What's Christmas without Christmas stockings? Create your own heirloom stockings!

What's Christmas without Christmas stockings? Create your own heirloom stockings!

Part of the enjoyment of the Christmas season is decorating your home after all, we only get to put up all those lights, pull out the Santa cookie jar and decorate the tree but once a year. Christmas stockings are a must! With a stocking for each member of the family, and, sometimes, 'honorary' family members, our Christmas stockings add a cheery note to the fireplace, with the kids, in particular, more than a little curious as to what those stockings might contain. It's still early enough to create some stockings that may very well become family heirlooms. Although it's easy enough to purchase stockings, if you'd like to make your own, we've got a few ideas on doing just that.

If making your own is not your cup of tea, you'll surely want to check out some of the Christmas crafts fairs for some unique creations made by local artisans. You can even enjoy a mix of stockings from crafts fairs and church bazaars, with others you've made yourself.

If you're wondering, you don't even need a sewing machine should you choose to make your own!

Whipping up several Christmas stockings is neither time-consuming or expensive. Drawing freehand, or using an existing stocking as a template, trace the shape of the stocking on to a cut-open brown grocery bag. If you want to modify the shape, say with a pointed toe or wavy-edged top, just use your pencil on the tracing until you've got the shape just right. Be sure to add an inch or two all around the tracing to allow for sewing the seams. Using this method, you can make several slightly different shapes to further customize each Christmas stocking.

A few, or several (depending on the quantity you're making) old pillowcases, or just one old sheet, serve as the backing for your stockings. Iron your backing fabric for a nice, even shape. Pin your paper bag template to the pillowcase fabric, cutting two layers of pillowcase or sheet per stocking.

Now, it's time to pay a visit to your local fabric shop. Most fabric shops have an area where they display collections of 'fat quarters', which are small squares or rectangles of a variety of fabrics left from the end of the bolts. (These are also sold quite cheaply.) Choose a number of patterns and colors that please you really, anything goes here. If you'd like to incorporate a bit of satin or velvet, adding an old-fashioned Victorian Christmas look to your stockings, but finding none in the 'fat quarters' selections, just buy a quarter yard off the bolt of whatever you wish to add to your mix.

Now, on to the lace, trim and ribbons aisle. Fabric stores generally carry hundreds of choices here. Using these trims makes for fancy Christmas stockings indeed.

Grab a couple of rolls, or a yard or two, of Stitch-Witchery(TM), and you're good to go.

A collage style look on Christmas stockings looks terrific. Lay out your various fabrics on a table, setting fabric pieces alongside each other, until you have a pleasing combination. Cut your fabrics in the desired shape(s), lay the Stitch-Witchery between the backing and stocking fabric, then iron the two together. Voila! Keep going until the stocking is completely covered with your fancy fabrics. If you wish, you can hand stitch your trims, ribbon, lace or rick-rack along the edges of each fabric.

With right sides together, stitch the front and back of each stocking together. Turn the stocking right-side out and press lightly, using a press cloth.

Making Christmas stockings is a fun, rewarding, creative Christmas activity. These personalized Christmas stockings are guaranteed to be a hit with everyone in the family!

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