DIY: Stocking Revamp
My mom made me my first stocking for Christmas morning. I love it. I’ve used it nearly every year. It’s red with a blue toe and heel with a white ruffle around the top. My favorite part of it is the rocking horse pendant that hangs from the corner.
The problem with this stocking is that it is much smaller than all our other stockings. Mom made it for a baby, so of course it is baby-sized.
I don’t mind that it’s smaller; it doesn’t change what I get in it on Christmas morning. But it does make the fireplace look funny with one stocking so much smaller than the others.
We’ve tried to replace it a couple different times, but nothing is ever as good as that one. You see … I don’t like the velvet stockings. Or the ones that look too modern (no cartoon characters for me).
I like the stocking Mom made.
Yesterday, Mom and Dad found a stocking at a store that I actually liked. It was simple, but not too simple. It didn’t have a trace of velvet or any cartoons. It looked rustic and elegant.
Mom suggested that I also do some decorating of my own to incorporate some color. So this is my DIY to revamp a stocking.
First, you’ll need a stocking and materials to decorate it with. I decided to go for beads, though we did look at different ribbons and other things that would have maybe worked. Go with your gut here, does your stocking need some ribbon? Does it need some beads? Or sequins?
I decided to decorate the cuff first because I knew for sure I wanted to get that done. You’ll notice that my biggest motive for getting a new stocking is the size of the stocking for symmetry purposes. I do like things to be in order, so when I was adding the silver bells and hanging beads I knew I wanted to get the spacing right. I used my seam ripper as my guide. I’d say it worked well. I also put three stitches in each one of these beads.
Next I moved onto the tree. We thought it was important for me to incorporate the colors onto the tree as well to tie everything together. I didn’t put too many beads on here because I didn’t want to cover up the tree too much. I did utilize some of the smaller silver beads here.
Last, I added a small band of beads across the very top of the stocking. I alternated colors there the same way I did on the cuff. I chose red because it’s a Christmas color and I chose blue because it’s my favorite color. I think they go well together.
The finished product is something I’m excited about. Even though I just made some modifications to a bought stocking, those changes helped make it my own. It’s not the same as the stocking my mom made for me, but it’s a nice substitute.
