When my daughter was just a few weeks old, I made her a first Christmas stocking out of some of her new-born baby grows (which she had already grown out of!) Admittedly I was sleep deprived and sewing in a rush to fit around unpredictable nap times, so its far from perfect. But I still love hanging it up on Christmas eve and dropping a couple of Christmas morning presents into it. So handmade Christmas stockings have a special place in my heart, and they really are a gift that keeps on giving. If you fancy making one yourself, here is a collection of lovely tutorials I have found on the old world wide web.

But before we begin! If you love to sew, why not sign up for my Creative Sewing Challenge? I created it to help me keep my beloved hobby on the agenda when life gets busy, and since launching, hundreds of lovely sewers throughout the world have joined me. You get a fabulous prompt sent to your inbox at the start of the month, and a collection of ideas linked to the theme. The idea is to sew something – anything – in response. Its free, fun and open to anyone. Sign up below or find out more here.

And now, back to the stockings. I love the contrasting fabric lining used in this tutorial on Fabricworm Blog.

This tutorial by Little House Living would be great for using up festive fabric scraps…

…or for a completely different design, try this Scrappy Spiral Stocking Tutorial by Favequilts.

If you are looking for a rustic feel, try this burlap stocking tutorial by Craft Passion.

Or for something a bit more shabby chick try these burlap and lace stockings from tikamoon.

You can personalize stockings with a name as in this tutorial by Things for Boys.

Or personalize with an applique letter as in this tutorial by sewlikemymom.

For a more curlie-toed elf-like shape to your stocking, try this tutorial by DIY Home Sweet Home…

…or these personalised cuties by sew4home.

And for something COMPLETELY different, why not try this mermaid tail stocking tutorial from instructables craft.

And finally, you might like the felt ornament tutorial I posted earlier this week for making mini elf stockings – perfect for hanging on the tree.

Don’t forget, you are very welcome to join the Creative Sewing Challenge, it would be wonderful to have you on board. Tomorrow I’m writing about festive quilt blocks, and here is a lovely pin for a rainy day! Happy sewing everyone.