A Christmas Eve box is a small gift that families open the night before Christmas to start the holiday early. It holds new pajamas, a book and a warm drink so the evening feels like part of the celebration.
This guide explains what a Christmas Eve box is and what to put inside for every age. Each idea comes with a size or a material choice so you can build one at home or stock them in a shop.
You will start with the tradition and the contents before moving to box sizes and materials. Later sections cover personalized boxes, the Santa box and how a shop can sell Christmas Eve boxes this season.
Key takeaways
- A Christmas Eve box holds pajamas, a book, a warm drink and a treat for the night before Christmas.
- A child box of about 400 x 300 x 120 mm fits folded pajamas with a book and a mug.
- Cardboard boxes in E flute are light and printable and come back out every year.
- A name printed on each lid turns any Christmas Eve box into a keepsake.
- Shops sell Christmas Eve boxes empty or packed and empty boxes move fastest.
What Is a Christmas Eve Box?
A Christmas Eve box is a gift box that a family opens on the night before Christmas. It holds a few small things for a cozy evening such as pajamas, a book, hot cocoa and a treat.
The box gives children something to open before bed and helps them settle down on the most exciting night of the year. Parents like it because the new pajamas look good in the photos the next morning.
Boxes for xmas eve come in every size from a small card box to a large wooden chest. Before you choose the box it helps to know where the tradition came from.
Where Did the Christmas Eve Box Tradition Come From?
The Christmas Eve box tradition grew popular with families in the United Kingdom and then spread to the United States through social media. It builds on the older custom of opening one gift on Christmas Eve.
Many families in Germany and Scandinavia open their gifts on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas morning. The Christmas Eve box keeps the big gifts for the morning and gives the evening a smaller treat of its own.
The tradition has no fixed rules so every family fills the box its own way. The next section lists the contents that families choose most.
What Do You Put in a Christmas Eve Box?
You put new pajamas, a book or a movie, a warm drink and a small treat in a Christmas Eve box. The table below adjusts those four parts for each age so the box suits the person opening it.
| Who it is for | Pajamas or comfort | Something to do | Warm drink and treat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toddlers | Footed pajamas | A board book | Warm milk and a cookie |
| Children | Matching family pajamas | A Christmas story book | Hot cocoa and marshmallows |
| Teens | Fleece pajama pants | A movie or a puzzle | Cocoa and popcorn |
| Couples | Matching robes or socks | A board game | Hot cider and chocolates |
| Adults | Soft socks and slippers | A novel and a candle | Tea or coffee and a treat |
Pick one item from each column rather than filling the box to the top. A box with four good things feels more special than a box stuffed with small extras. Once you know the contents you can size the box around them.
Want Christmas Eve boxes printed with names?
Send the box size, the quantity and your list of names. We return a dieline and a price per box with each name printed on its own lid.
What Size Should a Christmas Eve Box Be?
A gift box for Christmas Eve should be sized around the folded pajamas because they are the largest item inside. Child pajamas fold to about 300 by 250 by 50 mm and adult pajamas fold to about 350 by 280 by 70 mm.
| Box for | Starting inside size | Board |
|---|---|---|
| One toddler | 330 x 250 x 100 mm | 1.6 mm E flute, two piece |
| One child | 400 x 300 x 120 mm | 1.6 mm E flute, two piece |
| One adult | 450 x 330 x 140 mm | 3 mm B flute, two piece |
| A family of four | 500 x 400 x 200 mm | 3 mm B flute, two piece |
| A Santa box | 300 x 220 x 100 mm | SBS 400 GSM, lift off lid |
Add 6 mm to the length and width of the largest item and 10 mm to the height of the tallest one. Our custom Christmas boxes page shows the build and the board for a printed Christmas Eve box. The material of the box matters as much as the size.
Should a Christmas Eve Box Be Cardboard, Wood or Plastic?
A Christmas Eve box should be cardboard when you want a light box that prints well and stores flat. Wood suits a family heirloom and plastic suits a box that sits in a damp garage for the rest of the year.
| Material | Strength | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard | Good for pajamas, books and mugs | Full color and foil | Shops and printed names |
| Wood | High and lasts for years | Engraved or painted | Family heirloom boxes |
| Plastic | High and resists damp | Labels only | Storage in a garage or loft |
| Painted kraft | Good for light contents | Hand painted | Crafts with children |
A cardboard Christmas Eve box in 1.6 mm E flute holds pajamas, a book and a mug without bending. A two piece box with a separate lid feels more like a gift than a box with a tuck flap.
A handmade Christmas Eve box can start as a plain kraft box that the family paints together. Painted boxes become part of the tradition and the paint gets added to every year. A printed name does the same job with less mess.
How Do You Personalize a Christmas Eve Box?
You personalize a Christmas Eve box by printing the name on the lid in a simple font with one festive detail such as a star or a snowflake. A gold foil name looks premium on a deep red or green box.
A personalized Christmas Eve box from a printer can carry a different name on every box in the same run. You send a list of names and each lid prints with the next name at no extra setup cost.
Families who make their own boxes use vinyl letters or a paint pen on a plain lid. Some families swap the name for a message from Santa, and that idea has a box of its own.
What Goes in a Santa Box for Christmas Eve?
A Santa box for Christmas Eve holds the things a child leaves out for Santa on the last night. That means a plate and a cup with a carrot for the reindeer and a note. The child fills it before bed and the box is empty by morning.
Some families add reindeer food made from oats and a key that lets Santa into a house without a chimney. The Santa box works well as a second smaller box next to the main Christmas Eve box.
A printed lid with a message from Santa turns the box into a small piece of magic. Families make these boxes at home while many buy them from local shops.
What Christmas Eve Box Ideas Work for Babies and Pets?
Christmas Eve box ideas for babies center on soft pajamas, a cloth book and a small toy that is safe to chew. A first Christmas box becomes a keepsake that parents store with the baby photos.
Leave food and small parts out of a box for a baby under one year old. Write the name and the year of the first Christmas inside the lid so the family remembers it later.
Pets join the tradition too and a dog or cat box holds a new toy, a festive bandana and a few treats. Keep pet treats in their own sealed bag so they never mix with chocolate meant for the children.
A family that fills a box for every member and the pet will want to use the boxes again. That makes reuse of the boxes the next question to answer.
Can You Reuse a Christmas Eve Box Every Year?
You can reuse a Christmas Eve box every year when it has a separate lid and a name printed on the outside. A two piece box stores flat or nested with other boxes and comes out again each December.
Keep the box in a dry closet rather than a damp garage because moisture softens cardboard over time. A box that holds its shape for three or four years becomes part of the family tradition.
Shops can sell a refill pack of pajamas and treats to families who kept the box from last year. Refills bring the same customers back every season without a new box.
How Can a Shop Sell Christmas Eve Boxes?
A shop can sell Christmas Eve boxes in two ways. You can sell an empty printed box for families to fill or a ready box packed with pajamas and treats. Empty boxes sell fastest because they suit every budget and every family fills them its own way.
Offer one empty box and two packed options at different prices, such as a child box and a family box. A name printed on each lid lets you charge more for the same box.
Order printed Christmas Eve boxes at least 28 business days before you start selling. That time covers artwork approval, a printed sample, production and free shipping across the United States.
How Do You Order Printed Christmas Eve Boxes?
You order printed Christmas Eve boxes by sending the size, the quantity and the list of names through our quote form. We return a dieline and a price for your custom packaging boxes.
- Minimum order is 100 boxes per size and design and the price per box falls as the run grows
- Price breaks arrive at 500 and 1,000 units on one artwork
- Production takes 8 to 10 business days after dieline approval
- A plain sample takes 3 to 5 business days and a printed one takes 7 to 10
- No setup or tooling fees apply on the first order or any reorder
- Shipping is free across the United States on every order
Test a plain sample with real pajamas, a book and a mug before the printed run. A sample shows whether the lid closes and whether the box still feels full without packing paper.
Frequently asked questions
The short version
A Christmas Eve box is a gift opened the night before Christmas with pajamas, a book, a warm drink and a treat inside. Size it around the folded pajamas and add 6 mm on each side.
Cardboard boxes in E flute are light and printable and a name on the lid makes them a keepsake. We print Christmas Eve boxes from 100 boxes per size and design with free shipping across the United States.
Ready to print Christmas Eve boxes for your shop?
At The Customized Boxes we print from 100 boxes per size and design with no setup fees, production in 8 to 10 business days after dieline approval and free shipping across the United States.
