St Nicholas Gifts: Small Ideas for Adults and Children
On the evening of 5 December, boots are left outside the door in Germany and much of Central Europe, and someone has to fill them. For children that's easy, for adults rather less so. A good St Nicholas gift is small, fits in a boot, doesn't cost much and still raises a smile on the morning of the 6th. Here are ideas for grown-ups and little ones, with chocolate and without.
What fits in a boot
The boot sets the format: anything bigger than a hand gets tricky. Slim, light things that can be tucked into the top or laid inside the shaft work best. A small trick: tangerines, nuts and a chocolate St Nicholas fill up the boot, and the actual present sits on top.
Small St Nicholas gifts for adults
Adults appreciate things that make everyday life a little nicer. Some ideas:
- Good chocolate or truffles: a small bar from a chocolatier rather than a big bag.
- A homemade voucher: "breakfast in bed" or "I'll do the washing-up for a week".
- Cosy socks: they fit the boot nicely, quite literally.
- A small notebook or a nice pen.
- A tea selection or special coffee: in a little drawstring bag.
- Solid soap or solid shampoo: compact, smells lovely and fits easily into a boot.
The Soapi as a St Nicholas gift
If you're giving soap, why not include the right holder? The Soapi is a magnetic soap holder for €12.95: a bottle cap is pressed halfway into the bar, the soap hangs from the magnet on the wall, dries all the way round and doesn't go soggy in a dish. It sticks on tiles, glass or a mirror without drilling and fits nicely into a boot. Even easier is the Starter Kit for €14.95, with a Soapi, a lavender soap from Marseille (100 g, handmade in Marseille) and a cleaned bottle cap. Unwrapped in the morning, in use by the evening. With 4.88 out of 5 stars from more than 1,600 reviews, it's a St Nicholas gift you can count on.
For anyone who's always looking for their keys
The magnetic key holder for €11.95 sticks on next to the door without drilling, on tiles, glass, metal or a smooth door, and holds even heavy bunches with a car key. A small thing that saves a few minutes of searching every morning.
St Nicholas gifts for children
Children love little things they can touch, try out or collect:
- Coloured pencils, a small sketchpad or stickers.
- A mini picture book or an activity booklet.
- Modelling clay, bubbles or a small jigsaw.
- A chocolate St Nicholas, of course.
- My Happy Cow, Pig or Tiger children's soaps: handmade soaps in animal shapes, suitable from age 3. Handwashing suddenly gets more fun, and with a Soapi at child height, kids can hang up the soap themselves.
Several boots to fill? Mix & Match
A family with three children, plus a partner, Grandma and the neighbour: five boots add up quickly. With Mix & Match you pick 5 products and pay €50, which works out at €10 per gift, with free shipping within Germany. You can combine Soapis in 10 colours, the key holder, solid soaps (from Marseille, Blaull or Grete Manufaktur, or shower soap by KLAR), solid shampoo by Skargard and the My Happy Cow, Pig and Tiger children's soaps. One possible family set: two children's soaps for the little ones, a Soapi and a bar of soap for the adults, and a key holder for Grandma, who can never find her keys.
Wrapping tips
We ship without gift wrap. For a boot you hardly need any anyway: a sheet of tissue paper, a ribbon or a small cotton pouch. You can prepare soap and Soapi in advance by pressing the bottle cap into the soap, so everything can go straight on the wall in the morning.
St Nicholas gifts FAQ
How much should a St Nicholas gift cost?
Usually not much, often between €5 and €15. St Nicholas is more of a small greeting than a second Christmas.
What age are the children's soaps suitable for?
The My Happy Cow, Pig and Tiger soaps are suitable from age 3.
Will my order arrive in time for 6 December?
We dispatch straight away within Germany. There's no fixed order deadline, so the best advice is to order early and have everything ready in good time.
The bottom line: small, useful, with a smile
A good St Nicholas gift doesn't need to be big. It just needs to show that someone thought of you. For several boots at once, Mix & Match with 5 items for €50 is the simplest solution. If you want to keep going, you'll find 24 ideas in filling an Advent calendar, and for the office there are our Secret Santa gifts under €15.
