knit pig, made with BC alpaca yarn – still needs to be felted and finished with snout and eyes

The Christmas stocking is one of the most favoured holiday traditions.  Children originally used regular socks but now decorated Christmas stockings are often the norm, and filled with trinkets and small gifts, often personalized for the individual receiving them.

Finding enough goodies to fill a Christmas stocking can be a daunting task, and while you may want to purchase some or all of the stocking items you can make many things yourself.

Here’s my guide to a DIY Christmas stocking:

• Candles.  Try rolling your own beeswax candles – head to your local craft store for sheets of beeswax, which burns longer than regular wax, has a nice aroma, and is non-toxic.  Roll up the sheets into tapered candles and you’re good to go!
• Bath salts.  Very easy to make at home – combine epsom salt and/or sea salt with baking soda, and add 10 or so drops of essential oil (lavender is very relaxing).  You can also add dried flowers/herbs.  I bought some jars from the local thrift shop for $2 each that I will decorate with ribbons once they’re filled.  More homemade bath salt recipes here.
• Jarred goods. I am a big fan of pickling, and if you get the little pickling jars you can knock off 2 dozen jars in a pinch.  I plan to do gift sets of 3: one jar of mini cucumbers (pickles), one jar of carrots and green beans, and another jar of broccoli and cauliflower.  Homemade jelly is also another option.  Decorate with some ribbon and home-made stickers and you’re set!
• Wind chimes.
• Photos.  Most of us can print of great quality photos on our home printers now – you can even hit up the local thrift store for some cheap $1 frames so the photos look a bit more finished.  So many photos are left in the digital realm these days, it’s nice to receive an actual printed photograph.
• Write out some of your favourite recipes on recipe cards.  Wrap with a ribbon, and try to personalize to the recipient’s tastes.
• A personal letter.  We often forget what Christmas is really about – write a letter to the person and reminisce about memories you have from the past year, or some of your favourite things about them.  This is a very thoughtful gift to include in a stocking.
• Samples/travel sized items.  Could be perfume samples, travel sewing kit, shampoo/conditioner, anything goes really.

Other great little things that you can include that may cost you a bit of money include:

• Magazines
• Lotto tickets
• Small games such as marbles, jacks or playing cards.  Instruction manuals on new games to play are fun, and give the family something to do once the stockings are opened!
• Lip balm
• Personal hygiene items like razors, soap, nail clippers/files
• Socks
• DVDs/CDs
• Crossword puzzle books
• Booze.  A mini-sized Baileys to throw in with that morning coffee or a nice import beer are great stocking stuffers – for adults.

Remember, the more personal your stocking stuffer (and other) gifts are, the more memorable and cherished they will be!

Have additional ideas for stocking stuffers? Leave your suggestions below.