Stocking Stuffers & Secret Santa

Here is the dirty secret of stocking stuffers: most of them end up in a junk drawer by New Year's. Lip balm, novelty socks, a keychain shaped like a taco. You can do better, and you can do it in the same tiny footprint. A hand-painted Limoges box slips right into the toe of a stocking or a Secret Santa bag, and when it comes out, the room goes quiet for a second. That is the sound of someone else's gift getting upstaged.

Small Enough for the Toe of the Sock

Think Santa riding his sleigh with a removable present, Santa clutching a teddy bear, holly hexagons, glowing candles, a snowy deer and a little nativity for the sentimental folks on your list. Each piece is painted by hand in France with the kind of detail you need to squint at: buckles on boots, berries on sprigs, a twinkle on a reindeer's nose. Lift the hinged lid and there is a pocket of space for a gift card, a pair of earrings or a folded note that says who drew whose name.

The Secret Santa Who Started Something

More than one collection began as an office gift exchange. Someone unwraps a porcelain Santa, sets it on the desk, and by next December they are dropping hints about a sleigh to go with it. If you are buying for a collector, look for a Santa pose they do not have yet. If you are buying for a beginner, choose something that fits their personality and let them catch the bug. Display ideas are easy: a row along a bookshelf, a cluster on a vanity tray, or a tiny village scene on a windowsill.

Not sure what makes the real thing real? Read up on how to spot genuine Limoges, then browse Christmas Gifts and Santa Collectors.