I forgot to mention in a previous post — where I posted a pic of the Christmas stockings we made — that I got the idea while perusing the latest catalog from Garnet Hill. Years back I started collecting religious-themed needlepoint stocking kits, meaning to make one per child. Well, it’s been several Christmases and I’ve got two started and none finished. The Garnet Hill catalog reminded me that dh had bought stocking hangers last year, and I promised myself the
kids would use them this year for St. Nick, instead of their shoes put outside the door (which has worked really well in the past). The new year came, and it’s almost gone, and I have not touched the stocking kits save the time when I was organizing in the basement. Guilt was the first thing that came to me when I saw the Hable stockings! And then I thought — hey, we can make this!

Our wool felts cost $35+ for the whole collection (24 colors or something like that, from a Montessori supplier), the kids must have used 12 or so of them making their stockings. And they’re far more personalized than I originally envisioned, as each child designed his/her own stocking and drew them out and even did a lot of their own appliquing and embroidery. (The boys grumbled a bit, something about boys and sewing not going together, LOL, but they kept at it.)

I couldn’t help feeling proud. The Hable Christmas stockings at Garnet Hill cost $48 each, +$6 with personalization. Stockings directly from Hable are $76 and up. Ours cost $2 each or so, plus a day of sitting around the living room sewing, drawing, cutting, and talking. Our stockings cost mostly time, but I’m sure you’ll agree it was time well spent. The kids want to do it again next year.

Note: I didn’t show them the catalog page until AFTER all our work was done. They were so proud of themselves as well.