The Christmas Season is upon us, right around the corner we’ll be eating our turkey dinners and giving thanks, and then … hello sweet Christmas! Stockings and trees and lights and maybe even some snow (which is kind of fun for those of us who rarely get any snow!)! It is time to get in the festive holiday spirit! No grinches or scrooges allowed here.
My fireplace is even getting into the holiday spirit with a little pre-holiday makeover of new tile on the face and hearth, just in time for the traditional hanging of the Christmas stockings! I’ll show you that project once it happens next week!
We actually don’t really hang out stockings until after Thanksgiving (although I don’t have any issue with hanging them out earlier).But because I have fun thinking about Christmas, I am kind of wondering what we’ll do with our stockings this year. I love Christmas stockings and decorating our mantel! I’ve been looking around for inspiration, so let’s take a peek at some stockings, shall we?
West Elm Owl Christmas Stockings
It is so fun looking at all the ways stockings can be personalized for your home and family. Don’t those sweater stockings look snuggly? I have those same Pottery Barn white velvet stockings, as well as one like them with a fur cuff! Love that.
The Inspired Room // Velvet Stockings
A few years ago I finally invested in Pottery Barn stockings for our family. They are simple white velvet quilted stockings. I decided they’d be a good neutral and basic stocking that would be perfect for years to come, since we could use them as they are, or embellish them to create a different look. Plus, if we wanted to, we could add in other colors of stockings and have a variety! Maybe I’ll add in some red this year? Who knows!
Above is a photo of our mantel from a couple years ago. That mantel’s claim to fame was it was published in Cottages & Bungalows magazine!
That year we added lace doilies to the cuffs of our PB velvet stockings, just to mix things up a bit.
I love that you could add flowers, fur, jewelry, buttons, monograms, cute personalized name tags or natural elements like pinecones or greenery and change things up every year!
West Elm Felt Snowflake Christmas Stockings
Eab Designs on Etsy {stockings are sold out for this year, but they sure are cute!}
What a smart idea to do that to your white stockings! And I love that snowflake one from West Elm. We use your basic red one every year, but each year I am so tempted by the crewel embroidered stockings at Pottery Barn. It just seems so nostalgic to have a variety of them. I especially love the Santa’s sleigh one they have…was even holding it in my hands in the store this weekend trying to decide if I really wanted to splurge for 5 of them. Decided again to wait….
Thanks for all the Christmas eye candy!
We have needlepoint stockings. I think most of them were purchased at TJMaxx. I love them! They have a very vintage/homey feel and each family member has their own pattern.
Love the knit ones from PB…and the burlap ones too!
Oh yes, I love those needlepoint ones too! We have one that I bought in Germany, I think, and a couple of small ones we got as a gift! Love them!
all of these are so beautiful in their own way but the PB knit and the West Elm owls are just perfect. I have fond memories of the stockings my ever-sewing mother made for us when we were kids, but alas they’re just memories as no one has a clue where they went. I always remember the pure joy of finding a new paperback and the Life Savers Book inside each year [remember these? looked like a book but was stuffed with Life Savers?]. first thing we’d do is break them open and trade each other for our favorite flavors.
We have stockings that we’ve always used since the kids were born, and I almost feel like I have to use them because of that very fact – even if they don’t go with my decor. I would love to swap them out, but I don’t know if my kids would allow it. ;-) Who would think that I would have guilt over stockings! I love the ones you’ve featured and am thinking of how I can change mine out – or at least make an attempt!
Ha I used to feel that way too. At first we just used their original stockings for Christmas eve, or in another area of the house, but finally I realized they were fine with getting new ones :-) There is no right or wrong way to do it, sometimes tradition trumps matching decor but if you don’t like how that looks maybe it is time for a new tradition :-)
Great inspiration, Melissa. I just shared some denim and linen stockings I made last week and now after seeing your lovely photos I am super inspired to try some white/off white stockings.
Oh I didn’t see yours, very cool, I’ll check them out!!
I love the idea of white ones that you can change up every year. I made ones for everyone in the family about five years ago and that is what we use every year. I did a post on how I designed them and adding a new one for our new daughter-in-law here: http://gracie-senseandsimplicity.blogspot.ca/2010/12/stocking-are-hung-by-chimney-with-care.html
When I saw the apple green velvet stockings with the ivory trim and bells in Ballards, it was love. So, I ordered the fabric and after making a test one or two, I’ll cut it and hopefully we’ll have some new stockings this year!
the white ones are a great idea….we don’t have a pottery barn here where I live :(
I just purchased new ones this year…you can check out my post about them at
http://thecreativemeandmymcg.blogspot.ca/2012/11/what-im-working-on-today.html
Can’t wait to see your mantel this year with your stockings hung!
Love the photos! Will Jack have a stocking, as well? :)
Oh yes! Jack will definitely have his own stocking. Santa would not forget about him :-)!!
I love everything about stockings! Opening them and seeing the special little things on Christmas morning is one of my favorite traditions. We bought ours a few years ago from Pottery Barn. They are red, mainly, but also have a bunch of other colors too. My daughter’s is red with red and white gingham on the top. I think I’ll buy a different kind for each kid as they come into the family.
Love all the Christmas stockings.
I just found the reluctant entertainer from your giveaway. I’ve been following you for a while, looking forward to more great posts for the holidays. Thank you.
I made each of my kids a stocking for their first Christmas – and none of them match each other or the decor – but I’m in it for the tradition. And the kids’ eyes light up when they see their stocking as we bring out the Christmas decor – it brings the memories back to them. I even still have and use the stocking my mom made for me when I was little. I love to be able to tell them about how “Grammie” made it for me and then we get to reminisce about Grammie and Christmas. Stockings can be memory makers! :)
This is just what I needed for a little inspiration. I’m hoping to make some new stockings this year and I’m loving some of these!
What a cute way of creating your own stocking. I stumbled upon this while looking for thrifty ideas for Christmas stockings for my husband and I must say I love it! I will be using a Christmas thermal sock and embroidering our names and sewing little snow flacks on it.