A Christmas Eve Box has become as much of a tradition for many families as decorating the Christmas tree together.
No-one seems to know where the idea originated but it seems everyone I know is looking forward to settling down with the kids to open the Christmas Eve box together - it's as if it's the new family ritual for officially getting Christmas started.
If a Christmas Eve box is a new idea to you or indeed if you just need some fresh ideas for yours, here's all the inspiration you need for your very own Christmas Eve box. Enjoy!
The idea is that you open a Christmas Eve box together – on Christmas Eve, of course – and then settle down for a festive evening of fun family time, enjoying the Christmassy treats inside.
What should you put in a Christmas Eve box? Anything that will help you have a magical Christmas eve, including a family Christmas film, festive snacks, and possibly even a little note from Santa reminding the kids to hop off to bed without delay so that he and his elves can get to work.
You can even have customised Christmas Eve boxes made - these gorgeous personalised Christmas Eve boxes aren't cheap at £39 but they are a real keepsake item and if you order today you should get yours by Thursday 22nd December with £3.75 delivery.
This personalised Christmas Eve box is also rather beautiful and it's much more affordable at just £1.75.
At just £3.00 from JoJoMamanBebe this is a really lovely gift box that could be just right for your Christmas Eve box.
Christmas pyjamas
No Christmas Eve box is complete without a brand new pair of Christmas pyjamas.
These Asda George Christmas Polar Bear pyjamas are £6 and available for click and collect. They've got stock left in sizes 2-3 and 3-4 years. These Christmas Stocking pyjamas are also pretty cute.
For the man of the house, I love this Mr Claus Jersey Loungewear set from F&F and it's down to just £6.25 with stock left in all sizes.
And what about a pair of Elf pyjamas for Mum? I LOVE these.
Gingerbread house
I'm definitely popping this gingerbread house cutter set from Lakeland (£5.49) in my Christmas Eve box this year. While the kids get to grips with making it, I'm going to sit down with a glass of sherry.
Christmas book
A friend buys a new book for the Christmas Eve box every year, so they've amassed a gorgeous collection of Christmas stories over the years. If you like the sound of that, check out this Big Box of Christmas Stories from The Book People - it's £12.99 for this collection of 10 books, including When Granny Saved Christmas by Julia Hubery & Caroline Pedler, Waiting For Santa by Steve Metzger & Alison Edgson and The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore & Mark Marshall.
If you don't already have a copy, The Jolly Chistmas Postman is an absolute must-have book for the Christmas Eve box.
Hot chocolate
This cute recipe for reindeer hot chocolate includes free printable labels, so when you're making these up for your lucky Christmas Eve box recipients you could always make some extras to give to teachers or friends and family members as little Christmas treats. This Snowman Soup hot chocolate craft is adorable too, and also comes with a free printable. Or what about some slow cooker hot chocolate?
Magic reindeer food
Rustle up some magic reindeer food to pop in your Christmas Eve box, otherwise Rudolph and pals might not find their way to your house. Mix one cup of porridge oats with two teaspoonfuls of glitter - it's a recipe straight from the North Pole, you know - and sprinkle all over your garden or driveway on Christmas Eve to help the reindeer see where to land, and give them something to munch on while they wait for Santa to do his thing. (Don't forget to clear most of it up, leaving just a few uneaten crumbs to be found the next morning...) There are some cute free reindeer food printables here, too.
Christmas Movie
Cuddling up with the kids to watch a feel-good family film at Christmas is one of my favourite indulgences, and every good Christmas Eve box includes a DVD to snuggle up together and watch before bed. Check out our Top Ten Christmas films. I think The Gruffalo DVD is particularly gorgeous for a Christmas Eve movie, and I'm also a big fan of The Fox and the Childnarrated by Kate Winslet.
Christmas popcorn
As a treat for the grown-ups, I quite like the look of this Gingerbread Popcorn from Joe & Seph's. Why should the kids have all the fun?
Santa's key
Kids are canny these days, so if you don't have a chimney, you might want to pop a magic key into your Christmas Eve box so that Santa can let himself in to do the honours on Christmas Eve. This personalised Christmas key is pretty gorgeous, and it's just £5 from Not On The High Street.
Last, but not least, why not pop a letter from Santa himself in your Christmas Eve box?
What's going in your Christmas Eve box this year? Tell us all about by leaving us a comment below or come and join the conversation over on our Facebook page...
Comments