Small advent calendar/ stocking gift ideas

newgirly · 9 October 2016 at 9:04AM

I love Christmas and love anyway to make traditions and memories

my three kids are older now (late teens) so not always as receptive to their mothers Christmas traditions!

Last year I thought I'd have a go at homemade advert calendars to get the little grinches in the mood. As my crafty Christmas plans never get further than me looking on Pinterest with a cup of tea , I bought gift boxes to make them - card factory sparkly glitter ones around £3/4 each I think , they still have them this year. Then ordered candy red striped paper sweet bags from Amazon for less than £2 and little gold stickers to do them up.

So I am doing the same this year, except he numbers have grown :eek:

I am making :

One for dd aged 19

One each for our 2x ds' both aged 16

One for my aunt 60 (part of her 60th present!)

One for my parents and brother and the cat! - they take it in turns daily and he cat gets Xmas eve, bags are numbered and named in this case, don't want mum eating whiskers treats :rotfl:

Dh doesn't get one due to his being ungrateful of the 40 presents for his 40th I did a few years ago

he gets a £1shop one!

So that's 120 gifts to buy :eek:

I was hoping some of you lovely people may be doing something similar or have ideas we can pass on? The biggest challenge is usually the men / older boys in these situations, very awkward. I personally attempt to get nearly all gifts under £1 - or cheaper if possible and do put sweets in some days to lower the cost a bit.

So far this year's ideas include:

Xmas bath bombs £1land

Pack of fluffy socks primark split

Xmas knickers £1land

Xmas reindeer nose lip balm primark

Football team keying

Lego figures of the person £1.99 0r 3x £5 - brilliant idea this one

Face pack

Any ideas would be very gratefully received , merry Christmas :xmastree:

kingfisherblue · 9 October 2016 at 8:20PM

Spinners - Wilkinson's used to sell a pack of six for 99p. I don't know if they still do. Look in the party favours section. My boys love spinners, and so do their cousins.

Also in party bag favours section, little notepads.

Wilkinson's do some novelty stationery items for about 35p each - mini highlighters, erasers, mini pens. Ideal for both genders.

Bobbles for ladies, if appropriate. You can split a poundshop pack, or get them cheaply in Home Bargains.

Poundshop earphones.

Car air fresheners - can split multipack.

Trolley token.

Mini hand gel bottles - about 39p each from places like Home Bargains.

Small diary for 2017.

Novelty pens - The Works usually have a decent selection. I've just bought one shaped like a screw from there. I think it was 79p. It's for my son who is very hands on.

Bottle of Tippex, if 16 year olds' school allows it.

Naff Christmas tie, preferably one that plays a tune. From the poundshop.

Tissues - Home Bargains usually have some in fancy wrappers. Last year, I bought some that looked like £10 notes. I think they were 29p. I've also had spotty ones and flowery ones, as well as Christmas ones.

Lip balm.

Flannel - you can get some that are tiny, but grow when they come into contact with water, but they're usually children's designs. From 29p-99p in Home Bargains.

Candy jewellery.

Cake in a Mug - sachet by Dr. Oeteker. 50p.

Flavoured hot chocolates - usually three for £1 from supermarkets. Or Twinings fruit tea bags (individually wrapped) or sachets of coffee (latte, mocha, etc). Split packs.

Lotus caramelised biscuits - buy the ones with individually wrapped packs of two. They're about 99p in Tesco. Split between recipients.

newgirly · 9 October 2016 at 9:48PM

Hi kingfisherblue thanks for the great ideas. I'm off to the shops tomorrow so will pop in the works to look for novelty pens

mandco · 9 October 2016 at 9:59PM

travel sized toiletries I got some advent bits 3 for £3 in superdrug
for the boys there's shaving gel/ shower gel /deodrant

scented candles
tree decoration- you could personalise
xmas themed jewellery

newgirly · 10 October 2016 at 6:54AM

Thanks mandco , you just reminded me that £1lamd had little packs with Audrey Hepburn and Marlin Monroe themed perfume and shower gel sets last week new in I think for Xmas. Boots were selling the same perfume last year in by sets for £20 odd as I nearly bought it but they didn't have a tester.

hale24 · 10 October 2016 at 7:31PM

The Range do decent little diaries. They do little notepads too with loads of different covers.

If any of the recipients need an ID badge for work, you can get a lanyard - try ebay or Amazon - they do singles or multi-packs quite cheaply.

Handwarmers (the reusable ones) usually can get 2 for £1 in places like B&M
Packets of seeds - maybe something like sunflowers?
Foot cushions for wearing in high heels
Hair accessories (packs can be split)
Mini tools sets - places like B&M/poundland
Deck of cards/card game
Foldable water bottles - Home Bargains
Little torch keyrings - (you can get a pack of 10 for £5 on Amazon)
Sachets of hot chocolate (there's loads of flavoured ones)/coffee/teabags
Glasses cleaner wipes - you can boxes of 20ish for £1 at Asda/Superdrug etc. and split the box
Tea light holder

Or maybe a little model of some kind that you can split into 3 or 4 pieces so it covers 3-4 days?

newgirly · 20 October 2016 at 7:57AM

One of my sons has requested I DON'T make him an advent calendar this year! Instead he is getting a Lego one (I've always wanted one of those

) so one less to sort out I guess, shame though.

Other bits and bobs I've bought for the advents are:

Yankee candle Xmas votives ( re gifted rather than bought actually)

Hot chocolate sachets in £1land

Primark Xmas themed earrings -multi pack £2 will split between aunt, mum and dd, two pairs each.

Multipack of fortune telling red fish to be split

Spendless · 22 October 2016 at 1:35AM

Home Bargains had 2 different blister packs with coin batteries in the other day. One was 79p, the other (I think) 99p. My 16yo DS was eyeing them up the other day, whilst I feigned disinterest but was mentally rejoicing and planning to go back without him and buy for his stocking.

Spendless · 22 October 2016 at 2:03AM

I bought these from Starbucks a few years ago for my sis-in-law. She loved them. You could split them down.

http://store.starbucks.co.uk/starbucks-via-ready-brew-italian-roast/011038934,en_GB,pd.html?navid=instant-coffee&start=1&navid=instant-coffee

(They also do a decaff version)

newgirly · 22 October 2016 at 5:03PM

Love the coffee idea

I think next year I might do massive advent calendars , doing small ones is much trickier!

Picked up yesterday :

Computer screwdriver set

Mini led torch

Both £1 land again

nimbo · 22 October 2016 at 8:47PM

For the adults I have bought mini bottles of booze from home bargains. Got a set of 5 for £2. Making them 40p each. They didn't taste the best but my fella isn't fussy. Haha.

On eBay I have bought an electric shock gum pack for 50p. Silver earrings for lesss than a pound a pair. Coin purses for pennies and snakes in a can for 36p. I typed in jokes and ordered by price lowest to highest.

Make a few Pom poms? Great for decorations and super cheap and easy.

In stockings I always include a pretty tree decoration. It means I get to choose decorations that I like and they take up space in the stocking. Obviously in the advent calendar I would choose smaller ones. I have also bought key rings for advent calendars too.

He's had cufflinks before from fleabay which were pennies.

He's getting strawberry huller this year and will get chocolate coins etc too.

For the littlies home bargains have sticker packs and rub on decorations for less than 50p a pack now. They also have super cheap and super cute notebooks often for less than a pound each. Some are small so would fit in a calendar pocket.

Pound world had packs of four super cute animal rubbers in - some collectiable brand that I now can't remember the name of. Maybe TY or something? The works have packs of 3 washi tapes for £1. May be up someone's street?

I like mugs - in a stocking though may be too big for advent calendars.

I need to Count my pressies and see if I'm done yet.

Small advent calendar/ stocking gift ideas

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