Everybody’s Favorite Stocking Stuffers

December 14, 2021

Stocking Stuffers aren’t usually top-of-mind holiday gifts. They’re more of an afterthought , “Oh this would make a cute little trinket.” Maybe because they are quickly unwrapped and then forgotten almost as fast.

But we’ve curated a list of whimsical pint-sized gifts—all under $20—that are sure to be well liked and well-used! In fact some of these handy gadgets will make Christmas shopping for friends and loved ones a winter breeze!

Frivolous and Functional

In her popular blog post Practical Stocking Stuffers, Modern Mrs. Darcy strives for the perfect combination of practicality and quality in her gifts. She’s assembled 100 little prezzies that range pocket lights and manicure kits, to gifts for foodies, book lovers and more. We’ve upped the ante to make our list of stocking stuffers downright delightful.

You simply can’t beat playsilks for imaginative play! Kids of all ages will take these vivid multi-colored scarves, soft as silk (because they are!), and turn them into capes, head scarves, skirts, playhouses, boat sails, costumes of all kinds, rivers, mountains, and more. And they conveniently fit into stockings of all sizes!

Upcycled Spoons, Reading Lights and Hooks

Book lovers of all ages are accustomed to using whatever they have on hand as a bookmark—a piece of junk mail, a pencil, a paperclip. But when they reach in their stocking and discover one of these upcycled hand-stamped spoons embossed with a clever quote, they are sure to always have this bookmark on hand!

This blue-light-blocking amber clip-on reading light by Hooga from Amazon is sleep and travel-friendly with two brightness settings. With a rechargeable lithium ion battery, it clips onto a book and the flexible gooseneck enables you to twist and turn it away from anyone sitting or sleeping nearby. 

Handwritten notecards are still one of the most thoughtful ways to communicate—even more so when the notecard is hand-colored by the sender! These coloring book notecards are part craft, part beautifully practical form of communication. An email will never be this special!

And adults will love the array of desirable stocking stuffers featured at Twenty Two Words. From a pocket microscope, calligraphy workbook and monkey hooks that hang anything anywhere, to ingenious towel hooks and eco-friendly produce bags, you really will find practical ideas for every adult in your life, right here. 

Playtime, Rich Snacks and Glow Stars

The legend of St. Nicholas includes a story about how stockings came to be the receptacle of gifts. A poor family needed money so that their daughters could get married, and mysteriously, bags of gold coins were thrown in through the window at night, landing in the stockings hanging by the fire to dry. 

You can replicate the legend by filling the stockings in your house with bags of gold chocolate coins, available at Party City at the Aurora City Place shopping center on Ellsworth.

Give the gift of magic that will last the whole year through! These glow-in-the-dark star stickers will inspire children of all ages when they look up on their bedroom ceiling and behold the galaxy.

Retro and Nostalgic Toys

Create great conversation-starters by giving your kids classic toys from a time before smartphones! Remember Silly Putty , that strange but wonderful substance that can bounce, pick up an exact copy of newsprint, or stretch as thin as a spider’s web? How about a Rubik’s Cube, the 3-D puzzle that kept you occupied for an entire day on Christmas? You can get both at Target. As well as a dinky, clinky, Slinky, the amazing stair-descending spiral of metal!

Take a trip even further back in time to Nostalgic Toys for super novelty items from Grandma and Grandpa’s childhood, like a secret spy pen to write notes with invisible ink, a set of jacks, or some Go-Fish cards. Then watch the fun as the older generation shows everyone how to use them!

Seasonal Sights in Southshore

The lights and seasonal decor are breath-taking around the master-planned community of master-planned community of Southshore. Check out the brand new homes from Taylor Morrison, Richmond American Homes and Toll Brothers – and coming soon — Century Communities. Life at the Lake is not just exclusive and packed with amenities – you’ll find the perfect ranch or two-story design, priced between the $400s and the $700s.