12 Days of Christmas: Day 2 – Little Luxuries and Stocking Stuffers (Under $50 Ideas)

Some people are easy to buy for. Others… not so much. That’s where little luxuries come in.

 

Day 2 of our 12 Days of Christmas is all about the small-but-beautiful gifts: under-$50 pieces that feel far more special than their size (or price tag) suggests. Think sculptural trinket dishes, luxe stationery, reusable glass straws, soft faux florals, and everyday essentials that feel just a little bit extra.

Today’s bonus: we’ve also got a giveaway running over on Instagram (head to @fluxboutique.co.nz for entry details), and we’re doing 15% off our Stocking Stuffers collection for 24 hours!

Our Little Luxuries & Stocking Stuffers collection pulls all of those “yes, perfect” finds into one place, so you can top up stockings, add thoughtful extras to bigger gifts, or build a bundle of little somethings that feels like a lot.

What makes a great little luxury?

The best stocking stuffers usually do at least one of these things:

They turn an everyday moment into a ritual
They make a small corner of home look more considered
They feel indulgent to use, but are still practical
They’re easy to slip into a stocking, handbag, carry-on, or desk drawer

With that in mind, we’ve curated our Stocking Stuffers, Under $25, and Under $50 edits to be full of genuinely useful pieces that still feel gift-worthy.

Tiny trays and trinket dishes (jewellery for your surfaces)

A small tray is one of the easiest ways to make someone’s everyday feel more elevated. On a bedside, vanity, entry console or desk, it instantly turns “stuff” into a styled moment.

If you want something softly sculptural, cloud-shaped ceramic dishes are the sweet spot: a petite glossy version that’s perfect for rings and studs, and a slightly larger cloud tray (available in a clean white or a playful speckle) that looks beautiful under a candle, keys, or a room spray.

For a stocking stuffer that feels properly luxe, a gold-toned tray brings that high-shine “special” factor without needing a big budget. And if you’re buying for someone practical, a marble-look silicone tray is a clever little upgrade: lightweight, easy-care, and ideal as a perch for soap, candles, jewellery, or kitchen oils.

These are the kind of gifts that work for almost anyone (teens, mums, colleagues, teachers) because they suit so many spaces.

Stationery that feels like a treat (not an office supply)

Next up: stationery, but make it elevated.

For list-makers and note-takers, a daily notes pad with gold detailing instantly makes even quick scribbles feel intentional. Curved-edge notepads in black or nude tones are designed to sit beautifully on a desk or bedside, and they always feel more “gift” than “admin”.

For something small but satisfying, a petite dot-grid notebook is perfect for ideas, planning, or “brain-dump” notes that make life feel lighter. If they love a structured to-do moment, a slim checklist notebook in classic neutral tones makes a very “useful, but still lovely” gift.

To finish the stationery bundle, add a vegan leather pen loop. It’s one of those tiny upgrades that makes any notebook or planner feel more considered (and it’s the perfect add-on when you want a little something for a teacher, co-worker, or friend).

Everyday rituals, upgraded (car, kitchen and bathroom)

Some of the best stocking stuffers are the ones that quietly improve daily life.

For commuters and school-run parents, a car diffuser is such a good little luxury. It’s sleek, clips onto the vent, and makes every drive feel calmer and more “put together”, even when life is chaos.In the kitchen, Swedish dish cloths are a surprisingly brilliant gift: they’re reusable, compostable, and so much nicer to use than paper towels. We also love the multi-pack options in earthy tones, and cotton dishcloths that become a quiet little workhorse.

And if you want that “mini spa” feeling in a stocking, a beautifully scented hand cream is always a win. It’s practical, generous, and feels like care in a tube.

Glass straws and small “good habit” swaps

If you’re buying for someone who loves iced coffees, smoothies, or a Friday night spritz, reusable glass straws are a fun, low-cost gift that gets used constantly.Pick standard straws for everyday drinks, thicker smoothie straws for breakfasts-on-the-go, or cocktail straws for the entertainers. They’re small, easy to wrap, and they instantly make everyday drinks feel a bit more special.

Petite blooms and styling accents

If you love gifting something decorative but don’t want to commit to a large piece, faux stems and small décor are perfect.

Soft bunny tails add that fluffy, tactile detail to a bud vase or tray styling. Baby’s breath brings airy softness and can be split across multiple vases. Foliage stems like sage-toned sprays or eucalyptus are the easiest way to make a home feel styled, even for someone who doesn’t think of themselves as “into decor”.

And for a small, shelf-friendly gift, a Scandinavian-style wooden bunny is sweet, minimal, and surprisingly versatile.

How to build a beautiful stocking (without blowing the budget)

When you’re shopping our Little Luxuries & Stocking Stuffers edit, think in simple layers:

Under $20 (the add-on layer):
Choose one or two practical upgrades: a Swedish dish cloth, a hand cream, a pen loop, or a single faux stem.

Around $30 (the “hero small” layer):
Add one statement item like a gold-detailed notes pad, a set of glass straws, or a glossy trinket dish.

Up to $50 (the elevated finish):
Finish with a petite centrepiece: a gold-toned tray, a larger sculptural dish, a curved-edge notepad set, or a small cluster of faux stems that looks styled straight away.

These smaller gifts are also perfect as “top-ups” for bigger presents. A trinket tray plus a car diffuser instantly makes a main gift feel more complete. A petite notebook plus a pen loop is the kind of thoughtful combo that always lands well.

Day 2 is proof that small gifts can still feel deeply thoughtful. A little luxury isn’t about price. It’s about the way it gets used: the tray that catches jewellery every night, the notepad that becomes part of someone’s morning routine, the hand cream that lives in a handbag, the car diffuser that makes everyday errands feel calmer.

If you’re shopping for someone hard to buy for, this is your moment. Explore our Stocking Stuffers collection, enter today’s Instagram giveaway, and enjoy 15% off for 24 hours!