There are some Christmas traditions that take a lot of planning, preparation and money. And then there are the little ones that become part of your family’s Christmas without needing to be complicated at all.
Our Christmas book box is one of those traditions.
Every year, when we get the Christmas tree out, our collection of Christmas books comes out too. They’re tucked away with the decorations for most of the year, which makes rediscovering them all the more exciting when Christmas rolls around again.
Our girls’ Christmas books live in a mini Speight’s crate (the kind that holds 12 stubbies), and honestly, it fits our little collection perfectly.
And there’s a little bit of Christmas magic involved, too. Elfie, our elf, brings the girls a new Christmas book or two each year, which we add to the collection.
It’s simple, it’s practical, and it’s one of those little things I love bringing out each year.
What Is a Christmas Book Box?
A Christmas book box is exactly what it sounds like: a dedicated box, basket or crate filled with Christmas books for the family to enjoy throughout the festive season.
Rather than keeping Christmas stories mixed in with everyday books all year, you pack them away with your Christmas decorations and bring them out when the season begins.
For us, that means the books make their annual appearance when we put up our Christmas tree.
We usually decorate around Labour Weekend or the first weekend of November, depending on how the year is shaping up. That’s when our Christmas books come out of storage and find their place in the living room again.
They stay out for the whole festive season, and when the Christmas tree comes down in the days between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, the books get packed away too.
I love that the books are only available for part of the year. It makes them feel a little more special, and the girls get to rediscover old favourites as well as enjoy the new stories Elfie has added to our collection.
Our Mini Speight’s Crate Christmas Book Box
You don’t need to buy a fancy Christmas basket or invest in special storage to start this tradition.
Our Christmas books live in a mini Speight’s crate that holds 12 stubbies, and it has turned out to be the perfect size for our collection.
I love using something we already have rather than buying another storage container just for Christmas. It’s sturdy, easy to move around, and holds our books neatly in one place. It’s also a little different from the traditional wicker basket you often see in Christmas book basket inspiration photos!
The best part is that you can use almost anything you already own. A wooden crate, a storage basket, a fabric box or even a sturdy cardboard box or shoe box would work beautifully.
Choose something that fits your collection, looks nice sitting beside your Christmas tree and is easy for little hands to reach. There really is no need to make this tradition complicated.
How Elfie Helps Our Christmas Book Collection Grow
One of my favourite parts of our Christmas book box tradition is that Elfie brings the girls a new book or two each year.
Instead of needing to buy an entire collection at once, we add to it gradually. Each Christmas brings another story or two to enjoy, and the collection grows alongside the girls.
It’s such a lovely way to build up a library of Christmas stories without feeling like you need to purchase everything in one go.
I also love that the books become part of the memories attached to each Christmas. As the girls get older, we’ll have stories that remind us of the years they first received them, the characters they loved and the books they wanted to hear over and over again.
You don’t need an elf to do this, of course! You could introduce a new book on the first day of December, give one as a Christmas Eve present, or simply pick up a new story when you find one you love.
You could even make a tradition of choosing a new Christmas book together each year.
The important thing is that the collection grows in a way that works for your family.
When Do We Get Our Christmas Book Box Out?
Our Christmas book box follows the same routine as our Christmas tree.
We usually put the tree up around Labour Weekend or the first weekend of November. I know that’s early for some families, but I love stretching the Christmas season out a little annnd living rural means we don’t venture into town to attempt trick or treating.
When the tree goes up, the Christmas books come out of storage and go into their crate. From then on, they’re available for the girls to pick up and look through whenever they like.
We don’t have a strict schedule or a rule that we must read one every night. Sometimes the girls will pull out their favourites, and other times a book might sit untouched for a few days.
The books stay out until we pack the tree away in the days between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve. Then the crate gets packed up with the rest of the Christmas decorations, ready to be rediscovered next season.
I love that our Christmas book box marks the beginning and end of our festive season in such a simple way.
How to Start Your Own Christmas Book Box Tradition
If you’d like to start a Christmas book box tradition with your own kids, the good news is that you can keep it as simple as you like.
1. Find a box, basket or crate.
Start with something you already own. It doesn’t need to be Christmas-themed or Pinterest-perfect. Choose a container that fits your books and can be stored away easily once the season ends.
2. Gather the Christmas books you already have.
Have a look through your children’s bookshelves and pull out any Christmas stories you’ve collected over the years. You might be surprised by how many you already own.
3. Add a new book or two over time.
You don’t need a huge collection from day one. Add a new story each year, whether it’s a gift from an elf, a Christmas present or a book you’ve found and fallen in love with.
4. Choose when your box comes out.
You could bring it out when you decorate your Christmas tree, on the first of December or whenever your family starts getting excited about Christmas.
5. Let the kids enjoy the books their own way.
Read together at bedtime, leave the box beside the tree for independent browsing, or let the kids choose their favourite stories whenever they fancy one. There’s no need to turn it into a nightly commitment unless that suits your family.
6. Pack it away with the Christmas decorations.
When the season ends, tuck the books away until next year. That little gap is part of what makes bringing them out again feel special.
Our Favourite Christmas Books for Kids
One of the best parts of our Christmas book box is watching the collection grow each year.
If you’re looking for Christmas books to start your own collection, I’ve put together a selection of the books we have in ours below.
*coming soon!!*
You don’t need to buy them all at once. Start with a couple of stories that suit your children’s ages and interests, then add to your collection as the years go by.
A mix of old favourites, funny Christmas stories and new discoveries can make the collection feel personal to your family.
A Simple Christmas Tradition We’ll Keep Coming Back To
Christmas can be such a busy time of year, and it’s easy to feel pressure to create elaborate traditions or make every day of December magical for our kids.
But I think some of the loveliest traditions are the simple ones we return to year after year.
For our family, it’s a mini Speight’s crate filled with Christmas books, the excitement of putting the tree up, and a little help from Elfie as the girls’ collection grows.
The books come out when the tree goes up and get packed away when Christmas is over. In between, they’re there for the girls to enjoy throughout the festive season.
It’s nothing complicated, but I love that it’s becoming part of our family’s Christmas.
And I can’t wait to see how our little collection grows over the years.
Do you have a Christmas book box or basket tradition with your kids? I’d love to hear how your family does it!
