Stocking Filler Ideas

Christmas is coming and the Geese are getting fat…

You might be wondering what on earth to put in your partners/parents/friends or children’s stockings. As I am an avid Christmas shopper I thought I might be able to help with some ideas.

The Stocking

Possibly the most enjoyable part on Christmas day is waking up and receiving an overflowing stocking full of wonderful treats! It is important, therefore, that the stocking looks magical. I’m a fan of making stockings so you can add that extra ingredient – a personal touch. However if crafting isn’t your thing, or time is against you this year, there are plenty of places that offer exceptional stockings at exceptional prices. Christmas 2013 has seen me in Poundland where they offer so many different designs to suit everyone’s taste. Other stores to shop around in to find the affordable yet perfect pressie holder are; Hobbycraft, Wilkinsons, Co-op and even your local supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsburys…) may have something to offer. And just to mention, for good nature, the guy who stands outside 6 days a week at a stall full of Christmassy goods is another favoured place to purchase all your stocking needs.

The Budget

If you’re like me, you’ll see stocking fillers as little extras that might look too small under a tree. I love making up big presents with lots of little ones so when it comes to budget I set aside an amount for the ‘big stuff’ and the ‘little extras’. Depending on who you’re buying for, the stocking budget can range between £10 and £50! I like to find a happy medium somewhere in the middle. It really is entirely up to you but I find sticking to a budget helpful as I could go crazy with buying all these extra gifts, so need a line to stop me somewhere!

The Gifts for HER

If you’re a lady purchasing for another lady this can be quite a simple task. Stocking fillers for ladies should be a variety of necessities, chocolates and desirables. So here is a list for those of you struggling to find something for the ladies…

The necessities:

• Body wash
• Body moisturiser
• Purse perfume sprays
• Pocket Tissues
• Face wipes
• Lip balm
• Hand cream
• Face cream
• Sponge
• Shampoo
• Conditioner

You get my drift…

The Edibles:

• Chocolate coins
• Chocolate Santa’s
• Candy Canes
• Hot Chocolate mix
• Mini Marshmallows
• A favoured chocolate (mini Celebrations)
• Chocolate Christmassy shapes
• Costa Giftcard

All the foods you know she likes in mini versions.

The Desirables…

• Make Up
• Nail polish
• Underwear
• Socks
• Umberella
• Mug
• Candles
• Puzzle books
• Tree decorations
• Jewellery
• Stationery
• Gloves
• Diary
• Notepads
• Toys
• Teddies
• Books
• Purse
• Slippers
• Photo book

The list is endless. Consider all the hobbies she likes doing and again find mini versions; she likes to travel – buy her a passport holder or travel documents wallet. Photo books are also cute little gifts she would love this Christmas. Include all your favourite memories together from that holiday or just nights out with your mates. Or why not turn it into a cute calendar? I find the best place to shops for these is the Snapfish website.

The Gifts for HIM

Again, as with the ladies, men can also be very difficult to buy for. I choose to separate the gifts into categories also; necessities, edibles and quirky things.

The Necessities:

• Body wash
• Body moisturiser
• Face cream
• Shaving cream
• Razors
• Hair gel
• Deodrant
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Mouth wash
• Tooth paste
• Tooth brush

I’m sure you get the idea…

The Edibles

• Chocolate coins
• Chocolate Santa’s
• Chocolate shapes ie; DIY Tools
• Popping candy
• Tea bags
• Hot Chocolate mix

Very similar to the ladies.

The Quirky Gifts

• Underwear
• Socks
• Tie
• Bracelets
• Gloves
• Stationery
• Gadgets
• Wooly hat
• Phone case
• Headphones
• Beer
• Belt buckle
• Wallet
• Books
• Puzzle books
• Pint glass
• Diary
• Toys

To be more specific with some of the above (because I know it can be really hard to shop for men). When I say stationary and you could include ‘men pens’ which tend to be like 4 in 1 and have a screwdriver on the end and a spirit level in the middle! This could also come under gadgets along with USB hubs. These can come in all different shapes and characters, so you can really find the perfect one. Pint glasses can be serious gifts or you can make them quirky, for example some shops offer inflatable pint glasses or ones with moustache’s printed on them. You could go a little further (depending on how quirky you want the gift to be) and get a pint glass, or mug, with ‘TWAT’ wrote along the bottom.

Men, similarly to ladies, have hobbies so again think about what they like and find versions of this. An example and TOP TIP this year is to consider they’re favourite sports teams and usually they have a merchandise store. This doesn’t just mean sports wear, but they actually can put the teams badge on to virtually anything!! This is where most of my money will be going this year for the Mister!

The Kids

A little more tricky because if they don’t like something they make it very obvious. The categories are again necessities, edibles and quirkiness. You can even throw an extra one in (depending how sensible you’d like to be), education.

The Necessities:

• Body wash
• Sponge
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Bubble bath (in a fun, child friendly bottle!)
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Fragrance set (for young teens)

Again, you get the picture!

The Edibles:

• Chocolate coins
• Chocolate Santa’s
• Christmassy Chocolate shapes
• Candy canes
• Vintage sweet collections
• Desirable cereal (ie; lucky charms)
• Biscuits
• Favourite chocolates in mini versions

Very similar to the adults section.

The Quirky Gifts:

• Socks
• Underwear
• Gloves
• Scarf
• Toys
• Teddies
• Baking set
• Puzzles
• Magician set
• Doll
• Diary
• Gadgets (USB sticks in funny characters or shapes)
• Jewellery
• Craft sets
• Snow globes
• Phone case
• Phone holder
• Coaster
• Poster (any merchandise from their favourite band!)

Again, for kids, the list is endless. Toys can range from something as little as a bouncy ball, to something a lot vaster like a Barbie or race car. It depends on how much you want to spend per item. (See ‘The Budget’ section above).

The Educational Items:

• Notepads
• Stationary (try to make this quirky/colourful)
• Pencil case (with their favourite band or cartoon is best)
• Dictionary (‘my first dictionary’ is a good starter)
• Calculator (and other mathematic tools)
• Books
• Diary
• School bag

Consider the childs age and then buy educational items accordingly. A 14 year old boy isn’t going to appreciate an action man pencil case, but he might love an angry birds one!

With children just remember; they love to eat things that aren’t good for them and play till their hearts content!

The Shops

So, I’ve provided you with, hopefully, some great ideas to help you out this Christmas. Now you’re probably wondering where to get it all from? Here is a list of shops and sites that have been helpful to me and are great for all kinds of gifts at great prices!

• Wilkinson
• Tesco
• Ebay
• Avon
• Amazon
• Play
• Anne Haak (or other jewellery sites)
• Sport merchandise sites
• JD sports
• WH Smith
• Hobby Craft
• Iceland (chocolate goods)
• Garden centres
• Sweet shops
• Co-op
• Superdrug
• Boots
• The Works
• Thornton’s
• H&M
• Snapfish
• Debenhams
• NextThis list truly is endless…

I hope this has helped you conjer up some ideas for your stocking fillers this Christmas. Please share this blog entry around to help others around you with their Christmas lists too.

Think you can add more to the list? Help us out by adding to the comment section below…

Thank you for visiting. Best wishes for your happy holidays x