While stockings may not be the main event of the holiday season, the beloved tradition is sacred to many families, and for good reason. The festive gift bags can be an affordable way to shower one another with love, and also act as an outlet for creativity beyond decorating the tree.
So before you even start considering what’s going in those stockings, plan an afternoon for the family to get together and personalize their own. Start with a pack of beige burlap stockings, then embellish them however you desire. Some supplies to prep in advance: a hot-glue gun, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, beads, markers and … glitter (if you’re brave!). Once complete, your family art project won’t only reflect the special time you shared together this year, it’ll serve as a time capsule for years to come.
And then comes the best part: Hang your homemade crafts and let the shopping begin. (If you don’t have a mantel, consider hanging the stockings on a stairwell banister, on the top of a dresser or on an open wall using adhesive hooks.) At Walmart, you can find inexpensive items from tech to toys to apparel and more to fill them all with exciting surprises. The only real challenge? As always, keeping the kids away till Christmas morning.
And to help you get your stocking-packing under way, we created an easy-to-use gift generator with picks from Walmart. Simply choose the item your child would most enjoy, and reveal supplementary present ideas for their stocking — never exceeding $50 total. Try it below!
Becca Strassberg is a writer, editor, and Brooklyn native. She has been the Senior Lifestyle Editor at HearstMade since September 2021. Most importantly, her dog's name is Brisket.
