Personalised Christmas Stockings and Santa Sacks: Which Should You Choose?
A personalised Christmas stocking is the classic choice if you want a name hanging on the mantelpiece on Christmas Eve, while a personalised Santa sack is the better pick when the presents are bigger or there are lots of them. Both can carry a name, both come out of the decorations box year after year, and plenty of families end up with one of each.
Stocking or Santa sack: what's the real difference?
It mostly comes down to size and where it lives on Christmas Eve. A stocking hangs up, on the mantelpiece, a hook or the end of the bed, and holds small things: sweets, a satsuma, a little toy, a pair of socks. A sack sits on the floor by the tree or at the foot of the bed, and it's big enough for the main presents.
Our stocking measures 20.5 x 45cm, which is a good, generous stocking size without being silly. Our Santa sacks are extra large at 70 x 50 cm, with a drawstring closure, so wrapped boxes, books and soft toys all fit with room to spare.
Choose a stocking if…
- You want something to hang up on Christmas Eve.
- Most of the gifts are small stocking fillers.
- You'd like a photo on it as well as a name.
Choose a sack if…
- The children get their main presents from Santa rather than under the tree.
- You like the idea of a themed design with their name as the star of it.
The personalised Christmas stocking
Red Border Photo Stocking, £14.99
Our personalised Christmas stocking with a name and photo has a classic red border and a red hanging loop, so it's ready for the mantelpiece or a hook straight away. It's made from canvas and polyester and printed by dye-sublimation, which means the design becomes part of the fabric rather than sitting on top of it.
Personalisation tip: you type the name and upload a photo on the product page. We print the photo exactly as it's uploaded, so pick a clear, well-lit picture.
Personalised Santa sacks
All four of our extra large sacks share the same build: a natural hessian-style sack, 70 x 50 cm, with a drawstring closure and a full-colour design printed directly onto it for a durable finish. Each one is £14.99. The difference is the picture, so choose the one that suits the child. The name shown in each listing is only an example; you add any name you like.
Santa Stop Here sack
The most traditional of the four. The Santa Stop Here sack with any name printed on it is the one to leave out on Christmas Eve as a clear signal for Santa.
Personalisation tip: enter the name exactly as you'd like it printed and check the spelling carefully before ordering.
Christmas train sack
For little ones who love anything with wheels, the Christmas train delivery Santa sack with your child's name shows Santa waving from a snowy steam engine, with presents and a teddy bear riding in the carriages behind.
Personalisation tip: shorter names sit nicely in the big centre panel, but a full first name works well too.
Gingerbread Express sack
The Gingerbread Express personalised Santa sack is a cheerful, sweet-themed design that suits younger children.
Robin Winter Wishes sack
If you'd like something a little softer and more wintry, the Robin Winter Wishes Santa sack with a name is a gentle, festive choice that works for any age.
Personalisation tip: if you're ordering sacks for siblings, pick a different design for each child.
Finish the Christmas Eve set with a name cushion
Family Christmas Cushion with hanging stockings, £14.99
Our family Christmas cushion with everyone's names and a row of hanging stockings features Santa and a reindeer above a little line of festive stockings, in green or pink. Personalisation tip: add the whole family, for example "Mum, Dad, Ben & Amelia", so it matches the stockings on the mantelpiece.
Santa Please Stop Here Kids Cushion, £14.99
The Santa Please Stop Here cushion with your child's name comes in green or pink, with soft pastel Santa and reindeer artwork. You can add one name or several.
Santa & Reindeer Name Cushion 40cm, from £14.99
The 40cm Santa and reindeer cushion with a name and message has Santa and his reindeer peeping over a big white panel, with a snowy village along the bottom. It's £14.99 for the cover only, or £19.99 as the full filled cushion, ready to give. Personalisation tip: add a short message such as "Merry Christmas 2026", then choose your font and text colour to match their bedroom.
Quick picks
- For the mantelpiece: the red border photo stocking.
- For the big presents: any of the extra large Santa sacks.
- For train fans: the Christmas train sack.
- For the whole family: the family cushion with hanging stockings.
- For a child's bedroom: the Santa Please Stop Here cushion.
Tips for ordering personalised Christmas stockings and sacks
- Check the spelling twice. Everything is made to order with the exact name you type, and personalised items can't normally be returned unless faulty.
- Think about next year. A plain first name lasts for years, whereas a date or age only works once.
- Order early. Each item is printed to order in North Yorkshire with fast UK dispatch. Check the dispatch information on the product page, and postage options are shown at checkout.
- Make it a tradition. Pair the sack with a few small extras; our Christmas Eve box ideas for kids has plenty of suggestions.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the personalised Christmas stocking?
Our red border photo stocking is 20.5 x 45cm, made from canvas and polyester, with a red hanging loop.
How big are the personalised Santa sacks?
They're extra large at 70 x 50 cm, in a natural hessian-style material with a drawstring closure.
Can I add a photo?
Yes, on the stocking. You upload a photo on the product page along with the name, and we print it exactly as it's uploaded, so a clear, well-lit photo gives the best result. The sacks are personalised with a name.
Can I reuse them every year?
Yes. The stocking is printed by dye-sublimation, so the design is part of the fabric, and the sacks have the design printed directly onto them for a durable finish.
Shop personalised Christmas stockings, sacks and more
Whether you go for a stocking, a sack or both, every piece is printed to order with your names in our North Yorkshire workshop. Start with the personalised red border Christmas stocking, then browse our Christmas jumpers and pyjamas collection to finish the Christmas Eve look.