Affordable and Adorable: 75 Stocking Stuffer Ideas They'll Love

The Christmas stocking is a symbol of the season – and a joy to empty on Christmas Day. Who doesn’t love upending a bright stocking to reveal a lapful of goodies?

The task of filling those stockings, however, might not be so sweet. Filling a Christmas stocking can be surprisingly challenging. Sure, you can tuck in a gift card or a jewelry box, but expensive gifts deserve to have a moment of their own.

To achieve the most gratifying silhouette of a bulging stocking, the stuff you put in it should be simple, small and not too expensive. Finding items like that can be difficult – but it isn’t impossible.

The shops you visit frequently, like the supermarket and the home improvement store, are some of the best places to find stocking stuffers!

For a few weeks, at least, stop shopping on auto-pilot. Look around. Stroll the aisles you don’t normally go down. During the holidays, end-cap displays are full of small grab-and-go gifts that make perfect stocking fillers.

A budget-friendly “pro tip” is to start stockpiling your stocking treats well before Christmas. Buy a few items each time you make your regular shopping trip.

Want more ideas? Christmas Central offers stocking stuffer suggestions for every interest and age.

Some of the best stocking stuffers are edible! Whether you buy them at the grocery store, discount store or a local chocolatier, Christmas stocking stuffers you can eat provide instant gratification. Here are a few edible stocking stuffer ideas to consider:

1. Theater-sized candy boxes

2. Fine chocolate bars or wrapped truffles

3. Chewing gum and mints

4. Single packets of specialty hot chocolate mix

5. Flavored tea

6. Traditional fruits (orange, apple) or nuts

7. Granola or protein bars

8. Hydration powder packets

9. Specialty hot sauce

10. Specialty spices

Explore a kitchen full of Christmas stocking stuffer ideas perfect for people with a passion for food. Small kitchen gadgets can be a big hit with your resident or future chef. Scour the baking aisle or sift through your nearest food or kitchen specialty store for fun gifts. You’ll find utensils you may never even have known existed. Consider buying two and tucking one into your own stocking!

11. Microplane zester/grater

12. Hand-held juicer

13. Apple corer

14. Bench scraper

15. Olive oil spray bottle

16. Silicone spatula, scraper or whisk

17. Measuring spoons with leveler

18. Mini avocado masher

19. Mini mise en place meal prep bowls

20. Collapsible funnel set

21. Spoon rest

22. Chip clips

23. Meat thermometer

24. Small serving tongs

25. Garlic press

26. Assistive jar opener

27. Kitchen tweezers

28. Herb scissors/stripper

29. Chilling stones (whiskey stones)

30. Wine glass charms

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Do you love giving gifts that are handy? Check out your local hardware store for cheap stocking stuffers they can really use. These are especially appropriate for home fixers, college students and anyone who just moved into a new place. Here are some “handy” ideas to fill stockings – and tool boxes.

31. Small screwdrivers (easily misplaced and you can never have too many!)

32. Miniature screwdrivers (crafts, eyeglass adjustments)

33. Wrenches

34. Allen wrench set

35. Pliers

36. Measuring tape

37. Hand-held flashlight

38. Keychain multi-tool

39. Zip ties

40. Clamps

If you know someone who loves spending time in the garden, give a stocking stuffer you’ve hand-picked just for them!

41. Hand trowel, spade or fork

42. Pruning shears

43. Seed packets

44. Gardening gloves

45. Dibber

46. Plant support clips

47. Plant markers

48. Natural insect repellent

49. Wind chimes

50. Nail brush (for washing up)

If you think gimmick gifts are a waste of money, consider these practically perfect stocking gift ideas that are inexpensive, easy add-ons to your grocery or drug store order. People can always use more of the personal care items they use every day, so it’s always a good idea to have a spare on hand. Consider elevating the product they normally use by substituting a fancier brand. Or buy a little indulgence, like a facial packet, eye shadow set, aromatherapy oils or glycerin soaps.

51. Lip balm

52. Hand cream

53. Pocket-sized scented sanitizing hand gel

54. Nail clippers

55. Breath mints/strips

56. Comb

57. Toothpaste

58. Toothbrush replacement heads

59. Cozy socks

60. Cellphone rest

Sure, most things for kids that aren’t insanely large (play equipment, strollers) are incredibly small. But tiny doesn’t mean insignificant. Take your child’s personality and interests into account – and maybe even that tantrum they had in the store last week – to find the perfect little items to fill their Christmas stockings.

1. Hair accessories

2. Trading card game cards (ie. Pokemon, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!)

3. Card games

4. Sidewalk chalk

5. Crayons, colored markers or pencils

6. Play putty

7. Toy cars

8. Hand-held puzzles & brain teasers

9. Fun socks

10. Mini jigsaw puzzles

11. Bath toys

12. Mini building brick set

13. Inexpensive bracelets, earrings, charms

14. Reusable stickers

15. Mini craft set

Of course, this list doesn’t begin to touch on all the fantastic stocking stuffers you could buy for the hobbyist, sports fan, athlete, techie, gamer … you get the idea.

Whether you’re tucking in candy, practical finds or playful surprises for kids, stocking stuffers are about creating a moment — that instant of excitement when a stocking is turned upside down and the treasures spill out. With a little thought and creativity you can find a small gift that fits the recipient as well as their Christmas sock.

And, after all that careful choosing, it’s worth giving a little thought to the stocking itself, too.

Christmas stockings may play a supporting role, but they’re still an important part of the Christmas morning experience. A great stocking helps set the tone for the day.

If yours is starting to show its age, a fresh one can bring new life to a favorite tradition. Take a minute to browse Christmas Central’s extensive selection of Christmas stockings for adults, kids and pets.

Whether you’re looking for something classic, colorful, oversized or non-traditional, Christmas Central has Christmas stockings for every style — plus stocking holders and even coordinating tree skirts to tie the whole look together.

After all, a great stocking can be just as fun to fill as it is to empty!

St. Nicholas of Myra is credited with beginning the tradition of placing gifts in stockings. Legend says that he anonymously tossed bags of gold down the chimney of the home of a poor father to provide dowries for his three daughters. The gold landed in the stockings the girls had hung by the fire to dry, leading to another tradition – hanging stockings on the fireplace mantel.

Traditional stocking stuffers include fruits, like oranges, which were once considered exotic novelties. Nuts, candy canes, coins and small toys might also be included.

Parents often threaten that naughty children will get coal in their Christmas stocking, instead of toys or treats. Kids today might not even know what coal is. However, years ago a dirty, black lump of coal was, at best, worthless to a child, and at worst a symbol of sin.