You may have spent so long sorting the gifts under the tree that you’ve forgotten all about one of Christmas’s longstanding traditions… the stocking, of course.
Whether you have a classic large sock shape dangling above the fireplace, a sack at the end of your child’s bed, or a little hamper of gifts waiting for them by their bedroom door, there’s no better way to start the big day than wading through a bulging stocking.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing the right stocking stuffers, but we believe a balanced mix is key, particularly when you have a younger audience to impress. However, we opted for fillers which are small in size and relatively low in price, with many costing less than £10 and taking next to no time to wrap, too.
Stocking fillers have an association with inexpensive yet “cheery” guff, but we wanted to avoid one-off gimmicks, steer clear of single-use plastic and give yet another meaningless toy a wide berth. We wanted to only recommend things that could be used again and again, were good quality, and in many cases have considered sustainability.
We suggest you tick off the classics such as socks and smellies, but also leave some space for festive-inspired gifts like the Christmas Jellycat (£33.95, Thats-mine.co.uk) which will add some yuletide spirit, and don’t forget to include something that’ll keep them occupied while they wait for the Christmas lunch feast. Our round up has something to suit everyone, from football fanatics to burgeoning bakers.
The world really is your oyster when it comes to stocking fillers, making it somewhat tricky to test in a pragmatic order. Other than size and price, we examined each product ourselves for quality and ease of use, before letting loose with our mini testers (aged four, six and 12). We were looking for fillers that piqued interest before using, whether wearing or playing with the gift in question.
