Tutorial: Easy Christmas Stocking

Today we are going to make personalized stockings!

Skill Level: Easy
Items Needed:  Stocking, Felt, Scissors, Needle, Coordinating Thread, Glue Stick

Average Time: 10 minutes

Monkey is interested in all things Christmas.  Last year, he was just beginning to understand but this year, he’s actually asking us questions.  When we first told him about the stockings, he ran to his room and started putting little toys in his socks.  He’s the best!  So I figured, it’s time to go get some Christmas stockings.  With not a lot of time left before Christmas, I decided not to make one from scratch.   They are probably the easiest thing in the world to sew but I have an even easier way to personalize our Christmas stockings.

I went to the Dollarama and got these.  Most people know that I love to DIY most of my projects.  But sometimes, it’s not necessary to DIY the whole thing.   These stockings are cute enough for the kids – probably could be sturdier – but totally do-able.

Choose stockings that have the fold over top.

Buy a sheet of inexpensive felt from Michaels or another craft store.  Felt is great because it doesn’t fray.  Jersey is also a great choice but anything else will most likely fray and won’t look good over the long run.

You can free-hand draw your initials onto the felt but I like to sample some of the newer fonts and designs that are available for free on the internet.  Open up a word processing program and choose a large font size (150-200) and your font.  I used a font called “Ravie” for our stockings.  To save on ink, in font properties, click on “outline” so that you only print the outline.    

Cut out your initial and trace it onto the felt.  I like to turn the initial around so that my pen marks don’t show on the final product.

Glue the initial onto your stocking.

Hand stitch the initial to the stocking

Voila!  You are done!  

There's still time to enter Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway!  Click here for my contribution or click on the link below to see some other great stuff!

Sharing and Caring

This past Friday, Monkey had his very first dentist appointment.  He said the experience was "nice" and was so excited to get his loot bag (a.k.a.  toothbrush, floss, and colouring book).   We were so proud of him, especially since it was his first time!  Something happened that made us even prouder.

Monkey has always been the sweetest kid around but even more so on Friday.   After his dentist appointment, he was allowed to visit Dr. Status' treasure chest of fun toys.   He picked a toy for himself and was ready to leave when the receptionists told him to pick another for Baby Bunny.  Hubby said that he dug and dug through that treasure chest to find Baby Bunny the perfect toy.  What did he do?  He searched for a toy that was almost the same as what he got.  He wanted his little brother to have something that he also really liked too.  He even bypassed a dinosaur toy!!

Here's a pic of the toys.  Monkey's toy is the big one and Bunny's is the little one.  How sweet!

Baby Bunny loves Monkey and sometimes when we drive, they hold hands

Friday was also fun because it snowed again!  Not enough to make snowballs, not enough to shovel, but enough for it to come down like rain.  It melted but that's ok!  He kept trying to catch the snow.

So we are still playing with the pom poms until the real stuff comes down.

Kids are the best!

p.s.  Don't forget to enter the Sew Mama Sew Giveaways!  Click the link below to enter

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!!!

Sew Mama Sew is doing a Giveaway Day!  There are SIX pages of giveaways open all week, from December 12-December 16.   You can choose to enter to win goodies from the following categeories:  Handmade for the Home, Handmade Baby and Kids items, Handmade Bags, Handmade Accessories, Handmade Sewing Supplies, and Other Craft Supplies. 

It's such a great way to visit some crafty blogs as well as enter to win tons of handmade goodies.   

This year I'm really happy to be participating.  I wasn't able to last year since Baby Bunny was just 2.5 months and I was so busy with a newborn and a toddler entering into the "interesting" 2s.    

Here's what you are going to win:  A Toy Leash from Josh & Teo Handmade for Babies and Mamas

Great for holding Sophie the Giraffe but also useful for holding snack cups and other toys!  Also great at playdates when you're trying to figure out "is that my toy or your toy"? 

Contest Details:
This giveaway is open internationally and ends Friday December 16th at 8pm EST.  A  random number generator will choose one winner. 

Entries:
1st Entry - Leave a comment in the box below.  Tell me who you plan to give this toy leash to!  

2nd Entry - Follow my blog.  If you already follow, that counts as a second entry too.

Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry.  For each entry, leave your EMAIL ADDRESS in your comment, which may be written as:  jenny (at) hotmail (d0t) com, if you're worried about leaving your real address in cyberspace.


I will announce the winner in a blog post on December 18.  If you left an email address, I will contact you for your mailing address.  The order will ship by December 24th.

12/16/2011 - 9pm EST.  This contest is NOW closed