Raise your hand if you LIKE wrapping stocking stuffers.
Anyone?
For me, it usually involves neck cramps and teeny tiny pieces of wrapping paper and teeny tiny pieces of tape and why do we wrap them anyway if they get stuffed in a stocking? I guess some people don’t, but since this is how we roll, I have come up with a solution.
Reusable stocking stuffer bags.
Yes. This idea might not help you now, with only, what four days until Christmas? But after Christmas, get thee to your nearest fabric store and buy up the holiday fabric at a nifty 75% off. I think Jo-Ann’s Fabrics still had Christmas fabric marked down in June. And pick up some clearance holiday ribbon as well.
If you can get enough different fabric prints, you might even be able to make enough bags that each person in the family gets an individualized print for his or her stocking. Then you can just stuff all Z’s stocking stuffers into the Hello Kitty bags, give Homes the manly holly, and there’s no need for name tags even! Yes! Brilliant!
I even made long skinny bags for toothbrushes! Doubly brilliant!
Caveat: this idea works better if you don’t foolishly hope, for the better part of the year, that the stocking stuffer bags will make themselves. Because I am wiser and more experienced in this craft, I can assure you: they won’t. So now I am madly sewing stocking stuffer bags. And while I sew, Z is very, very quiet in her bedroom.
And then, I finally notice how quiet it is, so I get up to check on her, and find her room looking like this:
After I make threats and cry, I take a look around her room and realize that at least 64.4% of the things strewn about were stocking stuffers from last year. So I might just take her stocking stuffer bags and stuff them. In the garbage can.
You know I won’t. But I gotta admit, it’s a tempting idea.
I won’t be updating the blog over the next week so that I can focus on sewing more stocking stuffer bags spending time with family. Happy Holidays, everyone!
Beth Hull 
I usually cheat on the stocking items and wrap them all like candy. Generic tube with tape on both ends.
Brilliant idea!
Definitely brilliant!!! Where can I buy them? (ha ha—not so crafty over here) Happy Holidays to you, too. Keep your feet up! PS. Very creative mess by Z! Last time my son was super quiet he was tasting a Tums he found in my husband’s nightstand drawer. Luckily Poison Control assured me he could have eaten the whole bottle and not hurt himself……yikes.
So, now I’ve gotta tie it up, too?
Guilty on hating wrapping. Also guilty at not being much good at it. My wife wraps things she puts in the stocking; I never understood that.
Wait, you SEW?? Impressive!! And yes, definitely brilliant idea – can I use double-sided tape to make a bag or do I actually need a sewing machine? I crosstitch, but that’s about it….
You mean they DON’T sew themselves? I’ve been using reusable bags for years, but have now given most of them away, and yes, I have three years worth of clearance fabric just waiting to be made into bags…We should have a sewing party!
Shaz – your idea works, too! So does Sean’s (i.e. not wrapping anything). Had to do that with some larger stocking stuffers.
PB – I’ll take Z’s creative mess over experimental pill consumption any day. No more complaints here!
Vic – By all means, try the double-sided tape! I “sew” in the loosest sense of the word. As in, 5-year-olds could probably do a better job.
Katherine – Yes, let’s have a sewing party! Invite Kristen, as well. The two of you could probably teach me a few things. Are you going to hit up Jo-Ann’s this year?
Not making it to JoAnn’s this year — I should use up what I’ve got first!
Awesome idea! I am so buying clearance fabric and storing it until Dec 23 next year!
I’m always up for a sewing party!
Okay, sewing party next November! I’ve learned my lesson – no waiting until December 23rd, Trina. I mean, it worked out in the end, but phew! The whole point was to avoid neck and back and shoulder ache, but being bent over the sewing machine for three hours really didn’t accomplish that point. At all.