Creating Meaningful Christmas Traditions with the Namesake Celebrations Santa Sack
This holiday season, we’re thrilled to share a special collaboration with Namesake customer Kathryn DeNicola. Kathryn began shopping with us during the 2024 holidays, and I was immediately inspired by her charming Christmas box tradition—a heartfelt way she kicks off the season with her children. As we got to talking, we realized her tradition paired beautifully with our new Namesake Santa Sack, and a collaboration was born. Kathryn has generously opened her home and her heart to share the inspiration behind this practice, along with thoughtful links, ideas, and ways we can all make this tradition our own.
Table of contents
About the Namesake Santa Sack
When we created the Namesake Santa Sack, our goal was simple: design a standout piece that brings longstanding beauty and reliability to your family’s holiday traditions. We wanted something that looked special, felt intentional, and could elevate and emphasize your most meaningful moments. Each sack is hand-constructed, personalized, and made from high-quality materials you can count on—giving you confidence that you’re investing in a piece that will carry your family from year to year. It’s meant to be an heirloom that not only adds a touch of magic to the season, but also makes that magic a little easier to create, season after season.
Want to personalize your own? Shop here.
Introducing Kathryn
Tell us about your family.
I have three children - Charlotte (almost 12), George (8), and Alice Arlington (6). We live in Cincinnati, Ohio.
How have your holiday traditions changed over the years with your children?
The first few years were about figuring out which traditions felt right for us/worth repeating. Things evolved each time we added a member to our family. It’s been fun to see which things stuck over the years - like Christmas tea, French onion soup at Christmas dinner, sprinkling reindeer food in the yard before bed on Christmas Eve.
When your children are grown, what do you hope they remember and savor most about the holidays?
I hope they look back and think the holiday season was magical, and that I inspired them to create magic for their own children. I hope through the traditions and memories we made they feel how loved they are.
Shop Kathryn's Santa Sack Gift Picks this year.
"I hope they look back and think the holiday season was magical, and that I inspired them to create magic for their own children."
Shop the Santa Sack
A tradition in the making, the Namesake Heirloom Santa Sack is crafted to bring wonder and excitement to your Christmas morning. Handmade from our exclusive fabrics and fully lined for lasting beauty, each sack is finished with a wide double-face satin ribbon that ties in a luxurious bow.
You can personalize your Santa Sack for each family member, making it a keepsake that is sure to become one of the most anticipated parts of your holiday traditions.
Product Details
Made from our luxurious cotton sateen fabrics
Fully sewn and hand constructed
Fully lined
Extra long 2.5” double face satin ribbon for cinching and tying
Can be personalized with a name or monogram
How Did this Tradition Start?
We always travel to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving, and we used to go to Florida the week after. I’d pack a few new Christmas-related items to “kick off” the season while we were in Florida - Christmas pjs, an activity, etc. Eventually I purchased personalized wooden boxes from Etsy. I called them their Christmas Kickoff Boxes, and they received them Thanksgiving night.
I love Christmas, and I love gift giving, but I was also cognizant that December could quickly turn into a month of nonstop “stuff” being given to my kids. I wanted to find a way to give them seasonally appropriate items that they’d use all December, but in an intentional way. The boxes felt like an easy way to package up things that I’d be buying anyways in the form of a special gift.
Why the Santa Sack?
While I loved the boxes, they didn’t actually hold that much which was becoming more problematic as my children grew. They were also not ideal for hiding in the car for our Thanksgiving travels. The Santa Sacks are the perfect solution. I love that they can be used for so many occasions - St. Nick, Christmas morning, birthdays, etc.
Shop Kathryn's Santa Sack Gift Picks this year.
What types of items have been your children's favorites from year to year?
My children really love this tradition and once fall hits they talk about it weekly. Over the years the contents have evolved to follow somewhat of a formula - Christmas pjs, a keepsake item they collect, a new ornament, and an activity. Then I will typically add in a few things based on need/want - for example, do they need new slippers going into winter? Does Alice need a specific bow to go with one of her Christmas outfits? This year, with Thanksgiving so late, I also added their advent calendars to their Santa Sacks.
How did you choose their "collector item?"
George has always loved nutcrackers so that felt right for him. Alice collects Wallace’s Grand Baroque bell and Charlotte collects Reed and Barton’s holly bell. I love that they can take these keepsakes and use them to decorate their own homes for Christmas.
Shop Kathryn's Santa Sack Gift Picks this year.
How did you first get introduced to Namesake Celebrations?
Last year I purchased new trees for my kids’ rooms and wanted to order tree skirts. I found Namesake and immediately ordered your tree skirts! When they arrived I was blown away by the quality of the fabric and craftsmanship. I have loved adding more Namesake pieces to the collection that my children can use for years to come. I can’t wait for people to see how lovely the Santa Sacks are - definite heirlooms for my family.
"I have loved adding more Namesake pieces to the collection that my children can use for years to come."
What tips do you have for moms who want to make things special while also not adding to their overwhelm or the pressure of the season? How do we harness the heart of this and make it work for our family's season, values, budget, etc?
As a mom of three, I know the struggle all moms face in the chaos of the Christmas season. But with that, the beauty of traditions is that it’s never too late to start! The Santa Sacks don’t need to be complicated - as I mentioned, I follow a formula with what I include which helps keep it easy. For us, it’s less a focus on toys and “stuff,” and more of a way to provide things they can use the entire season, no matter your budget, while adding excitement and magic along the way.
Shop Kathryn's Santa Sack Gift Picks this year.
A Tradition in the Making
Crafted from our signature high-quality cotton sateen and available in exclusive custom prints, the Santa Sack is made to last—stitched with the kind of care that stands up to many Christmas mornings (and the eager little hands that come with them!).
Roomy, versatile, and tied with a beautiful satin bow, this keepsake is designed to grow with your family’s traditions. Use it to kick off the season with festive activities, hold special goodies during Advent, pack Christmas Eve pajamas, or unveil those magical “Santa Surprises” on Christmas morning. However you choose to use it, the Santa Sack brings a touch of wonder and warmth to your home.
We created this piece to be more than just a bag—it’s a tradition-maker. A memory holder. A beautiful heirloom ready to take its place in your family’s Christmas story.
Thank you to Kathryn for sharing your heart, home, and traditions with us! We exist to help moms feel confident with trusted, quality keepsakes that make celebrating as simple as it is beautiful. Kathryn, you have given us a beautiful picture of what this looks like for your family, and we're so proud (and grateful!) to have you as part of the Namesake Family!
Make sure to shop Kathryn's Santa Sack Gift Picks this year!
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