10 Ways to Shake Up Your Christmas Pajamas Tradition
Welcome, SITStahs! I was confused and thought that my SITS feature was tomorrow and not today, so I’m totally unprepared. You can read all about it here. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you’ll take a look around and decide to stay 
Now let’s pretend none of that ever happened and move on to the post that I’m supposed to have up for you…
10 Ways to Shake Up Your
Christmas Pajamas tradition
Our family has many different Christmas traditions, but perhaps our most favorite tradition is receiving new Christmas pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve. I dare say that most of you reading this have this same tradition. Today I’m going to give you some ideas to make an old tradition new!
1. Use your pajamas before Christmas: Unheard of, I know! In most families new Christmas pajamas are given and worn on Christmas Eve, but if you have small children that grow out of clothes quickly you might not feel like you’re getting the most for your money. You can solve this problem by handing out Christmas pajamas early in the season. Consider giving Christmas pajamas on Thanksgiving Day, on December 1st, or on December 5th (the Eve of Saint Nicholas Day) or you can have a spontaneous Pajama Day and surprise everyone with jammies on a random day.
2. Wear your pajamas for everything: If you give your Christmas pajamas earlier in the season consider wearing them for all of your Christmas-related activities. Wear them to bake cookies, decorate the tree, or watch your favorite Christmas movie. Just don’t wear them to bed…save them for bedtime on Christmas Eve! Wear your pajamas everywhere you go on Christmas Day. Wear them to Grandma’s house and to deliver cookies to your neighbor, but maybe not to church 
3. Have your pajamas delivered by Santa or an elf: What better way to receive Christmas pajamas than to have them magically delivered by an elf or Santa himself. If you have an Elf on a Shelf or an Elf Magic elf, they would probably be thrilled to deliver your Christmas pajamas. Christmas pajamas have been known to magically appear on the front porch, at the foot of the bed, by the fireplace, or under the tree. Sometimes they even magically show up in the car while your family is shopping or out and about! Speaking of elves, how cute would matching jammies for your elf be?!
4. Have a scavenger hunt to find your pajamas: Yes, do that. That sounds like fun
5. Pair your pajamas with another gift: You can give robes, slippers, a sleeping mask, or a new stuffed animal. My favorite Christmas pajama companion is a new book. It can be a Christmas book, bedtime story, or just a book you know they’ll love.
6. Pajamas and Christmas lights: Wake up the kids and take them out in their pajamas to drive around and look at Christmas lights. Don’t forget to bring some cookies and hot chocolate with you and pump up those Christmas tunes! You might even consider a Random Pajama Gram…visit the house of friends or family then knock on the door in your pjs and sing some Christmas carols to the unsuspecting residents.
7. Use old pajamas to Countdown to Christmas: If you do a Christmas Countdown, such as unwrapping a different Christmas book each day, you can use pajamas from previous years as the wrapping paper! Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, Advent, or the 12 days of Christmas, this idea will work. If your children have gotten to the age where they can wear the same size several years in a row they can wear their old pajamas on the day they are unwrapped.
8. New ways to wrap your pajamas: Put the pajamas inside of a pillow case and wrap a bow around it. Use the pillow case on Christmas Eve. You save on wrapping paper and a new tradition is born! Similar to the Countdown to Christmas you can use your old Christmas pajamas to wrap up the new ones or use the new Christmas pajamas to wrap up another gift you plan to give that night.
9. Turn your old pajamas into a keepsake: For you crafty folks you can use your old Christmas pajamas to make pillows or save a square off of each pair to make a quilt. You want a tutorial? Too bad. I said you crafty folks…I don’t happen to be one of them. I just bring the ideas here, people. However, if one of you crafty people wants to volunteer to turn my old jammies into a quilt…you know where to find me
10. Give pajamas to someone in need: There are few gifts you could give your children at Christmastime that could compare to the example of a giving spirit. Share your beloved Christmas pajama tradition with those less fortunate than you by donating pajamas. Purchase new pajamas to donate to a nursing home or women’s shelter. You could start your own “Jammie Drive” or give to an already existing pajama charity.
What are your Christmas pajamas traditions?
Related Posts:
*10 Days of Christmas PJs!: Our Christmas jammies from the last decade!
*“Dear Santa” Series: All about writing, mailing, or emailing Santa!
*Ugly Christmas Sweaters: Need I say more?!
*Santa Photos: …and the children cry
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Posted on December 14, 2010, in Christmas, Christmas PJs, Holidays, SITS Girls, Traditions and tagged Christmas, Holidays, pajamas, tradition. Bookmark the permalink. 91 Comments.
HAPPY HAPPY SITS DAY!!! This is by far the coolest idea I have ever heard of! I’m off to find cute pjs for the fam!
I hope you have a great day!!!
I’m so glad that you like it, Kate! Don’t forget to share pics of your jammies on your blog and let me know
We love this tradition in my family and I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to really join in the fun!
Thanks for stopping by!
Wonderful, great, cute, creative and on and on! I am so busy that sometimes it feels like the holidays just show up and I am not prepared like I would like to be. These are great ideas to build new traditions…and pretty easy… aside from the quilting
thanks!!!
Thanks so much! I’m full of it…I mean them, you know ideas, that is
I’m not prepared for life these days, let alone the holidays! With a little imagination (perhaps a little sneakiness at times) these are some quick, easy to start traditions. And I’m with you on the quilting. I love the concept…but can’t even sew on a button. I’m hoping to find someone to quilt one for me someday 
Thanks again for stopping by and leaving a thoughtful comment! Merry Christmas!
Congrats on your SITS day!
Our pjs come on Christmas Eve while we are at church from the Christmas elf with magic sleepy dust on them b/c we are one of Santa’s first stops so the elf comes ahead of Santa with the magic pjs to get our kids to sleep.
Oh, Shell, you are my kinda mama! That is an excellent idea! I LOVE the magic of Christmas
Love the ideas!
Thanks, Elizabeth
Have a very Merry SITSmas!!! Enjoy your special day!
Thanks, Heather! Hope you have a Merry SITSmas and Christmas as well!
Love that you sound so “real!” And, love your PJ ideas! My family has traditionally opened Christmas oranments on Christmas Eve, but now that my little guy is here, we might start a PJ tradition, too! Making a quilt seems awesome, as does using old PJs as wrapping paper!
Thanks for sharing and Merry SITSmas!
Thanks, Lin! There is definitely no hiding the realness today! I’m too unprepared to fake it
We do new ornaments every year as well, but we don’t really bother wrapping them or anything yet. My daughter’s only 16m so she really has no idea what’s going on yet. We definitely love our Christmas jammie tradition. My mom’s been doing this with us since we were kids and in 2000 I took over the buying of the pjs because I was working in a lingerie dept at the time. I’m always looking for ways to kick it up a notch and make the holidays more special. Glad you liked my ideas!
Thanks again for stopping by
Merry SITSmas!!!
Thanks, Crystal! Same to you
Merry SITSmas from a Goose girl! I love these ideas. We don’t have the PJ tradition but I like it!
Thanks Sarita! We love our jammies around these parts
I love these ideas. I’m in my Christmas PJ’s from a year gone by right now!
Me too! Isn’t the internet wonderful? I can “meet” hundreds of new people and wear my pajamas. Then again, I’m totally likely to wear them to Wal-Mart if the mood strikes me
I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for stopping by!
Yay! Happy SITS day! Great pajama ideas, I just love them. But as usual, your explanation about how you had the wrong day is hysterical and so real – I could totally see myself doing that. And my babies are 12 and 15! It never stops.
Thanks, Christine! I’m always glad when others can get a laugh when I’m teetering at the edge of insanity. Now I definitely need that therapy we were talking about the other day. Could you check into that group rate for me, I’m too stressed to make the call myself right now
Love the countdown idea as well as the Jammie Drive. Great ideas – happy SITS day!
Thanks, Dani! I’m glad you stopped by today
What a great idea! I used to receive pjs from my grandmother every single year before she died. Pajamas didn’t seem that cool when I was a kid but after reading this post I will certainly miss that gift this year!
Kendall, I’m so sorry for your loss
It’s so tough when a beloved family member isn’t around for the holidays. We always loved receiving jammies as kids especially since it was something we always did. I couldn’t wait to pass this tradition on to my daughter and nephew. Maybe you’ll be able to keep the tradition alive.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting
What cute ideas!
Thanks so much
Happy SITS day!
Thanks, Amy! Merry Christmas
Happy SITS day. Sorry to hear about poop and your brain falling out of your ear. Enjoy your PJs, all day and all night.
LisaDay
LOL, Lisa. That was just about the funniest comment I’ve ever received. I shall indeed enjoy my pjs all day and night
Thanks for stopping by!
I love getting my Christmas PJs from my Mum! We do wear them for most of the day too until just before our Christmas meal at about 3pm when we actually get washed and wear something nice!
I’m sorry you got confused about the day but you seem to have handled it really well and a bonus day tomorrow with a babysitter you can relax and visit at your leisure!
Have a lovely day,
Jade
We usually wear them to bed, do the presents Christmas morning thing, then take showers and put our pjs back on when we go to my mom’s! My hubby hasn’t let me wear the pjs to his folks house yet, but once our little ones are old enough to join in the fun I think he’ll turn around
Why, thank you. It does appear as though I handled it…but you should have seen the huge fit I had when I first realized the mix up. I was crying and screaming and generally freaking out. Good times, good times.
You must be one of those silver lining people, huh? You’re right, though. My hubby’s taking the baby all day long and I’ll get a chance to celebrate SITSmas all over again. Except hopefully without all of the screaming and crying first
Thanks for the visit, Jade!
We do new pajamas for Christmas. I hadn’t thought about doing other things with the old ones.
I have a whole trunk of old Christmas jammies that need new life. If only I was as good at executing the ideas as I am with coming up with them I could really put those old pjs to good use!
Thanks for dropping in
Happy Happy SITS day to you! So happy to have found your blog! We too do the Christmas PJ thing! Love # 28! Totally sharing this post on fb/twitter!!!
Genevieve (AKA Superchick!)
http://www.celebrate2da.com
Genevieve, thanks so much! I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the blog. I’ll be sure to stop by yours when things calm down around here
Thanks for the visit and for spreading the word
Jenn (AKA CoolMama…why didn’t I think of being Superchick, that’s a much cooler nickname than mine!)
Great ideas.
We don’t always do pjs, but it’s always something for sleeping. One year a quilt. One year slippers and blankets. Usually pjs. This year I think I will get them each a new pillow and new sheets. They will be happy with them. And I will be happy because it’s practical.
I always set out Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve. Then I bake them as everyone opens their present Christmas morning. That’s one of our favorite traditions.
Practical is always good. We’d always get socks and underwear from our one Grandma and it always made us giggle as kids (because, you know, underwear are funny
!).
The cinnamon rolls sound so yummy! My grandma makes awesome homemade cinnamon, but never for Christmas. We always have a brunch. Once my daughter gets older I’m thinking about doing either cinnamon rolls or pancakes for Christmas breakfast. Food is always the best tradition
Thanks for your comments!
LOL about the pillow. I have actually done that, but I don’t have a tutorial either
Oh, you totally need to get your tutorial on so that I can link to you! That would be awesome. Did you just volunteer to make me a pillow? No? I must be confused again…it’s happening a lot these days
!
After seeing the SITs email today and having re-read your email from two weeks ago, I had a feeling you’d be the surprised party today! This is a blogger’s Christmas you’ll never forget.
The site looks spectacular, your posting on the pj’s is a hit and hopefully by now you’ve changed the baby’s diaper. Just relax and enjoy the rest of the day. PS. Nice one answering everyone’s comment!
Oh, my, Donna! I can’t believe I was so off! I didn’t notice until after I emailed you today!!! I don’t think I’m making much of a first impression, well, not a good one anyway
Thanks so much, I always appreciate your comments and encouragement! Oh shoot, the poopy diaper! Gotta go…
Just kidding. I definitely changed it. While sobbing bitter tears. All’s good now though and I hope that I made the best of a bad situation.
wow love you traditions. We dont get much traditions like this in Malta or anyway not in my house. Actually I have started to try and do some nice traditions like baking cookies all day long LOL happy SITS day loved your site
If you need a volunteer to eat your cookies all day long, then I’m your girl! It’s never too late to start a new tradition…I’m always trying to add something new. I’m so glad that you like my ideas and my blog, hope to see you around more often
Thanks for stopping by, Melissa!
Merry Sitsmas, and Merry Christmas, great blog, I’m following you and I hope I win your blog design, I could sure use your help. Great Idea’s with the P.J’s, I love it!
Oh, Shannon, I’m so glad that you stopped by, but I’m not the blog designer at all! I’m just the featured blogger today. Go visit, Mariah, at http://www.julastudio.com/?page_id=6 for the blog design giveaway.
Thanks for your comments on my pj ideas and thanks for stopping by!
Those were some really well put together ideas! I’m really impressed.
I also love your sense of humor, you made me laugh!
We’re taking the kids to see some Christmas lights sometime this week so I think we’ll take them out in their PJs now.
Thank you, Amy! I had to trim this post way down. I had more to say, but that’s a chronic problem of mine
Perhaps I do a part 2 post later. I’m glad I could make you laugh, especially on a day where I felt like ripping my hair out!
That would be so awesome if you went to see lights in your jammies! If you blog about it be sure to let me know so that I can link to you!
Thanks for stopping by!
Great ideas. My boys would love this.
Fellow Blog Hopper:)
I’m so glad, Grace! Let me know if you end up using any of the ideas, especially if you blog about it
Some great ideas here. I like the one about the scavenger hunt, they are so fun. And the one to wrap your presents in pj’s takes the gift bag to a whole new level.
Thanks! Scavenger hunts are a blast. We haven’t done one for our jammies yet (our daughter’s only 16m) but my Dad had done one for us on Valentine’s Day when we were little and we never forgot it!
Merry SITSmas , Jenn!
Congrats on your special day!
I love your blog!
B xo
I’m so glad that you like my blog, Betty! Merry SITSmas to you too
MERRY SITSmas!
I love the beginning of this post- way to work under pressure, lady!
I also love pajamas.
Ergo… I must be in love with you.
Oh, could it be that I’ve found my one true bloggy-love all because of my Christmas jammies?! Thanks so much for stopping by, Jenni
I like the idea of pairing the pjs with a new bedtime book or going out in the car all dressed up in pjs to look at Christmas lights. Great ideas and thanks for the laugh on you SITS day post! Your pictures are great!
-CK
Thanks, CK! I’m always glad to make someone laugh…even at my own expense
Thanks for visiting!
Merry SITSmas from the newest SITStah!
This is great idea! And definitely ways to make it more fun!!!
Thanks, Kassi! We’re always looking for ways to make things more fun around here. I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to really get into Christmas. Thanks for stopping by and commenting
I think PJ’s for Christmas is a tradition I want to start. But my husband is 6’5 and that’s such a difficult size to shop for (long and lean is hard to come by in sizing!).
I can shop for me all day long, though. MORE PAJAMAS FOR ME!
Very Merry SITSmas, btw!
LOL, Terry!
I know what you mean about the sizes. My husband is 6’3 and I have a hard time finding pjs for him. He’s a big guy, though, wears a 2x. Anyway, I usually get him and the other fellas (brother in law, uncle, and cousin) a novelty Christmas tee at Wal-Mart and plaid flannel bottoms at K-Mart since I’m usually able to find a 2x there. This year I got their shirts for $6 & their pants for $8!
I’ve seen website that sell matching pjs for the whole family and many of them go up to a 2 or 3x (maybe too big for your hubby), and the inseams of those sizes are usually close to 34″. I just don’t bother with them because they’re so expensive (around $64!), but maybe I should get a links post together with the pajama sites anyway.
You should definitely get yourself more pajamas, though!
A very Merry SITSmas and Merry Christmas to you too
Thanks for stopping by!
You have some cute ideas here! I love the scavenger hunt one. I am not the pj buyer in my family, as it is my MOM IN LAWS tradition. I love the idea of getting them around Thanksgiving time. I won’t even bring up the article I read on BED BUGS and how the article strongly suggested that you NEVER EVER where clothing from any store before they are washed..I will just keep quiet and I will even let my kids wear their CHRISTMAS jammies the night they get them..because I am a GOOD daughter in law!!!
haha! I actually wash mine before I wear them! I have a cousin that doesn’t like hers to be washed first…so I leave them for her, but wash everyone else’s before giving them to them! You’re a good daughter-in-law to let your kiddos sleep in their bedbug infested jammies
Number 9 made me laugh! I love your ideas, and I am really glad your SITS day turned out this way. You sure are memorable
tee-hee
Thanks, Helena! Once it’s all over I’m sure that I’ll agree with you. I suppose being memorable is better than being perfect. “Remember that blogger who didn’t even know she was featured on SITS…” That’ll be me 
I loved your frazzled, and oh-so-real, intro and the list is a fun read. But, I got hung up on #6 where your tip included “wake up the kids.” What?! Never, ever, ever…makes me cringe just thinking about it. Happy SITS day!
LOL, Kristy! I’d have to agree with you right now since my daughter is so young. I definitely wouldn’t wake her up for anything (especially considering she can’t see Christmas lights from her carseat anyway!). But once the kids are older, it probably wouldn’t bother me
Still I suppose that you could go look at lights in your pjs before the kids go to bed
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy SITS day. Great blog- you have a new follower.
Thank you, Donna! I look forward to seeing you around
I love this list. We dress the kids up in their jammies and take them out in the van to look at christmas lights, complete with cocoa and a snack every year. I remember getting jammies on Christmas eve when I was a kid. Not sure why I stopped the tradition with my own… probably cause I thought jammies were boring back then. *L* I love how you inject fun into an old tradition!
Happy SITS day!
Awww, we always loved getting new jammies at Christmas as kids. Maybe we’re a little weird, but we thought it was fun! Maybe it won’t be as boring if you have magic jammies sent from Santa
We definitely try to make everything fun around here. We could use a few laughs otherwise I’m way too intense and unbearable to live with!
Merry Christmas!
AWESOME ideas! Thanks, again, for sharing!!!
Thank you, Rebecca for visiting and commenting
So many things to say!
1. Being in Holland means that we celebrate Sinterklaas on Dec. 5th…so what a perfect time (like you suggested) to give them away!
2. We never did the pjs, but now I’m excited to start it when I have a family of my own…including baking in the pjs, midnight caroling expeditions, and then crafting them later into a keepsake!
3. Pretty much every countdown made me laugh…thanks!
You’re in Holland?! You are automatically awesome.
Libby, I’m so glad that you liked the ideas and it’s so nice to hear that I’ve encouraged others to run around in public in their sleepwear
So glad to make you laugh, that makes my day
I love your ideas! I am a big on PJs and already bought my daughter her Christmas PJs last year.
Thanks, Teresha! One year I bought jammies for two years in a row…but lately I’m just not together enough to pull that off! I really need to start…maybe scour the after Christmas sales this year! Thanks for visiting
Hey, these are some great ideas! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Mrs.! So glad you liked them
What a wonderful post and list of ideas for starting or enhancing a Christmas pajama tradition! I love the idea about having Santa or an Elf on the Shelf deliver the Christmas pjs.
We put the Christmas pjs under each girls’ pillow on a random night, along with a ticket to ride the “Family Polar Express”. The girls’ change in to their pjs, and we head out to the car where there’s a bag of popcorn and some treats waiting for them. Then we drive through our local “Candy Cane Lane”. Sounds like we have elements of our traditions in common. I love your creativity. Thanks again for the wonderful, inspiring post!
Thanks, Jenn!
I LOVE your thing too! Under the pillow, Family Polar Express, popcorn…can I come to your house for Christmas?! If you happen to put up any jammie-related posts, please let me know so that I can link to you!
I have so much to say about this! First off, I love the idea of this tradition. It wasn’t my family’s tradition but I’d like to make it ours when I have my own family. I love the scavenger hunt idea, so much fun. Or giving them with a book, since I love reading. Or wrapping them in a pillow case – since it reminds me of Santa’s bag of toys. I love Christmas traditions so much, I wish I could use them all!
Oh such fun ideas! Since my guys have gotten older (17 &22) I have not gotten them pj’s for Christmas for a long time because they tell me they don’t need them. Weeellllll!!! They are getting them this year thanks to you post.
Also, did I mention how much I personally love pj’s? One of the coolest gifts my guys ever got me was a pajama gram. Check it out! http://www.PajamaGram.com
My mom had made us all matching pajamas that were always a HUGE part of our Christmas traditions. I absolutely love this list and it has definitely gotten me thinking about a way to give them more creatively this year!
I think my grandparents always did Christmas Jammies but my parents didn’t give them to us for Christmas or we had no tradition of it anyways. I love all the great ideas you have fore new traditions. I think that using the pajamas to bake and do holiday fun stuff is great!
I love tip#8, very green!
I meant to comment here on your featured day but my phone kept saying your blog was busy! =D One year we took our family photos in our jammies so the family could feel like they were with us Christmas morning : )
Cuteness! I am lovin’ #4. We open one gift on Christmas eve and it is always PJ’s. This year I showed my oldest two kiddos the gifts and they said (while rollin eyes). Yes mom we know they are pj’s. So I may just have to get crafty on them and make them look for them
. Thanks for that adorable idea!! Oh, and thanks for adding it to the Christmas Party.
This is adorable. To piggy back off of #9 (Turning old PJ’s into a keepsake), I bet they could be made into a really awesome tree skirt or Christmas table runner! (I’m not crafty, either. But it’s a nice thought!)
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