Best Christmas Eve box: Spark holiday cheer with these fabulously festive boxes

Christmas Eve boxes are a wonderful way to kick off the festivities, and finding the best Christmas Eve box for your family and friends is guaranteed to get them excited for the big day. Whether it’s for children eager to start unwrapping or loved ones who live far away, a Christmas Eve box lets you present a small, personal gift ahead of 25 December.

Originally a German tradition, the popularity of Christmas Eve boxes has soared in recent years, and you can now choose from a wide variety of fun, ornate and personalised boxes. So, whether you’re shopping for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, parents, friends or neighbours, read on to discover our top picks of the best Christmas Eve boxes around.

If it’s your first time buying a Christmas Eve box, we’ve also included a comprehensive guide to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed buying decision.

Best Christmas Eve boxes: At a glance

How to choose the best Christmas Eve box for you

What is a Christmas Eve box?

A Christmas Eve box is a fun, thoughtful gift that – as the name suggests – the recipient opens on 24 December. Often, they contain activities to keep children busy on Christmas Eve, when excitement can threaten to overwhelm them.

What’s inside a Christmas Eve box?

There really are no rules as to what goes inside a Christmas Eve box, but it’s an ideal opportunity to wrap up small, thoughtful gifts. Edible seasonal treats always go down well, toys are of course always popular with kids, while alcohol is a common inclusion for adults.

What are Christmas Eve boxes made out of?

Most Christmas Eve boxes fall into one of two camps: cardboard or wood. Cardboard Christmas Eve boxes are lighter, more affordable and can be easily personalised with a pen. Wooden boxes, meanwhile, tend to be weightier, more expensive and require professional engraving for personalisation.

A nice wooden box can, however, be a gift in itself, as it can be easily repurposed as a personalised toy or keepsake box. Wooden Christmas Eve boxes are also more durable, allowing them to be reused the following year.

The best Christmas Eve boxes to buy in 2023

1. Dust and Things Personalised Christmas Eve Box: Best wooden Christmas Eve box for couples and families

Price when reviewed: From £30 | Check price at Amazon

This Christmas Eve box from Dust and Things is ideal for couples and families. It’s available in a trio of sizes: medium, medium with dividers and large with a crated lid. All three are constructed from finger-jointed pine and finished with a personalised engraving.

Each lid features a small engraved Christmas present, a stylised “Christmas Eve box” tag and a fun “Do not open until 24 December” warning. You can also personalise the box, with plenty of space for a forename, family name or couple’s names.

Key details – Material: Pinewood; Size: 28 x 21 x 14cm (medium), 35 x 25 x 20cm (large); Personalisable: Yes

2. The Laser Factory Pine Christmas Eve Box: Best wooden Christmas Eve box for children

Price when reviewed: £35 | Check price at Amazon

The Laser Factory’s Pine Christmas Eve Box is our top pick for children. This box is beautifully finished, crafted from solid pine and decorated to look like a Christmas parcel that has been express shipped from the North Pole.

The top and front of the box are laser-etched with a fun “North Pole Shipping Company” design, and across the lid is a large “Special Christmas Eve delivery” etching that you can personalise with the recipient’s name. This box is perfect for children and grandchildren, and its solid construction will ensure years of festive enjoyment.

Key details – Material: Pinewood; Size: 29 x 19 x 13cm; Personalisable: Yes

3. Ossian Christmas Eve Box: Best Christmas Eve box under £10

Price when reviewed: From £3.99 | Check price at Amazon

Ossian’s bright and colourful boxes are a lightweight, affordable way to wrap your Christmas Eve gifts with festive flair. Three sizes are available: mini, small and medium, and you can choose from three distinct, colourful, Christmas-themed designs.

Given their cardboard construction, these boxes may not last as long as wooden boxes. And while multiple uses are possible, their longevity depends on how enthusiastically the recipient opens them.

Key details – Material: Card; Size: 32 x 21 x 11cm (small), 45 x 34 x 13cm (medium); Personalisable: No

4. Home Is Our Favourite Christmas Eve Box: Best budget wooden Christmas Eve box

Price when reviewed: £15 | Check price at The Range

This bargain box is a good compromise between disposable cardboard boxes and the pricier handmade versions. Featuring a sweet snowy scene and “Home is our favourite place to be at Christmas” across the top, this box is charmingly twee and asking to be filled with fluffy socks, a bottle of something small and sparkling and a festive treat or two. Get them while you can.

Key details – Material: MDF; Size: 15 x 30 x 30cm; Personalisable: No

5. Orchard Toys Christmas Eve Box: Best pre-filled kids Christmas Eve box

Price when reviewed: £14 | Check price at Amazon

Christmas Eve feels pretty long when you’re little, so whip out this box to help while away the hours until it’s time to hang up the stockings. Containing three separate activities – a Christmas game, activity book and 30-piece puzzle – this pre-filled box eliminates the hassle of filling your own box, helping little ones stay engaged and excited ahead of the big day.

Like all Orchard Games products, these activities are teacher-approved and encourage turn-taking and other skills while being genuinely fun. Best for ages 3-6.

Key details – Material: Cardboard; Size: 2.5 x 8.5 x 19cm; Personalisable: No