy, books on tape, some more wooden fairies, stickers galore, and who knows what else!

DH will get maps that he loves, a magazine subscription probably [last year I got him MAKE and it came with one issue so I shoved that in..] and some little things I pick up like a mini sample of cologne or some truffles or something

I love stockings! LOVE THEM!

[Pumpkin_Pie]

I just wanted to add, I noticed that you are looking to create some more Christmas traditions. I do a new pair of pajamas on the Christmas Eve for DS and for myself. It is so fun to open a new pair of pj's to snuggle into before going to bed on the night before the big day. DS will only really start to "get" it this year, but I wanted to start that tradition with him, so have one it for both of his Christmases so far.

And, after just checking, here is my official list for our stockings so far:

DS 2.5 years old:
2 Christmas board books from a thrift store 50cents each ($1)
pack of bath fizzy balls from the dollar store ($1)
pack of bath crayons from the dollar store ($1)
2 pairs of crazy socks from Salvation Army for $.50 each ($1)
Sheepskin slippers from Salvation Army ($3)
Pack of colored pencils found in a free box on the curb ($0)
Stuffed animal penguin (with santa hat) bought last year after Christmas ($2)
Aura Cacia bath packet found at a "dented can" type grocery store ($1)
Beads for stringing found at a store closing sale for 50% off ($2)
2 packets of peppermint cocoa ($1)

My stocking:
3 pairs of bamboo knitting needles (50% off at a store closing sale)
yarn bobbins (free with coupon)
knitting row counter (free with coupon)
lotion/soap samples (free)
3 pair of Target "spa" socks from the dollar store ($3)
Chocolate covered sunflower seeds ($3)
Kleen Kanteen sport cap for my bottle ($5)
Tin of International Coffee pumpkin mix found at dollar store ($1)
2 packets of peppermint cocoa ($1)

I think I am pretty much done with DS's, and might find a few more things for mine. We have pretty big stockings. Plus, I need to get ornaments still too, but I will probably wait until a little closer to Christmas for that.

ETA: He was going to get knee socks too, but I gave them to him already, as he needed socks now, and isn't going to get that much of a thrill from more socks in there. :

[StrawberryFields]

In the tradition of our area, we do stockings on St. Nick's Day (Dec 6th) and I actually never knew until recently (from reading on here) that St. Nick's is not celebrated everywhere else in the US as well! So there are no stockings here on Xmas Eve or to or from other relatives. Just St. Nick to the kids.

As a child my stocking always included an extra large orange, an extra large shiny apple, and one of those huge peppermint sticks, so I continue to include those for my own kiddos.

I buy the kids an ornament that reflected their interests that past year (to the best of my abilities). So for example Ds got a Lightening McQueen one last year, a fire truck one the year before, etc.

This year I picked up some wooden trains for ds and will probably get a couple pieces of track as well. Play-doh for both kids, some ViewMaster reels, some stamps and stamp pads. And maybe a little chocolate candy.

[SquishyKitty]

Stickers, chap stick, sunglasses, gloves, packs of gum (for DH), tea, a DVD, temp tatoos, bubbles, those small puzzles or card games like Old Maid, Barrel of Monkeys.

Anything little and inexpensive that DS would like. I don't do toothbrushes because I buy them in bulk when they're on sale, so we always have like 2-3 years worth.