Years ago, before I got married, eager to start our own Christmas traditions, I bought stockings.  I bought one for me, The Husband, my stepdaughter and a few extra.  I didn’t know how many kids we would have (I wanted six.  Some days I still do.), and I wanted to make sure everyone had a matching stocking.  Even though “everyone” wasn’t here yet.  They were traditional red and green stockings, but we personalized them a bit.  By we, I mean my mom.  Have I mentioned I don’t sew?  I don’t.  Have no idea how.  Although I would love to learn.  In the new year.  In my free time.  She sewed a different type of contrasting fabric across the top cuff of the stocking and then we she wrote each person’s name on it.  Nick and Madeline weren’t born yet, so theirs were added later, carefully saving the fabric and the pen until years later.

Flash forward twelve (!) years later, it was time for something different.  I’ve grown a bit tired of the traditional red and green, and barring that, I think it was time for a change.  A fresh start.  With our stockings.

It started with these plain cream-colored quilted stockings I bought at Target.  $9.99 each.  It took two different Targets to find four of them.  I would really love to find another one or two.  Because you never know.

Although I loved the stockings, they needed a little something extra.  At first I bought these personalized silver monogram ornaments, and had planned to attach them to the stocking, and then adding some color with buttons.  But then my mom remembered these wire beaded letter ornaments that Martha Stewart made a few years ago.  How could I forget?

This past weekend, we got to work.

I returned the monogram ornaments, but before I did, I made a copy of the letters we needed, so we’d have an easy guide to reference when forming our own free-form letters.

My grandmother did beading many years ago and my mom inherited masses and masses of sequins and beads, perfect for this project.

The wire was 99 cents for a package from A.C. Moore.  To give the letters a little extra sparkle, we beaded one wire with tiny beads, and one wire with longer beads, and then we twisted them together.  Once the ends were secured, we formed the letters.  My mom did the end securing, I did the shaping.  Then she sewed the letters on the cuff of each stocking.

But that wasn’t enough.  Although I loved the clean look of the cream-colored stockings, I wanted to add a bit of color, so out came my button jars.  Each stocking got its own color. I was brave and gave Madeline the pink one.

A smattering of buttons was hot-glued to the top, and the toe of the stocking.  I tried not to burn myself. while my mom tried not to prick her finger and bleed on the cream-colored stockings.  Only one of us was successful.

I love the finished result.  So clean, fresh, yet still festive.

They’re hanging from the mantle by these silver stocking hangers I got years ago from Target.

I think eventually, just to give them a little more strength, I’ll sew the buttons on. I can handle that. In my free time.

Tags: Christmas stockings, craft time, personalized stockings