The Ultimate Stocking Stuffer Guide

It’s time to start preparing people! I love doing the stockings and advent gifts every year. They’ve always been a big deal in our family and when I got married my in-laws showed me how to take it to the next level. We thought we were good, but they really blew me out of the water. My husband’s aunt still gives me a bag of Lancome makeup in my stocking every year – you know the ones that come as a gift with purchase? I get the cute bag and all kinds of cute little samples in it. There is always something thoughtful that shows they really know us- a hobby item – for me something crafty, for someone else it might be golf tees or bookmarks.

I’ve prepared some tips and lists for quick access to some great ideas to try for stocking stuffers!

Tips for great stockings:

Plentiful and overflowing, but useful
Buy the good candy, pick everyone’s favorite
Be thoughtful – think of the person and what they want or use
Buy in bulk to save money, value packs broken up
Guitar picks make great scratcher-offers
If you have too much for the stocking use a little gift bag as back up
Take price tags off
Take items out of bulky packaging
Five something unique to them – e.g. you know they love candles, give them matches
Hit the travel-sized section for beauty products and fun small things.
Try to include something sentimental or traditional – like a new ornament every year

Money-saving tips:

If you have a big family it can get expensive so start planning early! Throughout the year pick up the little things that are on clearance, or on end caps, or in discount packs. Keep a bag hanging in a closet hidden away and stow your treasures there. I used to keep them in an old travel suitcase in the attic.

Buy in bulk! Don’t just by a single chapstick – buy the 10 pack and split it up. Buy the multi-pack of cozy socks and split ‘em up! Buy the gift pack of little booze bottles and…split ‘em up! You get the idea 🙂

If you are into yard sales – like I am – you can buy new or almost new things for pennies on the dollar all summer long. I once got an entire shopping bag full of action figures and cars for $2!

The great thing about kid stockings is they are supposed to be from Santa anyway so new packaging is not required, perfect for this kind of find. In fact on that note, please please please remember to take off price tags! That is how I discovered the secret of Santa when I was a kid – mom was a tad lazy with that one! Take off the freaking price tags! Take out of the packaging whenever possible.

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