I designed this free stocking outline with a reindeer family set for my kids to decorate the other day.
This might be the easiest Christmas stocking every made. The template is versatile and can be used for any material from felt to fabric. I used felt and craft fleece because I had it around and I didn’t feel like sewing.
Make Personalized Christmas Stockings
I made this super cute reindeer family design that you can use to mix and match depending on your actual family.
I originally intended on using felt for the reindeer as well but I didn’t have the right colors. I then thought to use vinyl but was also missing a couple of key colors.
I settled on just using cardstock which gave me the most versatility in color selection. Since I don’t really intend on washing this stocking, it doesn’t really matter what material you use. This was meant to be semi-disposable and also easy enough for my kids to personalize on their own.
Easy Christmas stocking cut out
The key to making the stocking look “picture perfect” is having separate pieces for the cuff. The Christmas stocking cuff is not a perfect rectangle so if you try and make a band and wrap it around the top, it just ends up looking like a sock and not a stocking.
I decided to separate out the cuff which adds to a clean finish to the design. I actually ended up running out of white felt so I just did the cuff on one side.
*this article contains affiliate links for your convenience, see full disclosures here
Materials for Handmade Christmas Stockings
Felt – You can use any material really. I just like the look of felt. It is super cozy. You will need at minimum a 12″x8″ piece for each side of the base stocking. There are some amazing deals of assorted felt sets on Amazon. With the assorted back, you can make the reindeer applique with the same kit.
Glue or Sewing Materials – I used fabric glue for this project. You can also use a glue gun as well, just make sure you are using real felt as opposed to craft fleece which is made from polyester and will melt.
This santa boot template and Reindeer family templates – I’ve included mine for free in my resource library. There is a printable Christmas stocking pattern as well as a stocking SVG cut file.
How to Make Felt Christmas Stockings
Well, it really doesn’t get any easier than this.
First, cut out all the different piece of the stocking.
I then place a base layer of glue around the stocking.
Add some glue for the cuff.
Flip this over so the cuff side is facing down to dry. I do this just in case the glue seeps through. That way, it doesn’t glue the pocket together. If you are adding a cuff to the other side, do the same after one side as dried.
How to Decorate Christmas Stockings with Felt or Other Materials
There’s no fast or hard rule on decorating your stocking. I like to slip a piece of paper in the stocking if I am going to use glue to prevent the sock pocket from gluing together.
With this particular reindeer design, I like to assemble from bottoms up. This means starting with the antlers >> face >> ears >> eyes and nose >> accoutrements.
Get the kids involved and let them decorate their own!
Related Articles: