Apparently a normal Christmas stocking is no longer enough. LEGO has one you build yourself, Hallmark has a tiny television that plays A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Mickey and Minnie have arrived dressed for The Nutcracker.
If your holiday decorating has a slightly unreasonable amount of personality, these holiday finds deserve a look. The LEGO launch dates have passed, Snoopy’s TV ornament is due October 10, and Home Depot has another sweater drop planned for October 15. Here is what each actually does—and the detail worth checking before you decide it needs to come home.
Release dates and the new additions below checked October 9, 2026. Prices below are the listed U.S. prices or announced U.S. retail prices, before tax and shipping; availability can change.
LEGO’s Christmas Stocking is a decoration you build first
The LEGO Christmas Stocking, set 40958, costs $34.99 and has 342 pieces. It is designed for ages 12 and up, with little holly leaves, stars, candy canes, a gingerbread cookie and a Nutcracker minifigure.
It comes with a hook and a kickstand, giving you a hanging or tabletop display option. Think decorative build rather than a fabric stocking to stuff with presents. LEGO’s announced general-release date was October 1, 2026. That date has passed, so check the current listing for stock rather than treating it as a preorder.
Buddy the Elf remembered the maple syrup
The same LEGO holiday announcement includes Buddy the Elf, set 40865: a $39.99, 713-piece model for ages 12 and up. An Arctic Puffin, candy canes and a maple syrup bottle come with the character. Naturally.
LEGO listed October 1 as Buddy’s general-release date. Our complete Buddy the Elf LEGO guide has the finished-model dimensions and more on what comes in the set. Of these two LEGO picks, the stocking is the decorating project; Buddy is the movie-fan display. For the larger winter-village build, we have the separate details on LEGO’s new Holiday House.
Hallmark turned mahjong tiles into a little Christmas tree
The Merry Mahjong ornament stacks six holiday-patterned tiles into a tree shape. Hallmark lists this 2026 Keepsake at $23.99, and its page showed it in stock when checked.
This is the easy gift match for the person whose weekly game has become a nonnegotiable calendar event. One detail to know: the ornament is plastic, not a miniature set of playable mahjong tiles. It measures 3 by 3.75 by 0.75 inches and comes in a gift box.
Snoopy’s tiny TV actually plays part of the Christmas special
Hallmark’s A Charlie Brown Christmas ornament with video, light and sound looks like a vintage television with Snoopy perched on top. Pressing its button plays a clip from the special with music from “Christmas Time Is Here.”
The listed price is $48.99, with availability beginning October 10, 2026. The catch to budget for: it requires Hallmark’s Keepsake Power Cord, sold separately. It does not run on batteries. This is the nostalgic, interactive pick, but make sure the cord is part of your plan if you want it working when the gift is opened.
Mickey and Minnie are dressed for The Nutcracker
Disney’s 2026 holiday merchandise guide introduces Mickey as a toy soldier and Minnie as a dancer in its Nutcracker holiday plush. Each has the year embroidered on the left foot.
That dated detail makes them worth considering for somebody marking a particular Christmas. They belong to the Mickey Mouse and Family Christmas Collection, which Disney announced for a September 14 Disney Store launch, with Disney Parks availability described as coming soon in that announcement. Check the current listing or park shop for availability.
Mickey’s countdown calendar skips the daily disposable surprise
The same Disney collection has a train-themed Mickey Mouse Holiday Countdown Calendar with adjustable numbered blocks. You change the number as Christmas gets closer.
This is reusable countdown décor rather than an Advent calendar full of separate gifts. It makes more sense for the person who enjoys the daily ritual but does not need another month’s worth of tiny objects. If you actually want the little-door version, our Best Advent Calendars 2026 guide is the broader comparison. Disney’s announcement does not list an individual price for this calendar or the plush, so check the current Disney Store listings rather than assuming a price or immediate stock.
Home Depot made a holiday sweater that is basically a tool kit
One of the stranger bargains in this list is The Home Depot’s $29.99 Holiday Sweater. It comes with more than $150 in tools and accessories, including a $50 peppermint-scented Home Depot gift card, according to Home Depot’s announcement. The October 1 first-drop date has passed; the next announced opportunity is October 15, while supplies last, with a limit of one per customer. The announcement does not specify a time for that second drop. The linked story has the full tool list and sizes.
Home Depot has $2.98 collectible holiday buckets
The Home Depot is also doing limited-edition 2-gallon holiday buckets for $2.98. The retailer announced an October 1 online release, while supplies last, with in-store availability planned for mid-October. Check the current listing and your store before making a trip.
This is the cheap little add-on in the collection, and honestly it is the kind of thing people will buy for gift baskets, porch projects, storage, or because a seasonal bucket somehow became collectible.
The viral Grand Duchess trees are getting smarter
The 2026 holiday collection includes both the 9-foot and 7.5-foot Grand Duchess artificial trees. Home Depot says this year’s versions add Hubspace app integration, so the display can be customized from a phone. The company also calls out memory wire and Quick Set technology to make assembly and lighting easier.
If you remember the Grand Duchess from its earlier viral run, this is the part that makes the 2026 version worth another look: it is not just the same tall twinkly tree coming back unchanged.
There are also two absolutely enormous Santas
Home Depot’s 2026 outdoor lineup includes a 6.5-foot Animated LED App Controlled Santa and an 8.5-foot Giant-Sized LED Towering Santa. These are very much the “your neighbors will know you decorated” end of the Christmas spectrum.
Home Depot announced the week of October 5 as the start of its nationwide in-store rollout, alongside online shopping. That is a rollout window, not a promise that every store has every item.
Royal Dansk’s cookie tin is now a glass ornament
The blue tin that so often becomes a sewing kit has a new job. Old World Christmas and Royal Dansk made a mouth-blown, hand-painted glass ornament modeled after the butter-cookie tin, with the little cookies visible beneath its tilted lid.
The brands’ October 5 announcement lists it at $27.99. Our Royal Dansk ornament guide has a closer look and the maker’s shop link. This is the small, nostalgic gift in the group. It is also glass, so give it a protected spot on the tree.
For the puzzle person, the countdown can be the gift
A currently listed option at Uncommon Goods, the Christmas Mystery Advent Calendar, costs $50 and builds a story through 24 days of puzzles. The retailer recommends it for one to five players ages 10 and up, with about 10 to 15 minutes of play each day and hints if the group gets stuck.
Choose this for someone who wants a little December activity rather than another decoration. It has small parts and is not for children under three. Our closer look at the mystery calendar explains what comes in the box. It is a holiday shopping option, not a confirmed new 2026 edition.
Choose the kind of holiday fun they actually like
For somebody who enjoys making things, start with the LEGO builds and check stock against the already-passed October release dates. For a small personal gift, the mahjong ornament has the clearest hobby connection. For a Peanuts fan, check the power-cord requirement before choosing the TV.
And for the household that is already committed to a Disney Christmas, our Disney Christmas guide goes further into that collection. These are picks based on the brands’ current information, not products we are claiming to have personally tested.
Prefer a movie scene to this year’s new releases? Department 56’s Griswold Christmas village is an older collection that is still listed by the maker, with Cousin Eddie’s RV as a separate piece.
