What is your one UNUSUAL stocking filler that others maybe haven't thought of?

[NorbertDentressangle]

Inspired by the stocking filler thread I noticed that we all tend to put the same old crap gifts in but occasionally you come across something that no-one else seems to have thought of.

My tip is (and this is very popular with my DD and some friends DC): pieces of rough cut gems/crystals/quartz or polished gemstones.

A lot of places sell them from about £1 each upwards, you can also fill a little gift bag for a set price. It appeals to the sciencey types and the magpie-types that just like sparkly things

Whats your tip?

Tin of fancy plasters
Post-it notes.

And I always put a carton of juice, and a small packet of plaininsh but interesting biscuits in the vain hope that they will eat them before they eat the chocolate!

And a comic.

Will defo do the cereal idea is fab!

One of those little expanding flannels too DS would love that.

Fab thread and some fab ideas on here! I am far too boring to think of anything good of my own LOL.

MistleThrush either you had a cold house or Father Christmas must have called late at your house - wouldn't it go off?

We got a small packet of German christmas biscuits, always a book (to read before waking parents) a chocolate orange (in the toe) and paper (for writing thank you letters on)

SantaPaws we always hung stockings on the end of our beds and Father Christmas filled them overnight - they were small silly presents which we didn't have to thank anyone for (as they came from Father Christmas, not from parents) and could play with early in the morning when we woke up.

Does anyone else remember/know of large (4" high?) dark chocolate letters, individually boxed? We always used to get our initial but when I tried to look for them a few years ago I couldn't find them anywhere - I think they were German?

Each family is different but in our house, the 'stocking' was a pillowcase, and it was left on the bottom of our beds. This became a problem when I was old enough to be coming in from the pub on Xmas eve and my poor mother had to wait up for me to get to bed and fall asleep!

If you are crafty, you can personalise the stocking, which kids love.

In Scotland, you get a Broons or Oor Wullie book (cartoons) but I believe these are now available outside Scotland and online of course. We also had as standard: satsuma, loose change, sherbet dib dab, chocolate coins etc and loads of other good stuff.

One year I asked for - and got - a fresh pineapple! That cereal idea sounds great too.

once got my sister a g-string and put it into a tiny winnie the poo tin

she loved it

Creme horn - yes, bedrooms were unheated, cream horn was wrapped!

I think a small but attractive stocking may be better on the basis that you can have some quite nice little things in it as it doesn't cost a fortune to fill it.

FC used to bring one main present with the stocking - later just brought stocking and left on the outside of the door...

Ds (3.5) already talking about what FC might bring this year. He had better start behaving a bit better, otherwise FC might not be very generous!

Oh yes, socks - we always have socks. Mind you, last year FC was foolish enough to believe H&M's sizing and DD has only jsut grown into the tights she got in her stocking

we always got a sack of gifts. this year i am defo getting 2 the same.

one to hang, one already filled, becuase dd6 is a very light sleeper. I know its all in the fun, but belive me, it was a mightmare last yr trying to put them in the sack.

Hawkins Bazaar is on-line. Very good.
last year boys played for hours with a thumb-print drawing set. Tiny ink stamp and instructions on how to turn your thumb-rpint into many little animals etc.
My eldest is `10 and is harder and harder to find stuff he hasn't already got. Bubble mixture. marbles. still popular. Also baloon moddelling kits with little pump.
Lush soaps popular eith my boys - not to er, actually Wash with, just to sniff! Also, cheap halloween novelties like rubber skeletons go down very well in my experiences

Great thread! 2 stockings is the only way. I have always done that too much hassle to try and creep in and creep out and fill stocking, also can save time by filling days before hand, one less thing to worry about on crimbo eve. I sound very clever saying that, but have not achieved it every year. Packets of seeds are always a good stocking filler, sunflower seeds are great fun.

MorrisZapp - bless your poor mum for waiting for you to come in from the pub and bless her for doing it for so long, just made me think "awwww, what a lovely mum"

x

My DM and I used to wrap & fill stockings together (from when I was about 15 or so) and then disappear into separate rooms to do each other's - the first year I wasn't home for Christmas I did a combined family stocking for them.

No way I can afford that this year

We always got lots of things my mother would have bought us during the year anyway, to bulk out the 'real' presents. Twas years before I realised.

I would get:

-sellotape and/or glue;
-felt tip pens/crayons;
-coloured paper;
-vests;
-tights and socks.

Some of these things would then disappear away until old ones were used up.

We also always used to get an apple, a satsuma and some chocolate coins.

Hawkins and \link{http://www.sillyjokes.co.uk/p-jokes/index.html\sillyjokes do a £15 prefilled stocking which i take apart and wrap each thing individually

grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

stealthsquiggle - the dutch have those letters for sinterklaas... could it be them - try de heer? Not sure who does Dutch supplies over here, but must be possible!

Poppycake you are a genius - those are the ones! Unfortunately the only supplier I can find appears to be in Canada

SS - you could learn to make chocolate and try these?

what about these?

loving all the ideas here - have got pen and paper and making a list!

Fab thread! Love the disbosable camera idea.

I got the girl Matey bubble bath from dp's grandparents last year. im 21!

DS has got one of thoses personalised christmas books this year, i had the identical one (except from my name not his) when i was a child, that will be going in his stocking.

JKS - that second link looks perfect - if a bit expensive - I might get those instead of stocking presents for parents, DB, etc - THANK YOU!

anytime - should be doing jobs but MN/Googling is much more appealing

I usually pop to my local poundland and find some great little bits in there at Christmas. Pens and things like that with chocolate santa's also go to Primark and get kids Pj's in there at the moment they have HSM Pj's etc