Do you have a method to your stockings?

[mamabluestar]

Stockings weren't a tradition when I was younger. Last year DD started talking about getting one a day or so before Christmas, so it was a very last minute affair. I'm hoping to be more organised this year and wondered if anyone has tips for a novice or a method to what you put in your family's stockings. I may do one for me and hubby to, so any adult and children (4 and nearly 8) tips would be gratefully received. Thank you ?

I do them for my dds, 11 and 10, and ds who is 4. I also do one for my 17yo dsis as mum stopped bothering years ago and we were all outraged!
For my dc, they have sacks which include some of the things they have asked fc for and then other smallish things I have chosen.
Eg, went to smiggle today and those things will go in. Pens, notebooks, scented pencils.
They each get a lush bar. Hair accessories, harajuku perfumes, smellies, Claire's do Lip balm packs in fun flavours, minecraft hoodies an plush toys, adventure time tshirts, photo album for dd into photography, cookie cutters, when they were younger, things like sylvanians people to add to sets, or more marbles for marble run etc.

Ds is 4, he will have some character things that he's into, a magic flannel thing, torch, play doh, converse, zoggs swimming toys...

Haven't really started my shopping yet so I'm just thinking as I go along. They get loads in their stockings, but they are more on the consumable side so they dont hang around forever!

I don't put much edible in ours as the kids are inclined to eat it all, then not want lunch. Last yer I added a small box of cocopops for breakfast, a mini gingerbread house and a smarties penguin.
I normally put something in that I normally refuse to buy so it makes it more 'believable' that they're from santa, not me eg. the cocopops, playdo, science putty.
I try to keep cost low as I have 5 children, but I don't like putting in useless tat as it's a waste of money.
I always add a multipack of pants and socks, often a toothbrush/paste and some kind of shower gel/bath stuff.
I learnt quickly not to do annuals as they don't fit!
Small fun things like finger lights catapult helicopters, flashing bouncy ball, spinning top with a pen in the middle, loom bands, phone case for the oldest.
Pound shops can be good for stationery items.

Btw, in our house we do stockings and main present from santa, everything else from us.
Last year I spent £50 on stockings for the 5 kids (although youngest was 4 months, so not an equal spend(.
Total spend was around £700 for me, dh, 5 kids and 6 other adults.

Tangerine-coin-comic item-toy-book-small clothing/accessory item-chocolate. At most, it might be less. Stockings will bankrupt you unless you stay disciplined!

I love love love doing stockings.

We have certain items that are always present, like character underwear/socks. Top Trumps are usually present too. Lego minifigures or Mixels perhaps.

I do try and make it basically equal for the two DCs, they like the same stuff so it's pretty easy to make them equivalent even if a couple of things differ (eg possibly a little Transformer for DS, but DD doesn't like those)

I'm not keen on tat really but would generally include one silly fun item.

I have 2DC and example stockings would be something like:

DD (now 8.5)
DVD
Magic flannel
Mini lip balm
bouncy ball
Chocolate santa
hair bobbles / band
top trumps

DS ( now 5.5)
DVD
Magic Flannel
colouring stuff
Bouncy ball
chocolate santa
top trumps dinos
wind up Dino

My only rules is that there is a always a chocolate santa and a soft toy (though that may go as they get older) and always something I wouldn't buy myself normally.

My formula for my three was:
Something to eat
Something to read
Something to play with
Something to cuddle
Something to listen to
Something to wear

Main presents were opened downstairs

I too go with what grannycake said. I don't spend a fortune and do put a lot of thought into it and add personal touches to make it special.

I do have a method to my stockings.

I always put in a book, a craft activity type thing, a small toy and/or game, a gingerbread man, a satsuma, chocolate coins, and something "snuggly". The snuggly thing could be something to wear (socks, gloves, hat), or something like a hot water bottle, or little cuddly toy or even hot chocolate. Then one "useful" thing each, which could be anything really, but has to fit into the stocking, so it can't be too big!
I find that number of things fill the stocking nicely without it being too tightly stuffed.

As far as I can, I try to buy things with a Christmas or Winter theme - last year I got some ice skating Sylvanian families and some Arctic-themed Lego for the small toys.

The DC always have the same number of presents, as they tend to open them together.
I wrap them in different paper from any of the other presents, (usually tissue paper), and I have a different colour for each child so it is easy to quickly fill all the stockings without getting mixed up - I don't write labels for stocking presents.
I only do stockings for children, not adults.

Ds will be 3 this year. He will get
Satsuma
Novelty chocolate
Toothbrush
Various bits and bobs e.g bouncy ball, flannel, stickers, small book, crayons. I look in pounds hops and also museum gift shops for little things. The idea is to keep him in bed for a few minutes longer so things he can do straight away are good.

No there is no method!

I put some satsumas in although DD hates them! and basically whatever will fit in it!

Little bits, so this year, saw some heavily reduced wind up minions toys, they will go in, a little note pad, hair clips, some choclate tubes...stuff like that!Q

My method is to go to the pound shop and spend a fiver on each of them.

Something you want
Something you need
Something to eat
something to read

I am a miser

Finding books small enough to fit in a stocking is usually the hardest part. I wrap annuals up as tree presents and try to find nice miniature versions of classics or something like The Snowman.

I am obsessed with stockings.

Always a soft toy and some sort of trumpet sticking out of the top.
Nuts and a Satsuma in the toe.
Ours must also include a sugar mouse and bags of gold and silver chocolate coins.
Everything is wrapped in coloured tissue paper and tied with ribbons or tinsel so looks totally different to normal Christmas wrapping paper.

I BLOOMIN' LOVE STOCKINGS! I'm 30 and mum STILL does stockings for my brothers and I. She now does one for my DP and DS (he'll be 15 months this Christmas). The stockins she does tend to have socks, stationery, maybe something from the Boots 3 for 2 and LOTS of treats. I tend to be eating stocking chocolate for weeks!

I do a stocking for DP and also one for mum. His tends to have some cool socks and pants, a keyring, chocolates, a small multi-tool, maybe a holder for his train ticket this year and definitely some nice single malt miniatures from the Whisky shop. I fill mum's with posh Hotel Chocolat chocs, I have bought a wee purse from Accessorize, a small, handbag-sized bottle of her favourite perfume, a pair of pants, a couple of No7 bits, some Baileys and Cointreau miniatures and anything else I can find. I tend to go all out for her. I won't be doing a stocking for DS this year as we are staying with mum this year and I think one is enough for a tiny boy who will, no doubt, prefer to play with a pile of wrapping paper than actual gifts.

I only do a stocking for DS (6) and do have a loose method. There's always:

Chocolate coins
A tube of sweets
Character boxer shorts
Character socks
A smallish toy (usually Lego)
One or two novelty items (this year it's a spy pen and light up bouncy ball)
Anything else small that he needs eg gloves, stationery etc

I don't get books as he always gets a box set from the book people so they wouldn't fit!

My top tip with stockings is not to buy too much too early. I'm very disciplined when it comes to main/ family presents but I get a serious case of The Twitch when it comes to stockings. I keep a list on my phone so that I can write things down when I get a good idea.
Also, keep each item down to no more than £5, otherwise it's not really a stocking present.

My two (dd - 6 and ds - 2) will usually get a net of chocolate coins and a satsuma as well as a chocolate snowman or Santa (and last year, because I twitched, a pack of Haribo Minions......)

They both also get socks and this year - for the first time - they'll BOTH get pants (starting to potty train DS).

There'll be some kind of novelty toiletry for them both - Thomas the Tank engine bubble bath and Frozen shampoo last year.

They'll also both get a book - I'm planning on getting Matilda by Roald Dahl for DD this year. DS will get a colouring book and DD will get a book of puzzles.

Last year I knit them both an animal hat - DS had a lion and DD a rabbit. I'm thinking bedsocks for DD this year and mittens for DS, but we'll see if I have time.

They're also both getting swimming goggles this year - DD's have broken and DS will be getting his first pair.

And once I've got all those, I'll keep an eye out for some fun toys and other things they'll like. Frozen Top Trumps were a huge hit with DD last year - just something that caught my eye at the checkout. I don't want the stocking to be so full of 'planned' gifts that I don't have space or money to buy some whimsical last minute things.

No real method here, other than picking up odd bits and pieces as I see them throughout the year. I started in the January sales when I saw some traditional wooden/metal puzzles in Sainsbos which had been significantly reduced, so I grabbed a load of those.
DS's stocking is fairly small so I try to keep things small to fit in. There's always some sort of chocolate and sweets although I will get minimal this year as he still has the chocolate Santa from last year...

We always had stockings when I was little and DH has to do one for me now - it's not Christmas otherwise for me (big kid at heart). My mum, who is in her 80s, has had one every Christmas since she was born. Her parents did it first, then my Dad and now since he died 25 years ago, one of us will do one for her.

I also do one for DH. So the 'rules' for our stockings are:

Something nice to eat. Choc raisins for DH as he loves them and something not chocolate for DS as he hates chocolate.

Something to read that can be rolled - so a puzzle book for DH and a comic for DS.

A game of some sort - travel game for DH and a kiddie version or a card game for DS

Something to wear - usually socks!

Then something like a key ring or mini torch for DH and a pencil/pen or mini torch (I found some great ones at Yellow Moon with ghosts on them so DS had that last year)

Our stockings get hung on the banister by DS before bed on Christmas Eve and, miraculously, they are full on Christmas day! That's the sign that the big man has been - if the stockings look flat it's time to go back to bed!

It's just something to open over breakfast really so nothing too expensive or elaborate.

I used to when mine were little, mainly to buy a couple of hours more sleep . Everything was wrapped thoroughly with lots of Sellotape.

They also had a Christmas Eve Hamper

Main presents after breakfast.

It helped to disperse the excitement and meant they had a few new things to keep them busy.

This year DS will be 16 and DD will be 13.6

No stockings but we do the Christmas Eve Hamper- new PJs, underwear, bath stuff, jar of sweets, Lindt chocolate deer, annual, nice pens.

Their proper presents are now in tiny boxes and of the ££ but few variety.

Just remembered another reason why I don't buy things too early anymore. I got lots of Peppa Pig stuff for DD in a summer sale a couple of years ago, but by the time Christmas rolled round, she'd moved on and wasn't that interested in it. So hang fire on anything character-based until a week or so before. Also, if they've developed a recent interest in something, it's extra exciting to find that Santa knows about it.

Bubble bath, chocolate coins, a new tooth brush and a small cuddly toy are the only essentials. I then just put a few of DD's smaller presents inside. This year (so far) she has a tub of magic sand (which might transfer to the main pile if it is too big), a paw patrol night light, some tattoo gel pens and Skye cuddly from Paw Patrol.

My sons are all six footers now, but I still do stockings for them, my Mum and DH.
For the boys, I've a look ways tried to include things that I might need to buy anyway, so new pants and socks, PJs or t shirt, pens/pecils/paint, notebooks, mini smellies for those who use them , a chocolate orange, a book. Some sort of fidget toy for the youngest who even now can't sit still on the sofa. Mini transformer or Lego when they were younger. Top trumps. Rubbersxand pencil sharpeners, a mini torch or gadget, small puzzles. A favourite magazine or comic rolled up. I'd always try to get something they could play together, like little racing cars, or those things that climb down windows. These days Santa normally brings a joint family present, like a board game.

DC are 6 and 8. Theirs always contain:

Variety-sized box of Coco Pops (never allowed in the house usually!)
Chocolate coins
Tube of sweets e.g. Jelly Tots
Beano/Dandy annuals (can just squeeze into our stockings!)
Trading cards (whatever they're into - Yugioh this year)
A cuddly toy (Minecraft ones this year)
Small bit of Lego e.g. Minifigure or Mixel
Colouring pens and notepad (activity or sticker book when they were younger)

Plus one or two bits of pure tat as we don't 'do' tat for big presents! Glow sticks went down well last year. This year they have an 'invisible ink' pen, a small calculator and a dinosaur excavation model thingy so far. Tiger is a really good shop for this kind of thing.

I love stockings I wish I still got one!

Having a teenage DS my 'formula' seems to be Lynx, socks, Lynx, boxer shorts, Lynx and a few chocolates .......... and more Lynx .