Make a Christmas Stocking

Making your own Christmas stockings allows you to personalize the look of your stockings. You can make stockings from new materials, or upcycle old sweaters for a unique look. Hanging your handmade stockings will give you an added sense of pride while you deck your halls.

Steps

Sewing a Stocking

  1. Gather your materials. To sew a homemade Christmas stocking you will need a few supplies from your local craft or fabric store. Gather all of the materials before beginning, and make sure you have a clear table to work on.[1]
    • Large piece of paper
    • ¼ to ⅓ of a yard of quilting fabric or felt for each stocking. Pick a design you like, plaids or stripes in Christmas colors look great.
    • White felt for the top of the stocking.
    • Scissors
    • Pins
    • Needle and thread, or sewing machine
  2. Cut a stocking pattern. Draw a stocking shape onto a large piece of paper. You can freehand draw the stocking shape, or you can find a pattern online and print it out to trace.
  3. Cut stocking shapes out of the fabric. Use the stocking pattern to cut 2 stocking shapes out of the fabric you have.
    • Make sure the two stocking shapes are exactly the same. It's best to use a pattern, but if you freehand draw your stocking shape, you need to trace it for the second stocking shape.
  4. Cut a rectangle of white felt. Cut the rectangle the width of your stocking and 1 ½ inches tall. Use pinking shears to give the felt a textured edge.
  5. Sew the fabric together. Line up the two stocking pieces together with the "right" side of the fabric touching each other. Sew the edges of the two stocking pieces together. When you finish sewing along the edges and the bottom of the stocking, flip the stocking so that the outside or "right" side of the fabric is out.
    • Make sure you do not sew the top of the fabric so that you can put things in the stocking.
    • Use a thread color that matches the color of your fabric.
  6. Attach the white felt to the top of the stocking. Sew the white felt to the top of the fabric using white thread.[2]
  7. Connect a ribbon to hang your stocking. Attach a ribbon or a thin piece of felt to hang your stocking. Sew the ribbon onto the corner on the inside of the back of the stocking.

Making a Stocking Out of a Sweater

  1. Get all of your supplies together. Having all of your supplies together when you begin will save you time and energy so you can easily complete the project.
    • An old sweater
    • Kraft paper, poster board, or cardstock paper
    • Pins
    • Needle and thread or yarn
    • Fabric scissors
    • Ribbon
  2. Find an old sweater and clean it. You can use one of your own old sweaters, or you can go to a garage sale or thrift store to buy an inexpensive sweater. Launder the sweater so your stocking will be clean and look new.[3]
    • Cable knit sweaters look great as stockings.
  3. Make a pattern. Use kraft paper, poster board, or other paper to cut out a stocking shape to use as a pattern. You can also print a pattern out to use. Cut out two stocking patterns that are exactly the same.
  4. Decide what part of the sweater to use. Sweaters typically have patterns, so it’s important to plan out where to cut the stocking shape out so your stocking looks great. Lay out the sweater on a table and observe it to find the perfect place to cut out your stocking shapes.
  5. Cut the stocking shape out of your sweater. Place the patterns on the sweater where you want to cut. One pattern should have the toe facing left and one should have the toe facing right.
    • Make the top of the stocking out of the bottom edge of the sweater to easily create a finished edge on your stocking if you don't want to sew a cuff on.
    • Use very sharp fabric scissors to get the best cut.
    • Pin the pattern onto the sweater to make it easier to cut.
  6. Sew the front and back of the stocking together. Line up the two stocking pieces with the outsides facing each other, and pin them in place. The stocking should look inside out. Carefully use a sewing machine or hand sew the two pieces together. You will want to use a long stitch to sew them together.[4]
    • You can also hand sew the stocking together with yarn.
  7. Flip the stocking around. Flip the stocking so that the outside of the stocking is now on the outside. Make sure you push the toe completely out so that your stocking is the right shape.
    • Sew on the ribbon. Carefully hand sew the ribbon in a loop on the side of the top of the stocking to create a hanger. You will want to sew the ribbon on very securely to be able to hold the stocking when it’s hung.

Crafting a Paper Stocking

  1. Gather the necessary materials. Making a paper stocking is a fun craft that’s easy to do with a few supplies from the craft store.[5]
    • Heavy weight paper. Printed paper will make a fun stocking, and brown paper grocery bags work great to make a stocking that your can decorate yourself.
    • Glue
    • Scissors
    • Hole punch
    • Yarn or string
  2. Cut the paper into two stocking shapes. Cut two stocking shapes out of the paper with one being the reverse of the other. One stocking should have the toe pointing to the right and the other should have the toe pointing to the left. The two stockings shapes should be identical except for the way the toe points.
  3. Glue the two stocking pieces together. Put glue around the edges of one side of the stocking on the non printed side, or what will be the inside of the stocking. Line up the other side of the stocking and press them together to adhere them to each other. Make sure you keep the printed side out and glue the two non printed sides together. Let the glue dry 10 minutes before moving on.
  4. Punch holes in the stocking. Use the hole puncher to punch holes around the edge of the stocking. The holes should be about ½ inch from the edge. Try to get the holes to be lined up with each other.
  5. Hand sew the stocking. Weave the yarn or string through the holes to give the stocking a sewn look. Start at the top above the heel of the stocking, and tie a small knot in the yarn around the first hole to get started. Once you’ve weaved the yarn all the way around the stocking, tie off the yarn leaving some out to make a loop.[6]
  6. Decorate your stocking. Use crayons, markers, glitter, craft foam, or whatever else you have to embellish your paper stocking and make it yours.
    • Add a name on the stocking to make it personal.
    • Use Christmas wrapping paper to add fun designs to your stocking.

Tips

  • Pick fabric or paper that has Christmas colors or patterns to make your stocking very festive.
  • Be creative. Add your own flair to the stocking by adding embellishments on like a cuff, painting on a name, or anything you can think of.
  • Make your pattern out of thick paper so you can reuse it again when you want to make another stocking.
  • Make sure not to sew the top of the stocking together so your stocking will be able to be filled with treats!

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.vanillajoy.com/christmas-stocking-tutorial.html
  2. ↑ http://sewlikemymom.com/christmas-stockings-tutorial/
  3. ↑ http://anextraordinaryday.net/from-sweater-to-christmas-stocking-in-12-easy-steps/
  4. ↑ http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/how-to-make-no-knit-christmas-sweater-stockings
  5. ↑ http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/paperstocking/
  6. ↑ http://www.marthastewart.com/270342/paper-stockings
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