Christmas Eve Boxes: 14 Cozy Night Before Christmas Ideas That Cost Next to Nothing

Christmas Eve boxes are the sweetest little tradition you can start this year, and you can make one with things already in your closet and pantry. The idea is simple: one box, opened the night before Christmas, packed with cozy things that slow everyone down for a few hours. Pajamas, cocoa, a story, a treat for Santa. It feels like the night in the old poem, when all through the house not a creature was stirring. That poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” was first printed without a name in 1823 and is now credited to Clement Clarke Moore. Two hundred years later, families still read it aloud on Christmas Eve. Below are 14 easy ideas to fill your box, plus a few twists for grandparents, teens at heart and even the dog. Most cost next to nothing, and every one feels handmade and full of love..

Start With a Painted Wooden Christmas Eve Box

The best Christmas Eve boxes start with a plain wooden box from the thrift store, which becomes the star of the night with a coat of cream paint and a few hand painted holly leaves. Kids remember the box more than anything inside it, so make it sturdy enough to use every year. Paint the family name or the year on the bottom so you can see how many Christmases it has seen. Fill it with pajamas, a jar of cocoa, a rolled up copy of the poem and a plate of cookies, and you already have the whole evening planned. Where would you hide it until Christmas Eve..

You will need: a wooden box with a lid, cream and red chalk paint, a small brush, green and red craft paint, sandpaper, clear sealer.

How to make it: 1. Sand the box lightly and wipe it clean. 2. Paint two coats of cream and let it dry. 3. Paint the edges red and add holly leaves in the corners. 4. Sand the edges a little for a vintage look and seal.

Christmas Eve Boxes Start With Matching Family Pajamas

Matching pajamas are the heart of most Christmas Eve boxes, and they make the best photo of the year. You do not need a pricey set: plain red tops and plaid flannel pants from different stores look matched once they are stacked together. Fold them from biggest to smallest, tie the stack with twine and tuck in a sprig of pine for that fresh tree smell. Everyone changes right after dinner, and the cozy night officially begins. Who in your house would pretend to complain and then wear them all week?

You will need: pajama sets for each person, jute twine, a pine sprig.

How to make it: 1. Wash and fold each set neatly. 2. Stack from largest to smallest. 3. Tie with twine in a cross. 4. Tuck the pine sprig under the knot.

A Hot Cocoa Kit in a Jar

Every one of our Christmas Eve boxes gets a cocoa kit, because nothing says Christmas Eve like a warm mug in your hands while the lights glow on the tree. Layer cocoa powder, sugar and a handful of mini marshmallows in a clean jar so everyone can see the stripes. Add a candy cane stirrer and a little handwritten tag with the mixing amounts. If you love homemade gifts, our Christmas gifts in a jar ideas use the same trick for neighbors and teachers. Would your family go for classic chocolate or a peppermint swirl?

You will need: a clean glass jar, cocoa powder, sugar, mini marshmallows, candy canes, a paper tag, ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Spoon in cocoa and sugar in layers. 2. Fill the top with marshmallows. 3. Close the lid and tie on a ribbon. 4. Add a tag that says three spoonfuls per mug of hot milk.

Christmas Eve Boxes Need Hand Stamped Reindeer Food

Little ones love sprinkling reindeer food on the lawn so Santa’s team can find the house. Mix rolled oats with colorful sugar sprinkles (skip glitter, it is not safe for birds) and scoop it into small kraft bags. A simple rubber stamp and red ink turn plain bags into something that looks shop bought. Make a few extra bags for cousins or neighbors because once one child has them, every child wants them. Will your kids scatter it on the grass or on the front steps?

You will need: small kraft paper bags, a reindeer rubber stamp, red ink pad, rolled oats, sugar sprinkles, bakers twine.

How to make it: 1. Stamp a reindeer on each bag and let the ink dry. 2. Mix oats and sprinkles in a bowl. 3. Scoop two spoonfuls into each bag. 4. Fold the top and tie with twine.

A Printed Copy of the 1823 Poem Tied With Ribbon

This is the slide that ties everything together. Print “Twas the Night Before Christmas” on cream paper, roll it up and tie it with a velvet ribbon and a sprig of holly. The poem is in the public domain, so you can print it freely. The story of Clement Clarke Moore is a fun read too: he was a professor in New York, and the poem was printed anonymously in a newspaper long before his name was attached to it. Choose one reader each year and pass the scroll down. Who would read it best in your family?

You will need: cream printer paper, red velvet ribbon, a holly or pine sprig, a tea bag for aging (optional).

How to make it: 1. Print the poem in a pretty script font. 2. Dab the edges with a damp tea bag and let dry for an old look. 3. Roll it tightly. 4. Tie with ribbon and tuck in the holly.

Movie Night Popcorn Kit

Christmas Eve boxes feel complete with a movie plan. A holiday movie is the easiest way to keep the kids happy while the grown ups finish wrapping. Fill striped paper bags with popcorn, add a small pack of cocoa and a note naming the movie of the night. Pick an old favorite everyone already knows so nobody argues. Popcorn is cheap, so this whole kit costs about a dollar per person. Make it extra cozy with a blanket rolled up next to the bags. What is the one Christmas movie your family watches every year?

You will need: striped paper popcorn bags, popcorn kernels or ready popped popcorn, a small card, ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Pop the corn and let it cool. 2. Fill each bag two thirds full. 3. Fold the top and close with a ribbon. 4. Add a card with the movie name and start time.

Christmas Eve Boxes Include a Cookies for Santa Plate Kit

Christmas Eve boxes always need a plan for Santa’s snack. Paint a plain white plate with a simple holly border using paint pens for porcelain, then bake it in the oven to set it. Add a few sugar cookies, carrots for the reindeer and a folded linen napkin tied with ribbon. The plate comes out every year, and it becomes a little family treasure. Ask an adult to handle the oven part. Will Santa get chocolate chip or iced sugar cookies at your house?

You will need: a plain white ceramic plate, porcelain paint pens, sugar cookies, carrots, a linen napkin, ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Draw holly leaves and berries around the rim. 2. Let dry for a day. 3. An adult bakes it as the pen package says. 4. Pack the plate with cookies, carrots and the tied napkin.

Kraft Box With Hand Drawn Snowflakes

If you need Christmas Eve boxes for many kids or on a tight budget, a plain kraft gift box looks charming once it is covered in white snowflakes. Use white paint and a thin brush or a white paint pen, and do not worry about perfect lines: snowflakes are never the same. Tie it with red and white bakers twine and a small pine sprig. These boxes cost a dollar or two each, and they stack nicely in a closet until the big night. How many snowflakes can your kids draw before they get bored?

You will need: kraft paper boxes with lids, white paint or a white paint pen, a thin brush, bakers twine, pine sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Draw a few large snowflakes first. 2. Fill the gaps with small dots and stars. 3. Let dry. 4. Tie twine around the box and tuck in a pine sprig.

A Tiny Ornament to Open Tonight

Many families tuck one small ornament into their Christmas Eve boxes and hang it on the tree before bed. Look for little glass balls or make your own by filling clear ornaments with cinnamon sticks, tiny pine cones or a family photo. Write the year on the bottom with a fine marker. Years from now, the tree will tell the story of every Christmas Eve you spent together. Do you have an ornament you still remember from your own childhood?

You will need: small glass or clear plastic ornaments, cinnamon sticks, tiny pine cones, ribbon, a fine tip marker.

How to make it: 1. Remove the ornament cap. 2. Drop in cinnamon sticks or pine cones. 3. Put the cap back and add a ribbon loop. 4. Write the year on the bottom.

Christmas Eve Boxes Love Cozy Socks Wrapped as Candy Canes

Fuzzy socks are the gift nobody admits they want and everybody wears. Roll a pair of red and white striped socks into a long tube, slide it into a clear cellophane sleeve and bend the top into a hook. Tie a red bow at the bend and you have a giant candy cane that will not break your teeth. Stand a few in a pitcher on the table, and they double as decor until bedtime. Who in your house always has cold feet on Christmas morning?

You will need: striped knit socks, clear cellophane bags, red ribbon, a pipe cleaner (optional).

How to make it: 1. Roll each pair tightly into a tube. 2. Slip it into a cellophane bag with a pipe cleaner along the side. 3. Bend the top into a candy cane hook. 4. Tie a ribbon at the bend.

Christmas Eve Boxes With a Family Game Card Set

Christmas Eve is the perfect night to put the phones away and play. Cut cream cardstock into cards and write simple questions like “favorite Christmas memory” or “funniest gift ever,” then tie them with twine. Add a deck of cards and a small bag of dice for quick games everyone knows. These question cards often spark stories grandparents have never told before. What question would you add to the stack first?

You will need: cream cardstock, scissors, a pen, a deck of playing cards, a small cloth bag, wooden dice, twine.

How to make it: 1. Cut the cardstock into card sized pieces. 2. Write one question on each card. 3. Tie the cards in a bundle. 4. Put the dice in the bag and pack it with the deck.

Letter to Santa Kit

Before bed, the kids write one last letter to Santa and leave it by the cookies. Pack a sheet of nice stationery with painted holly in the corner, a red envelope, a few crayons and some star stickers. A little red mailbox made from a painted wooden box makes it feel official. Save the letters in the bottom of your Christmas Eve boxes each year, and you will have a sweet record of how your kids grew up. What did you ask Santa for when you were little?

You will need: stationery paper, red envelopes, crayons, star stickers, a small wooden box, red craft paint.

How to make it: 1. Paint a tiny holly design in the corner of each page. 2. Paint the small box red to make a mailbox. 3. Cut a slot in the lid. 4. Pack the paper, envelope, crayons and stickers inside.

Christmas Eve Boxes in a Basket for Grandparents

Grandparents love a Christmas Eve box too, just a calmer version. Swap the box for a wicker basket and fill it with a soft blanket, two matching mugs, a tin of tea, homemade cookies and a winter jigsaw puzzle. Add a framed family photo from this year, and you may see a few happy tears. Drop it off in the afternoon so they can enjoy it the same night your family opens yours. Which grandparent in your life would love this the most?

You will need: a wicker basket, a knit blanket, two mugs, a tin of tea, homemade cookies, a jigsaw puzzle, a small photo frame, plaid ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Line the basket with the folded blanket. 2. Set the mugs and tea in front. 3. Tuck in the puzzle, cookies and photo frame. 4. Tie a big plaid bow on the handle.

A Christmas Eve Crate for the Family Dog

The dog notices when everyone is opening something, so give them a box of their own. A small wooden crate holds a plaid bandana, a rope toy, a tiny stocking and a jar of homemade dog biscuits made from oats, pumpkin and peanut butter with no added sugar. Check with your vet about any treats if your dog has a sensitive tummy. It is the cutest photo of the whole night, and it keeps the pup busy while you read the poem. Does your pet already have a Christmas stocking?

You will need: a small wooden crate, a plaid bandana, a rope toy, a small felt stocking, a glass jar, homemade dog biscuits.

How to make it: 1. Bake the biscuits and let them cool fully. 2. Fill the jar and close it. 3. Line the crate with the bandana. 4. Add the toy, stocking and jar, then let your dog sniff it out.