Christmas Stockings

One December, (as my two youngest sisters were living with me while attending a college very near to a secondary school where I was on the faculty,) we got the idea to make stockings to hang from the fireplace. We each gathered up some scrap fabrics and set about designing our own Christmas stocking; we then took turns at my sewing machine. Each stocking was made from the same three fabrics and each one used some of the sewing machine embroidery designs. I have used mine almost every year since.

Mine had embroidery around the cuff and the heel. The star is padded and then satin-stitched, as are my initials.


Each sister felt sure her design was the best. I can almost see the entire design for my youngest sister’s stocking – it had her first initial in white on the cuff. I am not quite sure about the other details, though.

At TJ Maxx last week I found this lovely nativity design in needlepoint. At just $7.99, I swept it up.

Among the Christmas books here at Oak Rise Cottage is one called, The Christmas Stocking: Elegant Projects for the Holidays (The Pat Richards Crafts Collection)

Here is a beautiful "Charmed Stocking" which uses small embellishments in an allover pattern.

Another book I have is The Christmas Stocking Book:50 Exquisite Designs to Celebrate the Season by Mary D’Alton.

This velvet fabric design, "Rhinestone Stocking," puts the focus on the cuff with its rhinestones on a ruffled ribbon.

The form of a Christmas stocking is often used as a packaging design. Here is one I received several years ago as a gift from my brother and sister-in-law. It contains four mini books.

I have not opened the package because I have copies of each of these miniature books (The Night Before Christmas, A Christmas Carol, The Little Book of Christmas Carols, and The Nutcracker) in my miniature book collection. These gift books are published by Running Press and may be found in many bookshops and gift stores. Many subjects are available to suit most every taste.

Of course the subject of Christmas stockings is included in many of the books on Christmas or holiday crafts. Two such books: (1) Leisure Arts Presents The Spirit of Christmas: Creative Holiday Ideas, Book Nine, gives instructions for handmade holiday stockings.

(2) Malcolm Hillier’s Christmas gives instructions for four tartan stockings.


Both books are helpful in providing ideas for many aspects of holiday preparations.

I hope you are having fun setting up for the holidays, whether with store-bought or handmade items.

Clipart from http://www.antiqueclipart.com/