Personalised Christmas Eve box and other festive magic

A personalised Christmas Eve box is a wonderful tradition that has developed over the past few years. Do you remember that feeling as a child when Christmas day was over? It always seemed like such an anticlimax. Starting the festive magic on Christmas eve is a lovely way to make it last just a bit longer. We have a few other ways to spread a little extra sparkle too. Even for those older children who are starting to doubt the man in red.

A personalised Christmas Eve box and what to put in it

Christmas eve boxes are all about cosying up together as a family. Making the most of some time at home before the chaos of Christmas day. Traditionally, many of us fill them with Christmas pyjamas, a festive mug, hot chocolate and sweet treats. Other ideas include slippers, a candle or a book to curl up with in front of the fire while you wait for Father Christmas to come.

Personalised Christmas Eve box

We are absolutely besotted with this personalised Christmas Eve Box. Its beautiful wooden design features a metal clasp and your choice of engraving. Choose a first name or family name and a hearts or stars wreath, or have it plain with just lettering. Breathtaking detail and exceptional workmanship ensure that you’ll be taking out this gorgeous wooden box every 24th December for many years to come.  

What to put in your personalised Christmas Eve box

Our list of things to put in a Christmas Eve box isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a great place to start. Please do leave us a comment if there’s something you include that isn’t on the list, we’re always looking for new ideas!

• Believe bell: If children are going to get a few little gifts on Christmas eve, it’s only right that one of them should be the first gift of Christmas as immortalised by the Polar Express; a bell from Santa’s sleigh.
• Matching pyjamas for adults and children: If you’re putting together a personalised Christmas Eve box for the whole family, then matching pyjamas make a gorgeous addition.
• Personalised please stop here mug: Why not drink your Christmas Eve hot chocolate out of a personalised mug that asks Santa to stop here?
• Make your own hot chocolate gift jars: We absolutely love this idea from Tesco food. They have prepared a step by step guide to making your own hot chocolate gift jars.

Personalised Christmas Eve box gifts for Santa and the reindeer

Some of the Dorothy and Theodore team use a personalised Christmas Eve box to provide children with a little gift to give to Father Christmas and the reindeer. Tuck these into the box to see little ones grasp the joy of giving as well as receiving.

Personalised Christmas Eve treat plate

This adorable cookies for Santa plate is ideal for leaving out on Christmas Eve with a mince pie for the man in red. Let the artist know the name or names you’d like on the plate and they’ll make it especially for you. The plate is hand painted, glazed and fired so the picture won’t fade or scratch even when you bring it out year after year.  

Magic Reindeer Food

Giving doesn’t get much more exciting than feeding Santa’s reindeer does it? Pop this magic reindeer food into your personalised Christmas Eve box to get children really excited about Father Christmas visiting. The food is wildlife friendly and comes in a compostable bag. Simply sprinkle it around on the floor outside your home to make sure the reindeer know the way there. Food contains wheat, black sunflower, cut maize, oats, yellow millet, red millet, red dari and rapeseed oil. 

Hang a stocking or sack out for Santa

Do you remember hanging a stocking out for Santa or Father Christmas as a child? It is a tradition that many of us look back on fondly when we remember our own childhood festivities. To bring that joy to your own children too, why not choose one of our utterly gorgeous Christmas stockings or sacks?

Mini Christmas stocking with robin print

Our popular natural cotton mini stocking with robin print is ideal for filling with cute little gifts. Badges, toy cars and animals, sweets and trinkets. The robin image is printed in red and black onto the stocking. The rest of the stocking is blank and easy to personalise yourself. Write children’s names on for them or let them personalise it with a stamp or even some embroidery.  

Personalised Special Delivery Santa Sacks

For larger gifts, pop a personalised Special Delivery Santa sack under your tree this year. Let the creator know the name you want on the sack and help your child to put it out ready for Santa on Christmas Eve. Then, listen to the squeals of delight on Christmas morning when you little ones realise that Santa has been and the sack is full! 

Making Santa a little more real

Isn’t it just the saddest thing when children get older and start to doubt Father Christmas? These days, many parents talk about transitioning from believing in Santa to becoming a Santa. Doubtful children get tasked with doing something lovely for someone who needs it. The key is to keep it a secret, so the recipient never finds out who it was. That child then become a Santa, so they can’t tell younger siblings and break the magic. But if you’re not quite ready for that yet, here are a couple of sweet ideas to keep the magic alive just a little longer.

Santa’s footprints

Our first little trick for convincing doubters that Santa has been is to add his footprints to the floor. Of course, the soul of Santa’s shoe has left a print that says “ho, ho, ho”.  

Santa key

Do your children wonder how on earth Santa manages to get into the house? Perhaps you don’t have a chimney, or the kids just don’t buy the idea of him managing to fit down it. Well, why not leave out a key for him instead? It would make his life much easier after all. This fun Santa key can be personalised with any wording you like. Then, simply leave it out somewhere for him on Christmas Eve to make sure your presents get delivered.

Santa’s lost button

Picture the scene. The kids come running downstairs on Christmas morning and Santa has been. There are gifts galore, but what’s that shiny silver thing on the floor next to the gifts? Santa appears to have lost a button while he was delivering to your house. The button even has his name on it. Choose between Santa Claus or Father Christmas to be stamped onto your button, along with two decorative snowflakes.