Cupcake-Themed Stocking

Cupcakes seem to be all the rage these days, and not just the cupcakes themselves, but cupcake-themed merchandise. Let's face it: little is cute, so little cakes are almost universally appealing. If you really enjoy seeing the remarkable cupcake creations that individuals and bakeries are concocting on a daily basis, you might enjoy checking out the Cupcakes Take the Cake blog. But in the meantime, here are some ideas for cupcake-themed stocking stuffers!

First up, how cute is this Sweet Shop Lip Gloss boxed set of four cupcake-shaped lip gloss containers? The gift box (shown above) measures 1.5 by 5.5 inches, and the flavors are strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, and raspberry. These can be found at the EverAfterStore.com website for $12.50.

For an extra special stocking gift, try this James Avery silver cupcake charm (shown right). I've featured James Avery charms before, because I love their simple elegance. This charm is 7/16" long and is available in sterling silver ($48) or 14k gold ($295). Obviously, these wouldn't be appropriate for a very young girl, but they would make a lovely special gift for a woman who loves baking in general and cupcakes in particular.

This next stocking stuffer is a lovely pink cupcake luggage tag (shown left) from the EverAfterStore.com website. This would certainly stand out on the luggage carousel at the airport! The cupcake part measures 3.5 x 3.5 inches. It's made of vinyl and has a clear acetate window on the reverse side with a paper insert for your name and address.

These last three cupcake stocking stuffers (all shown below, left to right) take us back to the under $5 realm... First, we have a cupcake key cap from the Perpetual Kid website that's pretty cute. It measures 1.25 inches in both height and width, fits most standard keys, and costs $4.99.

Next up are these fun cupcake bandages from the Archie McPhee website. The 3.75-inch tall tin comes with twelve latex-free adhesive bandages with sterile gauze. Each bandage measures 1.75 by 1.5 inches, and the tin, which costs $4.95, comes with a free prize inside.

Last but not least, I headed back to the EverAfterStore.com website for these puffy cupcake stickers. Each of the eight puffy vinyl sticker measures 1.25 inches, and they're perfect for decorating school notebooks. The set of eight costs $3.95.

I hope that gives you some ideas! Use your imagination: if your cupcake enthusiast recipient is an adult who bakes, you could include some of these items, plus a rubber spatula/scraper or some other appropriate kitchen utensil. Or if you're making up a gift basket, you could put in a book of cupcake recipes or cupcake-decorating how-to. For a more personal approach, put in your own favorite cupcake recipe. For little girls, you could put in an IOU gift certificate for a cupcake-making session. Have fun!