It’s like a drug.
Creation, that is. Creation of something out of nothing.
I find myself feeling euphoric and addicted to a project when I was the one who conceived it, planned it, acquired it’s parts, and am creating a beautiful, useful, unique, Angie-Stamped piece of art.
In this week’s case, I am referring to the stockings that I am making for our family. It doesn’t help my mental health that I can only work on these stockings when the kids are all asleep. I want to go downstairs to “Santa’s Workshop” all day long, but can’t. Torture, really.
Warning: Strong Opinion:
I feel like a stocking ought to be homemade by someone special. It also ought to be personal to the owner and indicative of their interests and personality.
In our house, the stocking will likely be also be in mom’s favorite colors. She will try to convince you that they are YOUR favorite colors too :-)
Think of the stocking you had as a child. Did Mom make it? Or Grandma? Was it embroidered or cross-stitched? Was it a store-bought blank that you decorated with felt pieces, like this one I made for Logan when he was 3? Mine was like this one.
Whatever your stocking was like, you probably still remember it. Maybe your mom still hangs it by the fireplace every Christmas season. Maybe she passed it on to you (if she did, she regrets doing so, because she misses you and she misses having your stocking at her house).
We’ve been using these store-bought stockings for 5 years now and I can hardly stand them now. They are just not “us”. And also, they are STORE BOUGHT. Tsk. (People, if you stockings are store bought, don’t fret. Just do SOMETHING to them to make them special. Add a name somehow, add a garnish of ribbon or rick-rack, add some LOVE!)
Last year I bought a bunch of fabric (in 6′’ strips) to make new stockings with, but ran out of time to produce them. This year I am MAKING the time make them and loving every minute of it!
I am done with 3.5 of our 6 stockings and tonight is my deadline. But I couldn’t wait to finish them before I showed you all a preview. (I just want to you say, “ahhhh, so cute!, that’s all…)
Now tell me, why and how did you love your childhood stocking?
Have you made new ones for your own family?
Have you made new ones for your own family?
Also, tell me, would you like a tutorial on how to make stockings like these??
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
those are going to be awesome and so special!
we have a set that has been needlepointed by my mother in law- chris' was his as a child and then mine was added, then the kids one by one… they are beautiful and really truly special. and i know my kids will always treasure them.
Well, mine are store bought and now I feel like a horrible mother!! Thanks A LOT. Although, I have been trying to find one for Jocelyn this year that goes with the others and I haven't had any luck. Maybe I should make one… or 6. Not gonna happen this year. Maybe next year…and yes, yours are super duper cute!!
I love them! I didn't have time this year, and the babes didn't have one. Well, he had his "Baby's First Christmas" stocking from Grandma, but this is his SECOND Christmas. I cheated and bought the stockings. But, I did have my kids pick them out, and they have their names embroidered on them.
Still…bowing my head in shame…they're store bought. Sigh…
ahhhh, so cute! ;) I too am finishing stockings this year that I ran out of time for last year– first time in 9 years that we will all have special, homemade, and somewhat coordinating, Christmas stockings!!!
I'm totally jealous – those are ahmazing.
I'm a sucker for anything with dingleballs (maybe that's why so many boys?)….those stockings will be epic.
We all have store bought stockings that I hand sewed (sewn? sewn-ed?) names onto years ago. This year they are hanging on the stair rail while some fun knitted stockings that I've collected (I can never find more than one at a time) hang on the mantel. I know. So wrong. But I'm the mom and I DO WHAT I WANT.
Why did it post with my name? I sound so formal. And intelligent.
i saw your stockings on your blog, they are awesome and special! i hope that my kids love their's forever and ever… but, i am preparing myself for "gee thanks" reactions amidst all the other gifts they will unwrap from family and grandmas on christmas eve. Speaking of– maybe i should give them to them earlier- on their own. So glad we had this talk :-)
ok, now i am feeling bad for shaming you guys with store-bought stockings!! i should recant- i should have said that if you have storebought stockings, you have to at least embroider their names on them. i never got around to adding names to the snowman ones we have. they became so lame and forgettable that the kids couldn't remember which one was theirs when we pulled them out of the bins every Christmas. NOT ANYMORE, BABY!
Christan, that's what got me started on the "new stockings" project last year. When we had Charlie we needed another stocking and a) I couldn't find a similar one to the others' and b) i didn't even like the others so… Anyway, like I always say, it takes me about 9 months to complete a project from conception to completion. When it comes to holiday projects, that can change to 9 years :-) You go girl!
Lani, i want to see them! give me a link!
thanks, Megan!!! How are you?
Dear Mrs. Rebecca Wisor, I should state that i love knitted stockings and they are an exception to my hand-made rule. I LOVE THEM! Have you posted your stockings? I am coming to look (at your blog). If i do not find them, you must post them and apologize for the hour that I will totally waste looking for them. Thank you.
Intelligent? :-)
My mom made my stocking when I was a kid. Now I'm working on stockings for my kids. All are cross-stitch designs. One has the cross-stitch complete (but has not been made into a stocking) which I actually finished just after he was born. Fast forward 12 years and I am *This close* to being done with my older daughter's stocking (just the stitching) and I haven't even started my youngest girl's stocking. I like to joke that these will be their high-school graduation presents! I don't want to give one until I can give them all. Maybe next year?!?
next year for sure, sheila! don't wait! i want to see pictures!
Last year, I FINALLY made our stockings! We'd been using old stockings Mom mad in the late 80's, that really didn't fit us currently. I had been eyeing those siver initial ornaments with the crystals for years, knowing they'd be perfect identifiers on stockings. Now, they're done, with the initials I've loved for nearly 10 years, and we all love them!
Congrats on finally making the leap. I agree – handmade stockings are the BEST.
i had the same thoughts about those ornament initials! in fact, my mom gave our kids those ornaments for christmas last year and i had totally forgotten about them until you wrote that! (haven't put up our tree this year!!!) hmmm… now you've got my wheels turning… should i use those instead of what i had planned! stop it! you are complicating things! but, anyhow, i want to see your stockings! i want to see everybody's stockings, actually. do you think i should hold a stockings link-up party just so i could selfishly see everybody's stockings in one spot?! (see… wheels turning…)
Yes, do!! I will totally write a post about them. I think I even started to take photos for a tutorial before I realized there were tutorials all over the 'net, and I should just enjoy myself while making them.
And you are so right about the stockings being in Mom's favorite color. Ours are 100% green and white. ;)
I am so with you. I have been meaning to make stockings for the family for 7 years, and this year I am finally doing it, however, my 7 year old likes her ugly store bought one (as it is all she know). But I am hoping she bonds with her new one. I am suppose to be working on it right now, but I am exhausted so I am catching up on my blogs. Can't wait to see it!
I want to see your new ones! If I hold a stocking link-up, will you post about your stockings and join in?