I finally finished making all of our stockings this week. They look like a row of stocking rejects, but I love them anyway. The first one on the left was crocheted out of scraps of yarn. I got the pattern from knit sonya. It’s a very easy and fast project. Mine looks a little, er, odd, because I was too lazy to go find my crochet book to brush up on my pattern lingo and ended up not decreasing correctly which resulted in a stocking with a big old funny looking foot. This is my stocking.
The turquoise and lavender stocking is my dog’s stocking. I made this one out of wool sweaters that I bought for cheap, cheap, cheap at a church rummage sale. I felted them and cut out the shapes and sewed them together by hand.
The red stocking with the white buttons is Noah’s stocking also made out of a felted wood sweater. And the last funny looking stocking is my husband’s, made out of a fuzzy gray sweater and the same felted red wool sweater. I made the pocket out of an old t-shirt of his from college that was headed for the rag pile. There is a squirrel printed on that little piece of fabric. Long story.
I don’t have that many ornaments since we’ve only had a christmas tree up maybe 2years. Last year we didn’t have a tree because I was on bedrest. The year before we went to Chicago to visit family. I think the year before that we had our first tree. So this is our second year of having a tree! I inherited a lot of the ornaments from my family. I have little straw baskets that came from Guatemala. Little angels made out of dried palm leaves from the Philippines and some miscellaneous wooden ornaments that have barely survived throughout the years.
Below is an ornament that was a wedding gift from the wonderful and generous Carla Naron. She and a bunch of other mixed media artists like Donia Nance, Tara Finlay, Colette Copeland, Celine Navarro, Donna Albino, Lela Stetch, Luna Hartsong from Minnesota(My memory is failing me because I can’t think of Luna’s last name, but hartsong is her LJ id, so that’s how I think of her), Patricia Anders, Raine Klover and my sister, JoAnn, were so kind to make dangly ornaments for me as decorations for my wedding. They are now part of my Christmas tradition.
This tin angel comes from Mexico and the very creative Heather had attached it to a Christmas presents as the gift tag to my sister. I, of course kept it all these years because I thought it was very cool.
I’m not sure where this little angel came from…hmmm. My ornaments may be a little odd or have broken hands or missing a wing, but they all have stories. Even if they are forgotten ones like the angel below. Now that I think about it, it probably come from Heather too. She’s always been so cool.
Those ornaments are lovely, but seeing the stocking just warms the cockles of my heart as it were. Merry Christmas!
I love your wonky stockings. I love that nativity too, it’s beautiful.
I have alot of ornaments, my collections plus all the ones I inherited from my mother, but I remember the days when it seemed like I didn’t have enough for the tree. Here’s my suggestions to fill in the blanks:
1. Make dough ornaments. They are easy and fun and only a few will survive over the years, so as you collect “nicer” ornaments you can weed the tired ones out.
2. Wrap little things (or even empty little boxes) in favorite scraps of xmas paper and bows.
3. Make garland out of almost anything. Since you like yarn, try crocheted ropes, pom-pom balls strung together, paper mache balls (I’m envisioning some hand-painted ones on your tree). Of course, there’s always the popcorn and cranberry variety.
4. And when you’ve run out of time to make stuff…Have a tree-trimming party! People usually bring you ornaments. I have one every year and only serve cider and cookies, so it’s very easy to pull off. I do it early so I can enjoy my tree for the maximum amount of time. I have so many ornaments now, I can’t even fit them all on the tree, they get scattered around the house too.
That was a really long comment, but I know you will use all those little tidbits you little crafty girl you.
Noah is gorgeous, and I hope you had a wonderful holiday and your tree is now on it’s way to the chipper.
love
thanks sonya for the pattern and inspiration!
Thanks heather for all the ideas. You are so crafty! I remember JoAnn telling me about your tree trimming parties. I like hte idea of garlands. hmmmm….