Your go-to guide for stocking stuffers this Christmas

Christmas stocking stuffers are supposed to be the little extras. A few treats, something fun, a pair of socks. Then you unpack the shopping bags and realise the “little extras” have somehow required three separate trips to Kmart.

It’s easy to do. You’re buying for people you love, and a $4 surprise hardly feels like a big decision. Until there are twelve of them.

These stocking stuffer ideas will help you choose small gifts that suit the person and the money you have available. There are ideas for kids, teens and adults, plus two costed combinations using Australian retailer prices. A lovely stocking doesn’t have to be another whole Christmas present.

Stocking stuffers, also called stocking fillers, are small gifts placed inside a Christmas stocking. They might be a favourite treat, something useful or a little activity. There’s no set number or required spend, and they don’t need to match the value of the presents under the tree.

Choose a total for each stocking before choosing the gifts. Include anything you’ve already bought, along with wrapping, delivery or a new stocking if you need one. If your limit is $15 and you’ve spent $11, you have $4 left. Finding something adorable doesn’t change that calculation, although it can make it considerably harder to remember.

Add stocking costs to your Christmas Budget Calculator total. If you’re still working out what the whole festive season can cost, start with our guide to Christmas shopping on a budget.

Prefer to work through the figures one step at a time? Our 30-minute Christmas budget guide walks you through making a plan. Remember to leave room for the food, too; our Christmas lunch under $100 guide has meal-planning ideas to help with that part.

Have a browse and see which stocking filler ideas make you think, “They’d love that.” A few favourites are plenty. For little ones, a quick look at the age label will help you choose, especially with small pieces. And if you’re adding treats or toiletries, familiar favourites are a lovely place to start, with any allergies or sensitive skin in mind.

Stocking stuffers for kids

1. 1. Stickers they can use straight away. Choose a character or theme they love. Add a notebook if you have one tucked away, and they’ve got somewhere to put them.

   2. Coloured pencils. A small set is handy for drawing, homemade cards and decorating notebooks. Have a peek in their pencil case to see which favourite colours could do with replacing.

   3. A small card game. Pick something they can enjoy with the family after Christmas lunch. A pocket-sized game is handy for holidays and visits, too.

   4. Socks with something they love on them. Their favourite animal, character or colour can make an everyday thing feel a little more special.

   5. A keyring or bag charm. Their favourite character or initial can give a school bag a personal touch. A little something they’ve chosen themselves can be a lovely addition, too.

Stocking stuffers for teens

6. Hair ties or scrunchies. Pick their favourite colours or a style you’ve noticed them wearing. Give them the whole pack, or share it across a few stockings.
7. Pens for their notes, doodles or journal. Colourful pens can be a lovely little extra for someone who enjoys writing or drawing. A multipack is handy if you’re buying for a few stationery lovers.
8. A notebook chosen for them. Somewhere for song lyrics, sketches, reading lists or their next big idea. Choose a cover that feels like them and tuck a little note inside.
9. A small gift card. A little spending money for their favourite shop or gaming platform lets them choose something they’ve had their eye on.
10. A replacement earbud case cover. A fresh colour or favourite design can give their everyday earbuds a little refresh. Look for a cover that fits the model they use.

Whether you’re looking for teen boy stocking stuffers or teen girl stocking stuffers, start with what they’re into. Books, gaming, music or stationery can give you plenty of little gift ideas.

Stocking stuffers for adults

11. A printed photo with a note. Pick a favourite memory, a family snap or a much-loved pet. A few words on the back can make a simple photo something they’ll want to keep.
12. Their favourite tea, coffee or treat. A little packet of something they love can be just the thing. Think their usual coffee, a favourite chocolate or the biscuits they don’t normally buy for themselves.
13. The lip balm or hand cream they already use. A fresh tube of a favourite is a thoughtful little top-up, especially when theirs is nearly finished.
14. Seeds for something they’d like to grow. Herbs or flowers can make a lovely gift for someone who enjoys pottering in the garden. Add a handwritten label or a favourite recipe to go with the herbs.
15. A bath bomb or small bath product. For someone who loves a soak, choose a favourite scent or a little bottle of bubble bath for their next quiet evening.

For stocking stuffers for women or stocking stuffers for men, the same question helps: would this person use it if it weren’t a present? That’s a better starting point than another generic gift set.

Looking for stocking fillers under $10? Each item or pack below fits that limit.

We’ve added up two stocking combinations using Kmart Australia’s online prices. We’ve counted the whole pack price, because the checkout won’t let you pay for just the three pens you wanted.

These totals are for the gifts, assuming you already have a stocking and wrapping tucked away. Add any delivery or travel costs, plus anything else you need to buy. Prices and stock can change, so give the links a quick check before heading out.

We’ve checked the prices rather than road-tested the gifts. Check that the notebook fits your stocking before buying. Anything a little too wide can sit alongside it.

A stationery stocking for a child: $9

A little combination for someone who loves writing, decorating pages and making cards for absolutely everyone, including the cat. The pencils and stickers are marked 3+, so keep those age labels and small-parts warnings in mind. If they’d rather draw than write, swap the lined notebook for a drawing pad and check whether that changes your $9 total.

A teen stocking for $14

A journal for their ideas, erasable pens for the ideas they reconsider, and a little something they’ll wear. Choose the cap or the striped scrunchies to suit them, the total stays at $14, including the whole pack of pens.

If you’re choosing the journal for its cover, pick it up in store so you can find one that feels like them. Online orders get a randomly selected design. If an item is out of stock search Kmart online for an equal priced alternative before shopping.

Are multipacks cheaper for stocking fillers?

Multipacks can cost less per item, but only save you money if you’ll use the extras and the full pack fits your budget. A $6 pack of 12 pens costs 50 cents per pen, but you still need $6 at the checkout. That distinction matters when you’re trying to make several affordable stocking stuffers fit into a small total.

Using the listed prices above, three $2 notebooks, three $2 sticker packs and one $6 pack of pens cost $18 altogether. Share the pens equally and each of three stockings gets a notebook, a sticker pack and four pens: $6 of contents per stocking. That works if all three people would enjoy those gifts. Buying the pack for one person and hoping the other eleven pens sort themselves out is a different plan.

Use what you have for DIY stocking stuffers

A handmade bookmark, a printed photo or a favourite family recipe can make a thoughtful addition. Before buying craft supplies, see what’s already in the cupboard. The homemade gift can become surprisingly expensive once you’ve bought the special scissors, the ribbon and a glue gun you now feel obliged to have a personality around.

If you need ingredients, printing or packaging, count the full amount you’ll pay. Handmade gifts are an option, not another December assignment.

Check delivery before adding one more thing

Have a look at the total with delivery before deciding you’ve found a bargain. Could you collect it, or pick up something similar on a shopping trip you’re already making? A $3 gift can become a rather different purchase once you’ve paid to get it to your front door.

And if a banner says you’re $20 away from free delivery, pause long enough to check what delivery costs. It’s remarkably easy to spend $20 avoiding an $8 charge and feel quite pleased with yourself until the confirmation email arrives.

A few well-chosen gifts can be enough. You don’t need to keep shopping until the stocking resembles the ones in the catalogue, particularly if the catalogue has helpfully supplied a stocking the size of a small child.

If keeping Christmas costs alongside everyday bills is becoming difficult, book a free budgeting appointment where our Money Coaches can help you see what fits and plan ahead. The aim is a Christmas you can enjoy, with room in the budget for life after the wrapping paper has been cleared away.

Call 1300 300 922