This year, upgrade your stockings with one-of-a-kind finds tailored to the recipients' tastes.
Come Christmas morning, some people make a beeline for the great, big mystery parcel parked beneath the tree, but anyone who knows that good things come in small packages reaches straight for their stocking. Bursting with tiny treasures, these pint-size grab bags have the potential to pack an impressive punch—if you stuff them with the right goodies for your giftees. Of course, you could buy six identical lip balms, packs of gum, and one-size-fits-all mittens and drop them into your whole clan’s socks, assembly-line style—and, check! But if you have the time, why not whip up something a bit more personalized? With a little extra effort, you can curate a custom stocking themed around their latest obsession—be it neon-bright colors, furry creatures, or glittering celestial motifs. To help you get started, we've assembled three winning combinations tailored for very specific tastes.
For the starry-eyed dreamer
Everything you need for a stocking that shines Any galaxy-gazer with her head in the clouds will get a serious twinkle in her eye when she spies this celestial stocking brimming with heavenly finds. Start by sprinkling in a few stellar accessories: A pair of star-strewn socks are sheer elegance, a crescent statement necklace says, “I’m out-of-this-world,” and a feminine enamel pin channels her cosmic spirit. Add an astral tarot deck to show her what’s in the cards, a zodiac candle to light the way, and a mystical diary to record every dreamy detail. The final touch? A lunar ornament to orbit her illuminated tree.
>For the colorful personality
Gifts as bold as they are If merry and bright is the name of their game, begin with a monogrammed stocking in a single shade, then assemble a rainbow-like array of surprises to drop inside. Try a vibrant magenta cactus ornament that will pop against their evergreen and add an abstract, color-splashed wallet—the perfect accent to any solid ensemble—and gaily patterned socks to make them do a happy dance. Finally, feed their creativity with painter's-palette sugar cookies and mix in marbled colored pencils so they can bring their own prismatic designs to life.
>For the ultimate animal enthusiast
A parade of wild finds Next to bringing home a living, breathing ball of fluff to call their very own, the key to pleasing critter-lovers of all ages will be padding their stocking with items that are almost as fun to interact with (and just as easy to love)—whether that’s a rattling raccoon plushie or a friendly finger puppet for amusing the tiniest tykes or a set of squirrely crayons or an animal-kingdom card deck for those old enough to entertain themselves. Tuck in a screen-printed feline T-shirt for a kitten-obsessed kiddo or a playful leather accessory for a fox fanatic, or treat a bona fide pet owner to a custom 3D keychain sporting a portrait of their beloved beast.
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