The Stockings Were...?

Well, I can't exactly hang them because we don't exactly have a mantle. Fireplace, yes. Mantle, no. I've always wanted one of those chunky rustic slabs of wood for a lodge-like mantle, but it's kinda low (like on the bottom) of the priority list. New roof is kinda dominating the top of the list, but it's soooo boring. Okay, that's bummin me out; let's just move on, shall we?

This is one of our first stockings. There is a matching one but it has lost its hanger. I guess Santa overstuffed it one year. I made these 24 years ago for Ian and my first Christmas together! The idea was that we would stuff each other's stockings. Not gonna lie, that didn't work out too well. Hubby didn't quite get the concept of stocking stuffer and gave me a dress from Laura Ashley in my stocking! (note: I am NOT complaining, just chuckling)

These two particular stockings have lived quite the life. After being newlywed stockings they became my two oldest kids' stockings, because who has time to make stockings when you have babies?

After baby #3 came along, I had somewhat of a problem. Two matching beauties, and a cheesy fuzzy red and white supermarket stocking. Well, the baby was a baby after all, and didn't really care. Eventually, I decided to make a new set of three. I really love these stockings.
The velvet, the tassels, the gold braid, the vintage buttons...

They looked awesome in our old house, which had a traditional fireplace and mantle. But then something happened. Babies, more babies. Number 4 and Number 5 got those newlywed stockings, and Number 6 got stuck with the fuzzy one.

The other problem was that the stockings weren't big enough. They were really hard to stuff! So, back to the drawing board.
I collected up a bunch of old jeans, cut them all apart, and made new casual stockings lined with flannel. They are super roomy and durable, which is a must because without fail EVERY YEAR the kiddos put their stockings on their feet and slide around the house.

They usually get some gum or tic tacs in the little pocket, and yes, I know, one doesn't have a pocket, but you know what? It has a pocket on the back because I made it backwards. So it either doesn't have a pocket or it hangs facing the opposite direction. If you know Colin, the owner of this particular stocking, you'll get why that is totally appropriate, and you'll understand why, at age 15, I don't even think he has ever noticed that his is different!

In a nod to tradition, the kids get an orange in the toe of their stocking, because that's what was always in the toe of mine growing up. The funny thing is that we had an orange tree in our yard, so my brothers and I were a little baffled as to why an orange was anything special when we could just go outside and pick one. Apparently, mom always had an orange in the toe of hers, and back in those dinosaur days it really was something special. For my own kids, I've upgraded to a Toblerone chocolate orange, since really, we have several citrus trees in the yard, and oranges, lemons, and grapefruit are coming out our ears at this time of year!

A couple of years ago, a little birdie told me that the kids were getting up in the middle of the night, unloading their stockings, then reloading them before we got up. Last year Santa came to my closet and let me pass the stockings out the next day. Not sure what clever idea Santa has this year!

Check out the other fun stockings over at Nikki's!