December 1st, 2007 · 1 Comment

STOCKINGS HUNG BY THE CHIMNEY WITH CARE
Some people are intimidated by the idea of making their own Christmas stockings. But you don’t have to be a master seamstress (or even know how to sew, for that matter) to create a cool, funky mantle hanger. All it takes is some brightly colored leftover fabric – say, a favorite but worn-out shirt, a table cloth that’s seen better days, even an old pair of denim jeans; a hand-drawn pattern; a glue gun or some super glue; glitter or other applique shapes found at a hobby shop; and a couple of spare hours. And before you know it, you’ll have your own home-spun stocking. (Eco Studio shows us just how cute these can be, see photo left, courtesy Eco Studio.)

Here’s how: Draw a large stocking shape onto cardboard and lay the fabric of your choice on top of it and cut to fit the pattern; do two of these. Trim frayed and stray threads, then fold the edges in about ¼ to ½ inch and press with a hot iron, so the “seams” lie flat. Make sure the twin pieces actually do match by holding them together and eyeballing them, then, using super glue or glue gun, outline the folded edges of each piece and press together by placing a heavy book (protect the book with foil or wax paper) on top for a few hours. Remove and decorate your stocking by gluing on glitter, stars, cut-out paper shapes, old scraps of fabric. If you want to reinforce the seam, get a bit of yarn and an extra large needle (knitting needle if available) and do a simple whipstitch. Instructions at Knitting Fairy.

For other tips and resources:
Eco Studio, for DIY eco-friendly decorations.

The National Christmas Tree Association

Earth 911, to locate a recycling center near you.

Copyright © 2007 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

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