Lottery scratchers, mini bottles, phone chargers, fancy tea or coffee, individual beauty masks, lip balm, card games?

Hand warmers

The local candy shop was hopping yesterday with people buying last minute gifts. 1/4 pound of their fave candy would fit nicely in a stocking. Other ideas - mini LED flashlights, a can of nuts, jerky, small kitchen gadgets, seeds or bulbs if any are into gardening, gift cards, socks, gloves, nail polish, earrings, pens, pencils, sharpies and bbq rubs/seasonings are some things that come to mind.

A cruise up and down the aisles at a hardware store can yield all kinds of useful items. My ACE has all the usual hardware, plus a garden center, kitchen stuff, pet dept, sporting goods, bbq supplies along with a bunch of misc stuff that doesn't fit in any particular category.

TBH, I like buying stocking stuffers more than I like buying presents. They are less fraught with expectations and you can be a little silly with them.

deegw, they are my favorite part of Christmas gift giving. :)

I always give every one a type of cheese that they like and I buy the men salami and landjager - all from the local deli/butcher.

Cutting board and nice loaf of bread (can be frozen by recipient for later use). Interesting bottle of booze if recipient drinks alcohol. Agree with walking up and down the aisles at the hardware. Such a treasure trove!

I agree about hardware stores for small useful items. Mini LED flashlights are great, as I, at least, can never have too many. Small kitchen utensils can also be nice (I got a silicon basting/pastry brush one year). Bottle openers.

Besides my local Ace Hardware, I look for such things at Bed, Bath and Beyond and World Market (I don't know what you have in your area).

I just went to the Harry & David (very local) store and bought some Moose Munch, Santa's Private Reserve Stout from Rogue Brewery, and pomegranates. I think those should fill out the stockings for my adult kids well.

My boys are golfers so their stockings have golf gloves, golf tees and golf balls. Also airpod cleaning kit (Amazon for me, but Best Buy sells them), socks, lip balm, candy, deodorant, a scratch off lottery ticket.

Older daughter got a lot of kitchen stuff - nice KA tongs with silicone, wooden utensils, onion storage thing, a small tin candle, resusable makeup remover pads, candy, hand lotion and I can't remember what else (sent her stocking to her).

Youngest - book and Instax mini photo bookmark (Urban Outfitters has cool little gifts for stockings), candy, hard to find flavored Blistex, makeup remover pads, milk frother, touchscreen friendly mittens, box of chai tea bags, Christmas ornament

After reading an article on chili oils, I saw that Target had a variety pack of these: Fly By Jing sampler pack. Even better was that the website said whether or not it was in stock and exactly where to find it. Those will go in some stockings. I also have pop rocks, candy, kitchen tweezers, balaclavas, socks and hair things. Last year at Costco, I bought vanilla beans that were in a test tube to put in a stocking which would work if you have someone who likes to cook desserts. Also popular around here is beer from a local brewery and for others, root beer from a local brewery.

Our Ace hardware is excellent for stocking stuffers: grilling rubs/spices, grilling/smoking accessories, a Yeti travel mug, mini flashlights for travel.

I did almost all my shopping yesterday, and almost all local. Socks, locally handmade scarf and hand/wrist warmers, slippers, handmade chocolates, ornaments, books and journals (indie bookshop), and a couple of things from Container Store and hardware store. Alcohol (Baileys, Amaretto, vodka). crackers and cheese.

If you have a Whole Foods, their dry goods section sometimes has things that make nice stocking stuffers.

We also have local bakeries, as well as local bakers who sell online. And And, don’t forget your local thrift, benevolent, and antique stores! Does your community have a ”shop local” boutique for local organizations to sell things? We do, with school, family welfare, hospital, garden club, conservation, historical society participating.

Oh, check your local historical society! Books about the area, or buildings, etc, can be good gifts.

Finding things for guys can be tricky, though. The historical society books can be good. Or Or, how about membership to a local organization, or tickets to a local theater production or an event?

• I picked up a lot at my local boutiques and tea/coffee/herb shops. even a few I haven't shopped in years. I got a potato herb soup mix and a rosemary vanilla cookie mix at the sweetest little herb shop I used to go to with my mom 50 years ago.
• Target carries Duke Cannon .. mens soaps and other products. The men in my family love the Bloody Knuckles hand repair balm.
• Also picked up quite a few things at Barnes & Noble ... books, candles, pens.
• We have an REI locally.. also good for unusual snacks, socks and small gear.

My favourite stocking stuffer so far is tiny paint sets. There is a local company that makes Indigenous watercolour palettes in tiny sizes from local ingredients and mounts them on small wooden discs. Both my DDs are (hobby) artists and we got each of them a palette, brush, and small pad of watercolour paper for their stockings. The bonus to this is that, I'm hoping to get some new artwork out of it :-)

Do your kids have artistic tendencies? I could also see adding small packs of modelling clay, etc. It is honestly so soothing to sit and create, even if it gets shmooshed in the end.

Got bags of dried, locally foraged, mushrooms at the food co-op for DS’s stocking.

I needed to have labs drawn for an appt next week so I ventured out in the -30 wind chill today. I hit up a few places and got some things.

Thermometer for their garages to see how close it is to freezing drinks in the garage. Today was a move the cases into the house type of day!

Mini spatulas and Scrub Daddys had been requested.

Hand lotions, chap stick, Laniege lip mask.

Scotch guard for boots.

Previously had purchased Everything but the Elote from TJ's due to influencers influence.

Thanks all for the ideas. A few will be hiding in their stockings. 😉

I made up last minute Christmas gift bags themed, for-movie-night. Sprouts has chocolate covered salted caramels or chocolate covered almonds... I put in glass jars(Dollar Tree $1.25), then a box of movie theatre popcorn...