What makes a great stocking stuffer?

Ask 100 people about what makes a great stocking stuffer, and you’ll get a considerable variety of answers. There isn’t even consensus within my own house! My husband likes practical items he can use right away like sharpies and zip ties. My daughter likes mini Squishmallows and anything to do with Taylor Swift. Although my teenage son would shrug and say, “I don’t know”, anything edible is going to make him very happy!

I recently stumbled upon my husband’s childhood Christmas stocking. It was from another era entirely - another century in fact.  It was worn and stained, but clearly hand-made with love by his mother. But most striking, was its small size. It was just big enough for a single mandarin orange, a couple matchbox cars and a candy cane. The stockings I crafted for our kids are considerably larger than my husband’s childhood stocking, but they’re still small enough to hang on the mantel. When thinking about appropriate stocking stuffers, the first criteria I consider is size. Size matters because most Christmas stockings are relatively small. 

Next, the most satisfying stocking is stuffed with a variety of gifts.  I share my husband’s preference for the practical, but I also like to be surprised by color, beauty, and a whimsical vibe. While he tends to like a package of plain Post-It notes, I prefer the colorful page flags in my Gardener and Happy box collections. When I was a kid, I was always excited to find that Santa had left a few chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil. There was nothing quite like chocolate, sugar, and the suggestion of newfound pirate bullion to get a kid excited! I would like to think that my tastes have become a bit more refined with age, so I now much prefer a box of fancy chocolates (found in the Date Night or Relaxation boxes) or fancy tea (Sunshine or Date Night). Something to make me feel pampered is also a sure fire hit for me. I like to find bath salts (Date Night or Relaxation), a fun piece of jewelry (Smile or Positivity) or nail wraps (Sunshine or Positivity) tucked in my sock. Of course, getting a little chuckle is always a great gift.  Funny pencils (Date Night), snarky socks (Momma) or pretty much the entire Whimsy Box of items, will put a smile on your face.

Some of my most cherished items I’ve received for Christmas are from my kids. The drawing of “mommy and me” where we are depicted as giant round heads and stick legs is proudly framed on my art wall. The pinch pot mug that can’t actually hold any liquid has an honored spot in among our other mugs. Now that my kids are older and much more capable at chores, my time for cashing in on the classic coupons book for housework and breakfast in bed is coming up!   All of these examples bring me to one of my favorite types of stocking stuffers- unique and handmade items. Anyone can grab a bottle of hand lotion, Chapstick, or candy bar from Safeway. While I probably do need a new ChapStick, I think my last one went through the wash in my sweater pocket, none of those things are very exciting to open. Unique handmade items are incredibly fun to open. I love the care and thought that many artists put into their work. I love supporting their creativity. Therefore, handmade items are always a hit in my book!

 The final – and most important – quality of a good stocking stuffer is MAGIC; Magic created by the surprise of not knowing what you’ll discover. At Primrose & May you have the option.  You can choose a box filled with gifts we reveal before your purchase (Date Night, Sunshine, Gardener, Momma, Relaxation, the list goes on) OR you can save the surprise for Christmas morning by choosing a mystery box (Whimsy, Book Lover, Get Crafty etc.)

 No matter what items end up in your stocking this Christmas, I hope you feel the love and magic of the holiday season.