Holiday Stockings: Domestic Skills + Handy(wo)man Practice

In between the massive amounts of time I've spent studying for finals and going to work, I've had a few craft projects that have slowly been seeing progress- and here's the results of one of them! I've had a lot of fun decorating and working on projects for my first apartment, and these holiday stockings and kitten mittens were just the thing to get me in the mood for the holidays- baking and hot cocoa here we come!

These were made with just a few inexpensive "ingredients," ( in my family, patterns are affectionately referred to as "recipes")  many of which you likely already have.

To start, create a paper pattern- I drew mine out on a piece of big sketchbook paper. Place on a folded piece of felt, pin, and carefully cut out. Be sure to make them large, because you don't want to have trouble fitting little gifts into the toe end.

*I bought a half-yard of 72'' "Eco-fi" felt  (made from recycled plastic bottles!) at JoAnn's, and it was more than enough to make the two stockings and kitten mittens pictured here.

Using white yarn and backstitch, embroider the initials of the person (or kitty!) each stocking belongs to. I did mine freehand, but you could look up calligraphy images online if you like.

Blanket stitch the front piece (embroidered) to the back, and finish by stitching some satin ribbon to the top and using some more yarn to make a loop to hang with.








This is where it gets fun! I don't have a fireplace to hang stockings from, so I used some wall hooks and a dowel to create a place to hang. This gave me the opportunity to do a "man" task by using a drill, level, and bit of installation know-how.

We can do it!


I'm loving the final result, which brings a bit of holiday cheer and cuteness to the walls in my apartment. These were easy and fun to whip up, which makes for a nice, stress-free way to add a little DIY flair to the home.

Happy December!