Make your own Christmas stocking

Christmas can get a little stressy.  It’s a time of overspending and being especially time poor too. That’s why I love Christmas projects that allow you to spend some quality time with your family (no matter the age group) and create something that doesn’t cost much but will be a reminder of your togetherness for years to come.

I think it’s really important to find ways to ring the bells of fun and happiness at Christmas without breaking your back or budget, which is why I’m all for second hand and homemade Christmas gifts and decorations.

Christmas stockings are great for giving small simple gifts and treats, they look good in any room, can hang from shelves, stairs and mantelpieces, no matter how small the space, and even if you don’t stuff them they create an instant sense of magic and expectation in your home.

If you are looking for ways to make your Instagram or Pinterest account sparkle without spending big, this homemade felt stocking is a real gem.

I’ve suggested felt because it’s bright, easy to work with and feels great, but you can use any material you have at home to make these stockings and get really creative to make shapes, patterns or just a mesh of colours that you like. Think about how you can use old pillow cases, outgrown shirts or even hessian bags and lace to create something unique from what you have around your home.

This super simple and easy idea is great for every age and skill level. The best part is you can fully customise these to express your personality or make a gift for a loved one (even if they are four legged and fury). Make them with your kids or grandkids or invite some friends over for some genuine festive fun.

I’ve jumped onto Pinterest to get some ideas going for you, but don’t let those be your limits!

To make your stocking you’ll need:

Materials:

• 1 large piece of felt, enough to make two sides of the stocking

Note that you want extra length of felt on top, about an additional ¼ of the leg section of your stocking, which will be folded over.

• Felt scraps and pieces for making decorations
• Paper to use as a template to draw on

This needs to be large enough to fit your stocking on, with the extra height for the fold – which might mean some sticky tape patch work on some paper sheets if your stocking is large.

• Pencil and eraser for making the template
• Good scissors for cutting material
• Embroidery needle and thread.  (if you don’t have a colour that blends, go bold and choose a colour that stands out against your felt stocking)
• Dress pins
• Hot glue gun
• Other decorating items you might like, ie pom poms, glitter, bells, name tags

Instructions

1. Start by drawing out the stocking size and shape you want on paper. You can go with a traditional round boot shape which is best for stuffing with gifts, or a more trendy elf-like boot shape that curves in and out, but is hard to get gifts to the toe.

2. Make sure you elongate the top for folding. You might design a stocking that has a slightly larger lip, just be sure to try out your paper design by folding it back before you cut your felt.

3. Fold your felt in half to make two sides of the stocking, be sure your template fits well. Pin it in place, making sure the pins go through both pieces of felt (and not your tablecloth underneath!)

4. Cut the boot shape out with the scissors.

This boot edging was made using novelty scissors. Christmas is a great time to break these out if you have them laying around in a draw somewhere.

5. Next we create the look of a sock by folding the top over to make a lip. Fold each ¼ of the felt top outwards on both sides. This needs to be pinned down as well to keep it in place.

6. It’s time to get sewing. Take your needle and thread and work your way around the boot. The thicker and bolder your colour the more decorative it will be. If you plan on stuffing your stocking you will need a sturdy stitch that won’t open or break. Try blanket stitch, saddle stitch or, if you like, machine sew first to secure it with a subtle colour and hand stitch over the top as decoration.

7. Get creative! Cut decorations out of additional felt pieces to create layers, patterns or pictures. You can also include someone’s name on the lip. You can personalise the decorations to match the hobby or personality of the stockings owner. The most important part here is to have fun.

Group notes: This is where having a group of people make them together really pays off as you can throw in all the off cuts from the boot felt into the middle and share them out to make decorations, or trade embellishments, maybe get a friendly bidding war going if someone is especially good at making snowflakes or candy canes.

8. Lay your decorative pieces in place and use the hot glue gun to set them in place permanently. It’s easiest to apply the glue to the decoration back and lay it in place.

When the glue sets you can hand sew with embroidery thread to give it a sewn look too if you like.

Have fun and enjoy the making and hanging of these unique Christmas pieces!