Custom Christmas Stockings

My first Christmas in my apartment, as my roommate and I decorated our place, I realized – I didn’t have a stocking to hang by the mantle. I don’t know about you, but as far as Christmas decorations are concerned, stockings are crucial. Are you REALLY hoping St. Nicholas will soon be there if the stockings aren’t hung by the chimney with care? My roommate and I solved that by deciding to buy each other stockings and fill those as our gifts to each other. 

That classic little red stocking worked fine for years, but when my husband and I moved into our new house, I decided to upgrade. It probably had to do with the fact that we had a fireplace in our family room finally. It also definitely was partly because I was pregnant, and we were expecting a full house for Christmas Eve, and house guests. I figured it was time to have a family set of stockings, with room to grow.

There are a bunch of different ways to make stockings – I chose simple and classic plaid flannels for us. Black for Dad and Mom, and red for our baby. I made four red stockings, figuring as our family grew, I wouldn’t have to keep making a whole new stocking each year. We could use extra stockings for guests for a few years until I needed to make more.

Making the stockings was pretty simple. I followed the pattern and directions that Brandy includes in her post. She quilted her stockings, and put a trim on the cuffs, but I wanted ours to be simpler. I just used flannel for the stocking and a thick fluffy fleece for the cuffs. I hemmed the cuffs rather than adding trim. 

Once the stockings were finished, I used my Cricut to create labels for my husband and I with our names. Since I made these last year, before our baby was born, I just made labels for Chris and I. We did not know the sex of our baby until she was born, so I waited until this past Christmas to make a label with her name. I also made “Mom” and “Dad” labels for the other side of our stockings. 

You’ll notice a fourth stocking, with paw prints on it – doesn’t it match so well?! I found that at a local Ross or Marshalls or something when I was in the middle of making these. It was just such a nice mix of the two colors I was using! I made it easy on myself and bought it instead of trying to also make a stocking for our dog. Luckily, the vinyl even adhered nicely to the fuzzy cuff on that stocking so our whole family has fun matching stockings now!

I had only trouble when I was ironing on the vinyl to the fleece because the iron left indents in the pattern of the metal on the fleece. Spraying some wrinkle remover spray on it helped a lot. I was kind of in a hurry and it isn’t noticeable unless you’re really close. It could probably be hand-washed, but I just haven’t done it. Maybe one day? 

The stocking pattern was super easy! What do you think? I’d love to see holiday crafting have you done!

If you’re looking for other holiday crafts, you should check out my DIY Cork Wreath!