Ever found yourself admiring the perfectly festive stockings hanging from a friend’s mantelpiece and thinking, “I could totally do that”? Well, now’s your chance to prove it! Not only will your Christmas stocking design make a thoughtful gift, but it’ll also look far more impressive than the effort it takes to make.
With our simple step-by-step guide, you can make your own Christmas stocking design in no time. Move aside, Kirstie Allsopp — there’s a new Christmas DIY guru in town! Plus, this is the perfect fun festive activity to get busy with if you’re spending Christmas alone and want to fill some time.
If you’re planning on gifting your Christmas stocking to a friend or family member (and it turns out beautifully), why not pair it with one of our Christmas cards? Or maybe even one of our personalised Christmas photo cards to match the handmade charm of your stocking?
If someone you know has a birthday near Christmas (lucky them!), pair it with one of our birthday cards for an extra ‘thortful’ pre-Christmas/birthday gift package.
Materials for your DIY Christmas stocking:
- Two large rectangular pieces of fabric — one for the outside and one for the lining
- Felt or fabric for the cuff — white felt or a coloured fabric that complements your stocking
- Pins
- Scissors
- Sewing machine, or needle and thread if you’re hand sewing
- Chalk or a pencil for tracing
- Ribbon or fabric strip for your hanging loop
- Stocking template or a stocking you already own
1. Create or find a template
Find yourself a stocking template — you’ll find plenty online that you can print and cut out. Or, if you’ve got an existing stocking handy, simply use that when it comes to tracing the Christmas stocking design. This will act as your trusty guide when you’re hacking away at the fabric like a DIY Christmas ninja!
2. Prepare your materials
Grab your most jolly, over-the-top festive fabric for the outside of your stocking —seriously, go wild! Think outlandish bauble designs, loud reindeer prints, bold present motifs — heck, opt for fabric with dancing snowman on them if you’ve got it. If all else fails, classic red or green will do the trick. For the inside, either match it to the outside or pick something nice and plain. Next, fold both pieces of fabric in half. Grab hold of your template and place it over the materials to check they are big enough for your desired stocking size.
3. Trace and cut the fabric
Place your stocking pattern on the fabric and trace around it using chalk. No chalk? A pencil will do just fine. Be sure to trace around both the outer fabric and the lining fabric. Now, it’s time to get snipping — cut out the fabric along the traced lines. You should end up with two pieces of the outer fabric and two pieces of the inner fabric, four in total.
4. Sew the outer fabric
Place the two pieces of outside fabric ‘right sides’ together — i.e. the sides you want on the outside of the stocking facing inwards so they’re touching each other. Pin the edges together so that they don’t try to escape. Now, sew along the borders of the stocking like the sewing champion you are, leaving a 1cm gap from the edge. But remember — keep the top open, otherwise those presents will be going nowhere! If you’ve got a sewing machine, a simple straight stitch will do. If you’re going old-school with hand stitching, a running stitch or backstitch will work a treat. After sewing, make sure you turn it inside out, so the right side is showing.
5. Sew the lining
Repeat the process with the lining fabric. Arrange the two pieces right sides together, pin them, and sew around the edges, leaving the top open. Refrain from flipping the lining inside out — we know it’s tempting to appreciate your handy work, but believe us when we say, keep it as is for now!
6. Make the cuff
Take the white felt or soft fabric and cut a rectangle that is wide enough to wrap around the top of the stocking. After all, we all know that bigger cuffs means more festive spirit! It should be around 8-10 inches in height, so that when you fold it up, it’s 4-5 inches. Fold it in half, lining up the shorter edges like you’re making a cosy little cuff taco, then sew along the short sides. Flip the cuff right side out, so the seam is hidden inside, and ta-da, cuff complete!
7. Attach the cuff
Place the cuff inside the outer stocking (the one turned right side out), lining up the raw edges at the top. Pin the cuff to the top of the stocking and sew all the way around the top edge to attach it.
8. Add the lining
Insert the lining, still inside out, into the outer stocking. The top raw edge of the lining should meet the raw edge of the outer fabric and cuff. Sew around the top edge of the stocking to attach the lining, outer fabric, and cuff together.
9. Make the hanging loop
Cut a small piece of ribbon or fabric about 4 inches long for the loop. Fold it in half and sew or pin it into place inside the top corner of the stocking. Sew it securely to make sure it can handle all those festive treats when you hang it up.
10. Finishing touches
Turn the whole stocking right side out so the lining is tucked all snug inside, and the cuff is folded down over the top. Now grab your iron and give it a quick once over to lightly smooth out any creases. It goes without saying, but make sure to double-check the iron settings for the fabrics you’re working with — burning a hole in your creation is not an option at this point!
And there you have it, stocking magic just happened — mission accomplished. Now you can hang up your masterpiece, fill it with Christmas surprises, and let that festive feeling rush over you!
Feeling a little extra? Go ahead and personalise it with names, glitter, or fancy embellishments. It could be a tinsel cuff, frills, pom poms, or a felt Christmas pudding motif – when it comes to stockings, there’s no such thing as too much.
Oh, and we can’t forget about the things to go inside your lovely newly crafted stocking – for inspiration, we’ve already covered the best stocking fillers for kids as well as adult stocking filler ideas.
And if you’re interested in more Christmassy crafts, be sure to check out our blogs on how to make your own Christmas decorations, the best homemade Christmas gift ideas, and steps on making your own Christmas wreath.
