Christmas stockings are kind of a funny thing: either you grew up with over-sized red and green socks, or you didn’t. For me, they were a Christmas staple as a girl, and I knew I wanted to share that little tradition with my husband and kids. Last year, I whipped up some rustic flannel stockings for each of us, and they turned out really cute!

Now, I am far from being a seamstress or even a good sewer, and I’m not able to spend a lot of money on decorations. But that is the great thing about these stockings: they are cheap, offer endless customization, and are super easy to make. Here is how I made five stockings.

Materials needed:

1. Flannel. My husband had an itchy flannel shirt he didn’t like wearing, so he agreed to let me use it for our stockings. I made all five stockings out of one adult-sized flannel shirt. You could probably find one at a thrift store and it should only cost you a few dollars. Other ideas are: old sheets, a table cloth, old curtains, or even clearance fabric.
2. Stitch witchery. I love this stuff. It adheres really well and takes a lot less time than hand stitching, and saves you the trouble of digging out your heavy sewing machine. (Although, using a machine is great, too). If you don’t own a sewing machine, that’s ok, stitch witchery is very inexpensive and will work great. All you’ll need to use it is an iron, ironing board, and a damp cloth.
3. Needle, thread, and scissors. You don’t have to use any stitching, if you don’t want to, but I did end up using my needle and thread to secure certain parts of each stocking. I let the stitching show in order to give some of the stockings a patch-work look.
4. Additional decorations. These are the fun bits. I used bells, buttons, burlap, lace, cinnamon sticks, and felt. You can be really creative and use anything you’d like to make each stocking unique.

Once you have all of your materials, you can begin creating. Here is a basic step-by-step guide to making the stockings.

1. Trace the shape. I had my childhood stocking on hand, and used that one as a template. I simply laid my old stocking on my flannel material and traced around it, adding about 1/2 an inch around the perimeter. You’ll need to trace twice for each stocking (as the pieces will be cut out and adhered together). The reason I added 1/2 inch is because I wanted to allow space for the seam.
2. Cut. Cut out your stocking shapes. It’s alright if they don’t end up matching perfectly. That will be near impossible, but it won’t effect the overall outcome.
3. Add the frills. On one of of stocking pieces, add on your decorations. I found that it is best to do this step before you adhere the two stocking pieces together. You can see some of the things I did with my stockings: some of them have pockets, one has bells, one has a burlap heel and toe. Depending on what kind of materials you are using, you can stitch, glue, or use stitch witchery to adhere your decorations.
4. Adhere. Lay one piece of your stocking on your ironing board. Make sure the finished side is facing up. Cut and place stitch witchery all along the outside. Then, lay the other piece of the stocking on top. Make sure the finished side is facing down. Get your iron and damp cloth ready and seal all the edges.
5. Finishing touches. Let the stocking cool for a few seconds, and then turn it right side out. It’s almost done! If needed, you may want to make a finished edge at the top of the stocking. I just tacked mine down with a needle and thread. Add any other decorations you might like, and don’t forget to glue or sew on a little loop so that your stocking can be hung. I used twine for my loops.

Lastly, find a fun spot to hang them and enjoy. Christmas stockings are a homey and practical decoration; I love stuffing ours with little treats and gifts. It’s also fun for each child to have a Christmas decoration of his or her own to cherish and look forward to seeing every year.

Are Christmas stockings a part of your annual traditions? How have you made them unique or special for your family?