How to Make a Beautiful and Creative Christmas Stocking with Beads

This Christmas why not make a stocking that makes a statement. Stockings are a staple in every home that celebrates Christmas. This year why not make your own beautiful and creative stocking that is easy and festive. I am going to lay out a very easy, creative, and gorgeous stocking that anyone can make and get years of joy and use out of. It also makes a fabulous gift if you feel so inclined.

Beaded Sparkle Stocking

This is a beautiful beaded stocking that will glisten by the twinkle of the lights or fire. This stocking is easy but a bit time consuming. It is worth it though.

Supplies:
Colored felt (red, white, green, etc.)
White felt
Iridescent beads
Contrasting color iridescent beads (red, green, blue, etc)
Pinking Shears
White thread
Needle
Straight pins
Pencil

The first thing you will do is double your felt and cut it in traditional stocking shape with pinking shears. Now take your white felt and cut that into a rectangular shape for the cuff of the stocking remembering to leave about an extra inch and a half for where it folds over. You can cut this into a straight rectangle or you can cut it so that it has points hanging down. As far as the colors go, you can make the stocking bottom any color you like. I really like the all white with clear iridescent beads on the bottom and red,green, or blue iridescent beads on top.

First take your two rectangle top pieces and straight pin them to your bottoms. Overlap the top and bottom so that when it is turned inside out it folds over nicely. Stitch the top to the bottom on each piece. Now with them both of them inside out, take the pieces and line them up and pin them together with your straight pins. Stitch together with your white thread, leaving the top open. Turn your stocking inside out and run a warm iron over it to make sure it is all nice and flat. Fold down your cuff, iron the fold, and your ready to embellish with beads.

Start with putting your needle on the back side of the stocking just under the bottom of the cuff. Once you push the thread through put your first bead on and then push back through to the backside. It is just simply following your original stitch. Every time you come through to the front you add a bead and you follow this all the way around the stocking.

After you have made it all the way around, reach inside the stocking and sew some randomly scattered beads on the front. You can do this completely random or if you feel ambitious you can make a design such as a snowflake or outline of a snow man. Just be aware of your abilities. You don't want to try something that is to far above your craftiness.

Now we hit the cuff. I like to use a contrast colored bead here. If the bottom felt is red and has clear iridescent beads then I would use a green iridescent bead on the cuff. If the whole stocking is white and the bottom beads are clear I like the blue iridescent on top. This is really up to you and what you want it to look like. Simply outline the cuff with your choice of beads the same as you did the bottom of the stocking. Now you can place random beads as well on the cuff but I really like the idea of taking a pencil and lightly drawing the initials of the person this is intended for. Follow your pencil line and add the beads as you go. It makes it personal and pretty. Just remember to keep the pencil line very light as we don't want it to show through when it is done.

The above is the basic way to make this stocking. There are a few things that you can do to embellish it further if you have the time, energy, and creativity. I like the idea of sewing a few small silver bells to the corners or points of the cuff. You can also use some craft glue and glitter instead of the random beads on the bottom of the socking. Just place some small drops of craft glue and sprinkle it on. Another idea is to do the initials on the cuff in glue and glitter or you can do them right on the foot of the stocking. You can also do a cut out of say a Christmas tree and affix that with craft glue and then add a few beads here and there on it to continue the sparkle.

If you are giving this as a gift make sure to put a few pretty sparkly things inside. Maybe a few pretty scented taper candles or a beautiful gift of much loved jewelry. Have fun with it and make it your own, make it pretty, and make it sparkle!