Christmas Eve box ideas
Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
A Christmas Eve box is a small, opened-the-night-before present that sets the mood: something cosy to wear, something to watch or do, something sweet. It takes the edge off the waiting for children — and for adults, it turns the 24th into an evening worth remembering rather than a frantic wrapping session.
A star to look for on Christmas Eve
Name a real star. A heartfelt gift they’ll cherish forever. Our sister company, The Star Naming Co., names a catalogued star after a child, a family or a couple, and the live viewer shows where it sits in tonight’s sky — so the box can end with everyone in coats in the garden, looking up.
£9.99 delivered in minutes, or £19.99 as a printed Gift Pack posted free in the UK.
For children
New pyjamas, the Christmas Eve classic
The heart of almost every Christmas Eve box — fresh pyjamas to wear to bed and for the photos on Christmas morning. Matching family sets are popular, but a pair the child actually picked out works just as well.
A bauble to hang before bed on the 24th
A photo bauble printed with a picture from this year — the first day at school, the summer holiday, the new puppy. Children love hanging their own decoration on the tree on Christmas Eve, and it comes out again every year after.
About £8.99.
Reindeer food and a letter to Santa
Not something to buy so much as something to do: a little bag of oats and glitter-free sprinkles for the lawn, a carrot for Rudolph, and a sheet of paper for a last note to Santa. It gives excited children a job — and a reason to go to bed.
For the whole family
A film-night kit for Christmas Eve
Popcorn, a hot chocolate, a festive film everyone agrees on and a blanket for the sofa. Put it together yourself or buy a ready-made kit, then add a handwritten “ticket” to the screening.
A Christmas coupon book to open on the 24th
The Little Coupon Book of Christmas is full of festive vouchers to tear out and redeem — a good way to stretch the fun over the holidays. Pop it in the box so the first voucher can be used that very evening.
About £14.99.
For adults and couples
A Christmas Eve case night for two
Once the children are asleep and the stockings are filled, open a murder mystery. Cold Case Inc make online case files you solve in a browser — witness statements, evidence, a culprit to name. The Stonewood Mystery, set in an English village, is an easy one to start with, and couples can play on two devices at once.
About £9.99. Prefer it as a surprise? Their gift voucher can be set to arrive on a date you pick.
Starting the tradition
Christmas Eve boxes work best when they become a fixture. Keep the shape the same each year — pyjamas, a film, a treat, one small surprise — and change the details as the children grow. Teenagers who claim they’re too old for it rarely turn down the hot chocolate.
Putting the box together
- Any sturdy box will do — a shoebox wrapped in brown paper and tied with ribbon looks lovely. Personalised wooden boxes can be reused year after year.
- Add a note explaining what’s inside and when to open it.
- Don’t overfill it. Four or five things is plenty.
Personalised Christmas Eve boxes on Etsy
More personalised ideas: Personalised decorations at You Personalise · Coupon books at Cupidly · Christmas photo gifts at Photobox
More gift guides
-
Christmas · New home
Gifts for a first Christmas in a new home
A new-address bauble, an engraved board and the practical bits nobody remembers until they’re needed.
Read the guide →
-
Christmas
Sentimental Christmas gifts they’ll keep
Personal Christmas presents for family — and which ones still work if you leave it late.
Read the guide →
-
Christmas · Mum
Christmas gifts for mum she’ll actually love
Beyond bath sets and candles: personal, thoughtful presents that show you’ve been listening.
Read the guide →