Throwback craft time! To a pre-kid era, when I had time for felt and pom poms and COUPLE STOCKINGS! After children invaded our life, I always intended to add additional homemade stockings with kiddos names to the fleet, but then I kinda moved away from these colors and never dedicated the time to rework/create more. Our “official” family stockings now are vintage and wonderful, but I sometimes hang the Mr/Mrs ones up around the house too, to remind of us easier times ha!
If you’ve never made your own stockings before, they are quite simple (way easier than raising children) and come together rather quickly once you have a plan. So if you are in need of some custom couple stockings, break out the felt and the glue gun and get ready for an afternoon of crafting…
I start by making a paper template of the stocking shape that I want, working it until I have the size and proportions that I want, and then make a front a back for each stocking. Sewing is not a personal joy so I opt to glue gun whenever possible, but for actual stocking construction – especially if the stockings will be used (filled), I usually lug out the sewing machine and test my patience. For this project I went above and beyond, completely maxing out my sewing abilities, to add a contrasting panel to the tops before sewing the fronts and backs together. I won’t give you a tutorial on how I did that because I’m sure there is a correct way to sew on a “top” and I’m 100% sure I didn’t do it that way.
All additional embellishments are hot glued. Felt is perfect for holiday crafts like this. Not only is it forgiving and sturdy in the face of hot glue, it gives off that homemade vintage craft vibe like nothing else and offers endless possibilities! I opted for bell and holly shapes because they are simple and graphic. Look to vintage Christmas cards for ideas! Layer that felt, add ric rac and pom poms and you are on your way to Christmas magic.
The key to this project is the Mr/Mrs (or Mr/Mr or Mrs/Mrs!!!) letters. Crisp edges and a casual sign painter-esque typeface are a must. I free-hand and cut my letters (2/2 talents I have). But if you don’t have Edward Scissorhand level snipping skills, it’s easy to find a font you like, print out the words in your preferred size, and do a little pattern transfer onto your felt to guide your cutting.
Happy holiday glue gunning! xoxo Jenny
Did you have one of these ceramic lighted trees as a kid? We did and it might be my favorite Christmas decoration memory from childhood. (Well that and an odd stuffed Christmas mouse in clothes that hid under low slung furniture? Mom???) I looked forward to organizing those little plastic bulbs all year long! It was the Lite-Brite, another childhood OBSESSION, of holiday decor. Of course, I wanted my kids to have the same exact experience (parents are so weird) so I found one of these vintage Atlantic Mold trees when they were babies and now my kids look forward to popping in the colorful pegs every year too. Weird mission accomplished.
For those of you looking to light up a ceramic tree of your own without going vintage, good news! They are making a comeback and everywhere from 
Super excited to share that our Christmas home is in the current issue of 
The actual shoot was hectic so I don’t have any behind the scenes pics to share. It was a double shoot where holiday was photographed first and then I hastily removed all remnants of Christmas to shoot each room “regular” for an upcoming feature in another publication! Let’s just say I was very sweaty and couldn’t keep up at all! It was like a Disneyland holiday overlay in my own house that I was responsible for moving in minutes. I did get a few shots of my own the day before to show how everything was styled…
The 
And I did the entry almost exactly like I did for real Christmas 
I love that my kids will always remember that one crazy summer when our weird family had second (first?) Christmas. AND NOW IT’S TIME TO DO IT ALL AGAIN!!! xoxo Christmas Maniac