Christmas stockings UK: sizes, materials and fillers

Christmas stockings, sacks and fillers

Christmas stockings in felt, knit, burlap and faux fur, mostly 40 to 47 cm long, plus Santa sacks and small gifts to put in them. Prices on this page run from about £4 to £19, with a median near £8. Length and material decide how much a stocking holds, and a name on the cuff saves the Christmas morning mix-up.

Christmas stockings: size, material and hanging

A typical stocking here is 40 to 47 cm long, usually listed as 18 inches, and about 20 to 25 cm across. That holds a small toy, a tube of sweets, a pair of socks and a few other small gifts, but a box wider than 20 cm sticks out of the top. A few are far bigger: the jumbo felt stockings measure 96.5 cm (38 inches) and are sold as party and tree decoration.

Sets are common, in packs of 2, 3, 4 and 6, which suits a family. Prices run from about £4 to £19 across the page, with a median near £8.

Material	What to expect
Felt	Holds its shape and does not stretch, so the size in the listing is the real capacity
Knit	Stretches, so it takes bulkier gifts; patterns include Fair Isle, cable and reindeer
Burlap and cotton	Coarse, light and plain; some sets are sold for you to decorate or personalise yourself
Plush fabric and faux fur	A soft, often white cuff and a plusher feel; a full one needs a firm hook

Personalised stockings

Personalised stockings carry a name, embroidered or printed, entered in a text field in the listing. They are made to order, so allow extra days and check the dispatch date. Several of the personalised ones here are knit or burlap, at 40 to 47 cm.

Where to hang Christmas stockings

A mantelpiece suits stockings with hooks or a weighted holder, and a staircase banister takes ribbon or cord. With no fireplace, use adhesive hooks on a wall, the back of a dining chair or a door handle. A full stocking is heavier than an empty one, so check the weight limit on any adhesive hook.

Filling Christmas stockings: fillers, Secret Santa gifts and sacks

What goes inside, and who it is for, decides which page you need. Put the heaviest or roundest item in the toe, flat items above it and a soft one near the top, so the stocking hangs straight.

Stocking fillers

Small gifts for children, teenagers and adults are in stocking fillers. Prices start around £2 and the median is about £7. The range runs from novelty toys and bath toys to multi-tool pens, glitter pens and mindfulness cards.

Stocking fillers for men

Stocking fillers for men run from about £3 to £30, with a median near £14. Grooming kits, nail clippers with a catcher, torches and other gadgets make up most of the range.

Secret Santa gifts

Secret Santa gifts sit between about £3 and £15, with a median near £7.50. Check your group’s limit first, since £5, £10 and £15 are common caps, then look at desk plaques, stress toys and trinket dishes.

Santa sacks

Santa sacks take boxed presents that will not fit a stocking, from 70 x 50 cm drawstring cotton and hessian to 142 x 92 cm plastic jumbo sacks. They cost from about £4 to £21, with a median near £10.

Christmas stockings or a Santa sack?

Many families use both: a stocking for small fillers and a sack for boxed presents. The table shows what each one handles.

Compare	Stocking	Santa sack
Typical size	40 to 47 cm long	70 x 50 cm to 142 x 92 cm
Holds	Small gifts, sweets, socks	Boxed presents, toys, several parcels
Materials here	Felt, knit, burlap, faux fur	Cotton, canvas, hessian, paper, plastic, foil
Price on this page	Mostly £6 to £15	About £4 to £21

Buying Christmas stockings for a family

Count: one per person, plus one for any guest who stays over. Sets of 4 and 6 cover most households.
Match or mix: a matching set looks tidy on a mantelpiece, and a mixed set makes it easy to tell whose is whose.
Size: pick one size for everyone, so that no stocking looks emptier than the rest.
Names: use a personalised set, or add a tag or fabric letters to plain ones.
Storage: fold stockings flat in a box with tissue, and keep the hooks with them.

Common mistakes

Buying by the picture: check the length in centimetres, because a jumbo stocking and an 18-inch one look alike in a photo.
Ordering a personalised stocking late: made-to-order items need extra days.
Using a weak hook: a full stocking can pull a light adhesive hook off the wall.
Putting boxed presents in a stocking: a sack or a gift bag is the better fit.

If you meant the socks you wear, they are under Christmas socks. For ideas by person, Christmas gift ideas for everyone on your list covers the rest of the list.

Frequently asked questions: Stockings, Sacks & Fillers

Where can you hang Christmas stockings without a fireplace?

Use adhesive hooks on a wall, tie them along a staircase banister with ribbon or cord, or hang them from the backs of dining chairs or a door handle. Some sets include their own hooks, and weighted stocking holders sit on a mantelpiece or shelf. Check the weight limit on adhesive hooks, because a full stocking is heavy.

Why are they called Christmas stockings?

The usual explanation is a legend about St Nicholas, who is said to have dropped gold coins down a chimney, where they landed in stockings left to dry by the fire. The custom of hanging a stocking out for gifts is usually traced back to that story.

What size Christmas stocking should I buy?

Most are 40 to 47 cm long, usually listed as 18 inches, and that holds a small toy, sweets, socks and a few other small gifts. Jumbo felt stockings of 96.5 cm are sold as decoration. For boxed presents, a Santa sack is the better choice.

How do you put names on Christmas stockings?

Personalised stockings take a name through a text field in the listing, and are embroidered or printed to order. For a plain stocking, add fabric letters, a fabric paint pen on felt or burlap, or a tag tied to the cuff. A tag is the easiest option if the names change from year to year.

What can I use instead of a Christmas stocking?

A Santa sack is the usual alternative, since it holds boxed presents that will not fit in a stocking. A drawstring bag, a gift bag or a basket also works for small fillers. All of them can hang from a hook or sit beside the tree.

Do you open stockings first or last on Christmas Day?

It varies by household. Many families open stockings first thing on Christmas morning, and others keep them until after the main presents or lunch. Agree the order the night before, especially with young children.