Stocking Stuffers for Musicians (2026): 12 Small Gifts Under €25

Stocking stuffers for musicians tend to go one of two ways. A novelty mug goes in a drawer. Strings in the wrong gauge go back to the shop.

The gap is small, useful things that help with the instrument itself. Most people who play learned from videos and still look up the same chords, notes and scales every week. A sticker on the neck or a chart by the piano answers those questions without a phone.

This list has twelve small gifts for musicians, from a €5 chord chart PDF to a €25 cheat sheet mousepad. They are grouped by instrument, and each pick says who should skip it. Prices were checked on 4 October 2026.

Quick comparison: stocking stuffers for musicians under €25

1. Guitar fretboard stickers: stocking stuffers for guitar players in their first year

Most new guitarists can play a handful of chord shapes and still cannot name the note under their finger. The fret markers show where you are, not what you are playing.

Fretboard stickers put the note names on the neck, right where the fingers already are. They get read every time the guitar comes out, with no extra practice time.

At around €10 this is the classic guitar stocking stuffer. Skip it for someone who has played for years.

Best for: anyone in their first year of guitar, and self-taught players who navigate by shape. View the guitar fretboard stickers.

2. Guitar chords chart PDF: the €5 gift that arrives by email

Every guitarist looks up chords. Usually on a phone, between adverts. A printed chart takes the phone out of the practice session.

Our guitar chords chart PDF has the same layout as the mousepad in pick 3. It arrives by email as a file you can print at home. Roll it up with a ribbon for the stocking.

At around €5 it is the cheapest gift on this list and the easiest one to add to a stocking. Skip it if they already have the chords mousepad, because it is the same chart.

Best for: guitarists of any level, and anyone shopping very late. View the guitar chords chart PDF.

3. Guitar chords chart mousepad: guitar stocking stuffers for the desk

Plenty of guitarists practise at the computer, with a tab or a lesson open on screen. The chord they need is never on the same page as the song.

The chords chart mousepad puts common guitar chord diagrams under the mouse hand. It is a mousepad first, so it gets used every day whether they pick up the guitar or not.

It costs around €20, which makes it the upper end of a stocking stuffer. Skip it for someone who never plays near a computer. The PDF in pick 2 does the same job on a wall.

Best for: guitarists who learn from videos or tabs at a desk. View the guitar chords chart mousepad.

4. Bass fretboard stickers: small gifts for musicians on four or five strings

Bassists need to know which note they are on more than most. The bass line follows the chord root, so playing by shape only gets you so far.

Our bass fretboard stickers come in a 4-string and a 5-string version. They label the notes on the neck so the root of every chord is easy to find. Check which bass they play before you order.

Around €10. Skip them for a bassist who reads music or has played in bands for years. Pick 5 suits them better.

Best for: bassists in their first year, on 4-string or 5-string bass. View the bass fretboard stickers.

5. Bass theory cheat sheet PDF: for bassists who play by shape

Many bassists can play along to a record but stall when someone says "walk it up to the fourth". The theory is not hard, just scattered across videos.

The bass theory cheat sheet collects the essentials for bass on a printable cheat sheet. It arrives by email, so it can be printed and rolled up for the stocking, or simply forwarded.

Around €10. Skip it for a bassist who already studies theory with a teacher.

Best for: self-taught bassists who want to understand what they play. View the bass theory cheat sheet PDF.

6. Piano keyboard note stickers: stocking stuffers for piano players starting out

A new keyboard has 61 or 88 keys that all look the same. Beginners count up from middle C for weeks.

Our removable keyboard note stickers label the keys with their note names. They come in silicone or plastic, for 61-key or 88-key instruments, so check the keyboard before ordering. Once the notes stick in their head, the stickers come off.

Around €10, and the best piano stocking stuffer if someone got a keyboard last year. Skip it for anyone who reads sheet music fluently.

Best for: adults and kids in their first months at the piano. View the piano keyboard note stickers.

7. Piano chords chart PDF: a €5 chord reference for the music stand

Pianists who play from lead sheets or chord charts hit the same wall: a chord symbol they do not know.

The piano chords chart shows chords drawn on a keyboard, so there is no translating from notation. It is a PDF, delivered by email, ready to print and put on the music stand.

Around €5. Skip it if they already own the piano chords mousepad in pick 8, which carries the same chart.

Best for: keyboard players who play pop songs from chord symbols. View the piano chords chart PDF.

8. Piano chords chart mousepad: for keyboard players with a home studio

A lot of keyboard players sit at a computer next to a MIDI keyboard.

This mousepad puts the piano chords chart right next to the keyboard. It comes in black or white, so it can match the desk.

Around €20. Skip it for a pianist who never plays near a desk. Pick 7 covers them for a quarter of the price.

Best for: keyboard players and bedroom producers who write chords at a desk. View the piano chords chart mousepad.

9. Violin fingerboard stickers: a small gift for a new violinist

The violin has no frets. For a beginner, that means guessing where each finger goes and hearing it come out sharp or flat.

Our violin fingerboard stickers are a visual note and finger position guide. They come in sizes from 4/4 down to 1/8, so they fit adult and children's violins. Ask a parent or teacher which size the violin is before ordering.

Around €10. Skip them for a violinist who already plays in tune without help.

Best for: children and adults in their first year of violin. View the violin fingerboard stickers.

10. Ukulele theory cheat sheet PDF: for players past the first four chords

Ukulele is easy to start. The trouble starts when a song needs a chord outside the first four, or a key change.

The ukulele theory cheat sheet puts the theory for ukulele on a printable cheat sheet. It arrives by email, so it suits a last-minute stocking or a card.

Around €10. Skip it for a total beginner who has not yet learned the first chords.

Best for: ukulele players who have outgrown the first songbook. View the ukulele theory cheat sheet PDF.

11. Music theory cheat sheet PDF: stocking stuffers for music lovers on any instrument

Sometimes you do not know exactly what they play. Or they just love music and want to understand how it works.

The music theory cheat sheet covers general theory that applies to every instrument, on a sheet you can print. It is the PDF version of our music theory cheat sheet, delivered as a file by email.

Around €10. Skip it for a music student who already does formal theory exams. It is a reference, not a course.

Best for: music lovers, singers and multi-instrumentalists. View the music theory cheat sheet PDF.

12. Music theory cheat sheet mousepad: the €25 stocking stuffer that stays out

Small gifts tend to disappear by February. The ones that last get used every day.

The music theory cheat sheet mousepad is that kind of gift. The regular size is 250 x 350 mm. It is the desk version of the cheat sheet in pick 11, so every time they reach for the mouse, the theory is in view.

The regular size costs around €25, right at the top of this list. Skip it for someone who does not use a computer.

Best for: anyone who plays and owns a computer. View the music theory cheat sheet mousepad.

View the Music Theory Cheat Sheet Mousepad →

How to choose cheap gifts for musicians that still get used

Start with the instrument and the level. Stickers are for the first year, cheat sheets for players who can already play songs, and mousepads for anyone who practises near a computer. If you are not sure what they play, the music theory cheat sheet in pick 11 works for every instrument. Our guides on gifts for piano players, gifts for bass players and gifts for violinists go deeper per instrument.

Then match the budget. Under €10, the chord chart PDFs and all the sticker sets are safe. Around €20 to €25, the chords chart mousepads and the music theory mousepad are the most used small gifts for musicians. For a producer in the family, the FL Studio keyboard shortcuts PDF is another €5 option. You can browse all the stickers and PDFs in one place.

Avoid strings, picks and reeds unless you know the exact brand and gauge. For a beginner who will open a stocking full of stickers, add our free guide on how to start learning guitar or how to start learning piano to the card.

Christmas shipping and last-minute options

Physical items such as stickers and mousepads ship from the Netherlands, so order those early. The PDFs on this list arrive by email within minutes of ordering. That makes them the Christmas Eve fallback.

Frequently asked questions

What are good stocking stuffers for musicians? Small things that help with the instrument itself. Fretboard or keyboard note stickers, a printed chord chart and a cheat sheet mousepad all get used and fit any gear they already own.

What are good gifts for musicians under €25? Everything on this list. The chord chart PDFs are around €5, the sticker sets and cheat sheet PDFs around €10, and the mousepads between €20 and €25.

What are good stocking stuffers for guitar players? Guitar fretboard stickers for beginners, the guitar chords chart as a PDF or mousepad for everyone else.

What are good stocking stuffers for music lovers who do not play an instrument? The music theory cheat sheet PDF or mousepad. It explains how music works without needing an instrument.

Do I need to know the instrument size for stickers? Yes for some. Bass stickers come for 4 or 5 strings, piano stickers for 61 or 88 keys, and violin stickers in sizes from 4/4 to 1/8. Check the instrument before ordering.

Can I give a musician a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. The PDFs arrive by email within minutes, so you can print one the same day or forward the file as the gift.

Written by Melvin Tellier, founder of Musiciangoods. Musiciangoods publishes plain-language theory books, cheat sheets, and practice tools for self-taught musicians.