Everywhere you go right now, there are cute Christmas decorations. I love to see all the new decoration styles. Well, I want to show you how to make a decoration that you will NOT replace next year. These decorations are things you will use for years to come!
I have made stocking holders that can sit on any surface (I have mine on the fireplace mantle). They are easy to make, the supplies you need to make them are things you probably have around your home and they will last a lifetime.
There are a thousand ways to finish them out, however, I like a neutral color that will go with any decor. But, with these, because they are made out of wood, you can paint or stain them to make them the highlight of your mantle!
To start out, get you two pieces of wood: one 2×4 and one 1×4. Now, if you have pieces in your garage or wood pile, use them. You don’t need much. Each Stocking Holder is made out of one 5-inch piece of each. I made four of them and when I purchased the wood at my local hardware store, they cut the pieces for me. Some places do that for little or no charge.
The very first thing you HAVE to do before you do anything else is grab a piece of sand paper and sand those rough edges. It doesn’t take much effort, but, it does get a little messy with the sawdust that comes off the wood. I just put down some newspaper and went to town sanding those little blocks.
I then coated the blocks individually with several coats of paint. I chose black paint, however, please choose whatever color you like. You will need several coats unless you use paint primer, but honestly, a few coats of acrylic paint will work just fine.
I took photos of my family that I love. I glued them to the 1×4 piece that will correspond with their stocking. I used just a craft glue for this part. I wanted to make sure that the pictures wouldn’t move while I was nailing in the tacks.
Nail in the tacks to each corner of the photo. This is mainly for looks. There are so many different types of these tacks at the hardware store. I bought a pack that had 20 in it for less than $3.
I had my husband put the metal hooks in the front of the 2×4. (The drill and I do not get along.) These are just clothes hooks that I found at the hardware store. Mine are the same color as the tacks, but if you are more eclectic, use an assortment.
To finish Christmas Stocking Holders off, I used a little bit of wood glue and glued the two blocks together. I waited until they dried to hang our stockings from them. However, here’s a tip: When you start adding gifts into the stockings, please protect your property by using self-adhesive strips to hold them down to the mantle, shelf, or window seal. I like to use the adhesive strips that come off your walls without messing them up.
I am honestly impressed with how easy they are to make and how wonderful they look on my fireplace mantle. I can’t wait to see them up there, filled with gifts from Santa!
