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Tip Store: Christmas: Stockings

Stocking Stuffers from Decluttering

​Some years ago I bought some lucky dip novels from a secondhand bookshop. They were wrapped in plain, brown paper and the only identifying mark on theme was the genre of book for example: Romance, Spy, Adventure, Crime, Fantasy etc. They were just $1 or $2 each so I bought one for everyone, including myself, for Christmas. I just selected a genre that I knew each person enjoyed and hoped for the best. It was lots of fun opening the parcels on Christmas Day. Some of the books were vintage, others quite current titles. Only one person received something they'd read before so a swap was quickly made.

Of course you could wrap your own books. Kraft paper is inexpensive or you could use Christmas paper if you'd prefer just make sure the genre is legible.

Op shops are a great source of books of all kinds. Of course they don't have to be novels, you might choose recipe or pattern books, coffee table books or a vintage road atlas. Don't forget the kids!

This could be a handy way to declutter your bookshelf - or someone else's - and make a bit of a game of distributing the books on Christmas day. You've still got plenty of time to find out everyone's preferences too.
Contributed by Delaney Avenel

​Stocking Fillers That Make Kids and Mum Happy

I fill my children's Christmas stockings with useful things like novelty toothbrushes and toothpaste, reams of coloured paper, bubbles, play doh, bubble bath. I try and buy for example a large bottle of bubble bath for each of them so three big bottles of bubble bath lasts us the year. I don't give them these types of things during the year so they are a treat at Christmas time. I always check the clearance tables at the supermarkets and departments stores and find I can pick them up cheaply through the year. Their stockings are full and they feel like they have lots of presents and I am happy because most of it is consumables that we use!
​Contributed by Tanya, Yamba

​Stocking Fillers

​To fill the kid's Christmas stockings, raid the opportunity shops. Books little toys and clothing can be picked up super cheap, and they won't even pick that it is second hand.
​Contributed by Katrina, Empire Bay

​Fill Christmas Stockings With Candy Frozen After Halloween

​We used to throw away half the candy my children got trick or treating. So after they went to bed on Halloween night, I would pick out things that weren't "Halloween-ish" like Snickers, M&M's, Reeses, suckers, gum, etc... I put it in a zip lock bag in the back of the freezer and we used it to fill their Christmas Stockings! Now they are teenagers and admit they never knew! Saved me lots of money!!
Contributed by Susan, Frankfort