Best Etsy Christmas Eve Boxes {unique and handmade boxes for a Christmas Eve tradition}

Christmas Eve boxes are becoming a bigger and bigger tradition in many homes. They’re the perfect way to get the whole family excited for the following morning, and to kickstart the gift giving with a few small treats. Ideally, they’re also planned to help encourage little ones to get to bed, so that Santa can work his magic overnight.

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Whether you buy a pre-made Christmas Eve box or you fill your own, you can really help to get everyone excited – but not too excited – on the day before the big day. Here are some of the best Christmas Eve boxes you can pick up on Etsy, supporting independent sellers while you do.

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Best wooden Christmas Eve boxes

If you want a wooden option for something that’ll look amazing and last a long time, then this Rustic Chest Christmas Eve Box is ideal. You can personalize it with a name, and because it’s got a chest design it’ll feel even more magical, like it’s treasure just waiting to be discovered. Choose from two different sizes too, perfect if you want something a little bigger to load up with treats.

If you’re instead shopping for friends or older family, or even for yourself and your partner, then this Personalized Wooden Christmas Eve Box is a little more luxurious in style, with ornate engraving that works wonders as a more grown up gift. You can customize it with any design though, so if you like the box shape (its large but shallow) you could get it for the whole family instead.

Or if you really want something more unique then these Hand Stenciled Vintage Oval Wooden Nest Boxes could be just what you want for your Christmas Eve treats. Just be careful about giving the smaller ones to the children, as you don’t want them to feel cheated. The vintage design is definitely more quaint than the classic wood, but you can create custom boxes for your family members so they each have something special to open.

Best filled Christmas Eve boxes

If you want to save some effort or you just don’t have the time to fill a Christmas Even box yourself, consider a pre-filled one. This Customized Christmas Eve Memory Box has a printed lid that can be tailored to child’s name, and it comes with hot chocolate packets, some microwave popcorn, some reindeer food, a small puzzle for coloring, a photo ornament, a story book and a personalized letter from Santa himself. Choose to add a date, or leave it blank so that you can reuse the box again and again.

Another great option is this Christmas Eve Activity Box aimed at a single child ages 3-10 years old. It isn’t personalized but it does include unique items for your child, including instructions from Santa on getting to bed on time and a scavenger hunt. The child will also get a bath bomb, ideal for a soothing soak before sleep, and a cookie mix with a coloring apron and fabric markers too – plenty to keep them busy.

Best personalized Christmas Eve boxes

A personalized Christmas Eve box is a sure-fire way to make your child feel special. And they don’t come much more personalized than this Kids Christmas Eve Box which is pre-filled. Not only that, but many of the items inside are customized with their name too, including a keepsake red envelope and a milk bottle. The box also includes cookies, crafts, candy and cocoa – all the essential ‘C’s needed for a great Christmas!

If you want a custom box for the whole family or that you just want to fill yourself for your children, then this Personalized Card Box may be just what you need. It’s designed to look like it has been shipped straight from the North Pole, and is ticked on the Nice list – a vital detail. What’s good about this is you can order the box, or if you’ve left it too late, choose the printed design and make it yourself at home. It’s a lot cheaper too.

A cute, simple option, this DIY Custom Christmas Eve Box is a little more understated. You get a ribbon included to help you tie a beautiful bow on it, and you can choose to add in extras such as a Nice List certificate and reindeer food to get you started with filling it.

Best large style Christmas Eve boxes

If you have grand plans and a large family to treat, you’re going to need a large Christmas Eve box. This Personalized Wooden Christmas Eve Box is almost like a chest, and can be customized with different stain effects. You can even add a padlock, so it can be on display until Christmas Eve arrives without anyone stealing from its mass of hidden goodies.

A Christmas Eve box is much like a hamper and so this Christmas Eve wicker basket might be something more suitable for what you have in mind. It’s high quality and lined to protect any gifts you place inside from sharper wicker ends, with more than enough room to stock up on gifts for the kids (and the big kids too).

Finally, this clean and simple large wooden Christmas Eve box is modern-looking and so will happily last well into the kids’ teenage years without them hating on it. Various sizes are available so choose the one that works for you, but just be aware that these ship from the UK so will take a little longer to arrive – one to plan ahead for.

Best crate style Christmas Eve boxes

Rather than a box with a lid, many prefer the style of a wooden crate. This Personalized North Pole Shipping Box is another that’s intended to look like it’s been shipped straight from Santa’s workshop, and is customized with the family or child’s name on the side in an ornate font. Be aware that it will arrive disassembled so make sure you have the screwdriver to hand.

The Wooden Family Christmas Eve Box is another solid option that is customized with colored painted letters in a stencil style. You can add up to three names and it works better with larger gifts inside, as there are bigger gaps between the slats – you don’t want everything falling out while you try to move it.

If you do want to include smaller items, and you aren’t as worried about it looking like an authentic crate, then this Kids Christmas Crate Box might be more suitable. It’s brightly painted, so it loses that rustic appeal but is better for kids who want something more themed. And the slats are tightly packed, so small candies won’t slip through.

What do you put in a Christmas Eve box for adults?

If you’re filling a Christmas Eve box for adults, then it’s normally not so much about tempering the excitement but more offering them the chance to relax. Whether they’re child-free and just want a nice, quiet Christmas Eve or they’ve been running around getting everything ready for the kids for the morning, these ideas will be great for unwinding.

First, start with something edible. It can be something luxurious and baked, or just some of their favorite candies – Christmas is a time to indulge after all.

Next, consider a small drink. If they enjoy alcohol then a mini bottle could be perfect here, just enough for an evening nip before sleep.

And on the subject of sleep, there’s a good chance that every adult just wants a relaxing atmosphere when they’re finally ready to call it a night. So, a scented candle can help set the ambience, while a pillow spray is the perfect touch to send them to sleep in the best mood.

Finally, a great choice for adults in a Christmas Eve box is a decoration or ornament. It’s never too late to add to the tree and a unique ornament can give them something to remember your gift by for years to come.

What do you put in a Christmas Eve box for toddlers?

Gifts for toddlers on Christmas Eve is pretty simple and straight forward, especially if you’re dealing with toddlers who are just about grasping the idea of Christmas.

Start with a small candy – nothing too big, because you don’t want a sugar rush, but something simple that you know they’ll like.

Next up, either a bath bomb or some bubble bath. A hot bath before bed can settle any toddler down, and gives you some fun times splashing around before it’s time to hit the hay.

Fresh pajamas are always a good option, particularly if they’re Christmas themed. The extra benefit here is that, when it comes to snapping photos and shooting videos of gift opening in the morning they’ll have something relatively fresh and new on, rather than anything a little tattered.

Finally, for bedtime itself, a Christmas book for story time, and a plush toy to cuddle as they drift off to sleep – bonus points if it’s an elf or snowman, something they can associate with Christmas.

What do you put in a Christmas Eve box for families?

A Christmas Eve box is great for the individual but it’s even better when it’s something everyone shares. Again, start with some treats – a box of candies or chocolates works well because, by sharing them, no one becomes too sugar-crazy.

Cocoa is another good option – you can buy a more luxurious brand than normal, and give everyone a hot mug before it’s time to get some sleep, so everyone is a little more settled.

Before that though, you’ll want a little entertainment, so add a small game – something that won’t take hours to play but gets everyone having fun.

Or you could add a DVD to the box. Choose a classic Christmas film that everyone loves, and maybe turn it into a tradition to watch it together on Christmas Eve every year. It doesn’t even have to be a movie, but it could be a digital download code instead, or a gift card for a streaming service – just make sure you’ve earmarked a movie in advance, or you could still be arguing over what to watch by the time St Nick’s visited.

Lastly, one for the families with younger children, reindeer food is a fun addition that you can sprinkle outdoors just before bed. Just make sure to buy a responsible option that’s biodegradable, and not one that could be picked up by local birds or wildlife and cause them pain. As long as you choose the right option, it’ll be something magical that will get them even more excited.

And that’s the best options for Christmas Eve boxes and what to add into them. Whether it’s a new tradition for your family or something you’ve already been doing for years, these all offer a wonderful way to kickstart the Christmas magic the night before.