Picking the Perfect Stocking Stuffers

Over the years, the meaning of Christmas has changed for many, and the tradition in which its celebrated differs from home to home.  Yet the one definite and often unchanging bonus in all of this is the thrill of waking up on Christmas morning and reaching deep into your stocking to find what ‘Santa’ has put into it.

Stockings can hold some wonderful surprises, no matter how small or inexpensive they might be. The presents in them are known as stocking stuffers and are often the highlight of Christmas’ gift giving and receiving spirit. As they generally fit tinier gifts, it is important to find presents that are fun yet meaningful to their owners.

Traditionally, stockings were hung over the fireplace and it was said the good child would receive presents, and the child who behaved naughtily, a piece of coal. While the origins of how the stocking came to be a gift holder are many, the fact remains that most households today celebrate Christmas with a stocking pinned up in a prominent place.

Some families might create their own stockings and others might select them from the enormous choice available both online and in retails stores. Selecting what goes into them is also a lot of fun and parents can spend hours shopping for the right stocking stuffer. One such unusual and increasing popular stocking stuffer is a zipper bag from the ZipIt Zipper Bags line of purses, totes, and even laptop bags. These zipper bags are exciting in that you get to create you own bag from scratch, zipping it up to form a fun surprise. As they come in small individual packages, in a variety of shapes and colors, it is easy to find the right bag for every family member.

When selecting your stocking stuffer, keep in mind the following:

Ensure the stocking is the right size so you can fill it with as many or as few gifts as you elect to.
Don’t purchase gifts which are large, bulky or of an awkward shape. When you slide in your gift, the stocking should not sag or threaten to fall down.
Unwrapping gifts are fun, so choose brightly colored wrapping paper and wrap each individual gift.
If you have a lot of stockings to fill, consider browsing through extensive online catalogues and selecting your presents based on the family member’s age and preference. This makes it easy to shop for everyone in one go.
While candy and trinkets make for fun stocking stuffers, try and pick at least one useful gift the receiver can use over and over again.
Some great ideas for children include pencil cases and backpacks. Teenagers will love brightly colored tote bags and makeup bags. Adults will be thrilled to find a laptop bag or long strapped purse in their stocking.

It is important to shop for your Christmas gifts in advance, which will give you plenty of time to wrap and store them and enjoy the rest of the season knowing you have selected the perfect presents.