Christmas Character Refillable Treat Holder

About this holder

A soft plush character, sitting down, about the size of a small cushion. A clear heart shaped window sits in the middle of its chest, and that window is a container: whatever goes inside shows through the front. It is decoration and hiding place at once, and it comes back out every December rather than being torn open once and thrown away with the wrapping.

The eight characters

Santa Claus, a snowman, a reindeer, a penguin, a gingerbread man, a Christmas elf, a Christmas tree and an angel. Each sits on its own and each has the same heart window, so they work as a row along a shelf or singly on different tables. The angel and the elf are the two that people tend to buy twice. The scale matters here: small enough to sit on a windowsill, big enough that the heart reads from across the room.

What goes in the heart

Wrapped sweets, chocolates, a folded note, a small keyring, a gift card. The window is clear on both faces, so whatever is inside is meant to be seen, which means the contents are half the decoration. Nothing is supplied with it, so the filling is entirely your department.

Refilling it

The front of the heart opens and closes again, so the contents can be changed as often as you like. That is the difference between this and a bowl of chocolates left on a sideboard, which is empty by the second week of December and has stopped being interesting well before that. That also means the same figure can hold sweets in December and work as a plain ornament in January.

The finish

Soft plush with a knitted look scarf, a plaid trim and stitched lettering across the front. The scarf, the trim and the face are all worked in texture rather than printed, so the figure still reads as a figure when you are standing next to it. The base is flat and weighted enough that it does not tip when the heart is opened. The lettering across the front is stitched in rather than stuck on, so it does not lift at the corners after a season.

Specifications

Type	Plush character treat holder
Designs	Eight characters
Contents	Wrapped sweets, notes or small gifts, not included
Use	Freestanding table or shelf decoration

Where it goes

1. Beside the tree

   At table height, where a child will find it.

2. On a mantel

   The heart faces forward, so put it where it is seen from the front.

3. As a December habit

   Change what is inside every few mornings rather than once.

4. Given full

   Buy two, keep one and hand the other over with something already inside.

In the box

• 1 x plush character treat holder in the design you choose

Care

Surface clean only. Sponge the plush with a damp cloth and a little mild soap, then let it air dry away from direct heat. Wash the clear window with water rather than spirit, which clouds it. Store it in a bag through the year so it does not gather dust in a cupboard.

Before you buy