Sew a traditional chimney stocking

Left, Note the holes at the bottom for attaching him to the stocking. Right, A Belznickle character for my chimney stocking.

       Here is one of several chimney stocking patterns I have created from earlier Victorian designs. It is my own interpretation; obviously, because of the Belznickle! Chimney stockings are not new to  American homes but, alas, as all decorative things in America, they have fallen out of fashion here.
        I, however, am not a slave to what is fashionable; I have more of a curious nature than that. Vintage designs and the history of objects have always been peculiar hobbies of mine. So, here is a pattern to make one, two, or three for your own mantle this Christmas.

Left, Stitching through the cardboard to attach the Belznickle. Right, The backside of my chimney stocking.

       Chimney stockings are usually stuffed with candies, nuts and/or small toys. This is in part because they are a bit more narrow than other Christmas stocking designs. Chimney stockings also  have a Christmas character either poking out of the top of the chimney cap or through a fireplace depicted at the bottom of the stocking. My version here does not have a fireplace at the bottom, only a suggested foot. But I will include other versions of stocking patterns on this blog that will show you how to make a variety of interpretations in the future if you are interested in these.

       You will need to purchase "brick" novelty print online for this sewing craft, for the fabric stores in the U. S. do not carry it this season. Perhaps we may start a trend here and brick or stone novelty prints will make a come back? But for now, you will need to search fabric suppliers online.

See how long I've made the chimney stocking? Most of these designs are very long and nar-
row. It's up to you to decide just how long you wish the stocking to be. I include the lower
boot half in the pattern and the snowy piece above, but you must extend the length of the
chimney part in accordance to your own tastes. The face mold that you acquire to use on
your Belsnickle or Santa figure will also effect your own version of this stocking design.

• Brick prints from Field's Fabrics
• Brick prints from Nicholas Engert
• Brick prints from fabric.com

Supply List:

• novelty cotton print of brick (1 yard)
• needle and matching threads
• cotton batting or white felt or faux white snowy fabric
• Sculpey clay
• press mold mask
• paper clay
• wood glue or hot gun glue 
• masking tape
• acrylic paints: flesh tones, red, brown, eye colors, white etc...
• acrylic sealer or Mod Podge
• stiff cardboard
• pattern (below)
• embroidery needle or nail
• dental floss

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First you will need to cut out the "figure" of the Belznickle from a stiff piece of cardboard. The stiffer, the better. Some of you may even choose to use a thin piece of wood alternatively. 
2. If you use cardboard, cover it completely with masking tape.
3. Then you will need to acquire a press mold of St. Nick. These are very common in the United States in hobby shops. If you cannot find one of these you can make one of your own. Click here to see a video and get directions for press molds.
4. I use Sculpey for making my Santa face molds, in part because Sculpey is very durable and waterproof. You do not need much for this project; a very small block of it will suffice.
5. After baking the clay face in an ordinary oven, let is cool and then glue it to the cardboard cut-out figure. See pattern for positioning.
6. Now mix your paper clay according to the directions from the manufacture. Spread this out around the face mask and over the entire surface of the cardboard cut-out, excluding a narrow strip at the bottom of St. Nick's coat. (see pattern) 
7. After the front surface of your coat dries, turn it over and repeat the process on the backside of St. Nick's coat. Let it dry.
8. Take your sharp nail or large eyed embroidery needle and make a series of small wholes across the bottom of the exposed cardboard strip so that you will be able to sew the figure of St. Nick into the top of the finished chimney stocking.
9. Print, trace and cut the stocking pattern onto your brick, novelty cotton print, front sides facing together, because you will need two pieces exactly alike. Sticklers may wish to line up their bricks. Don't forget to add a half inch seam and to also position your pattern at the bottom of the folded fabric. This because you will need to determine how long your chimney stocking will be on your own. (see pattern)
10. With right sides together, allow for the seam and sew a straight stitch by hand or machine around the stock foot and up. Leave an opening where St. Nick will be sewn into the top, peeking out from the chimney as he slides down it. 
11. Sew a strong loop six or seven inches long and approximately 2 to 3 inches wide to attach to the backside of your stocking. This loop may be made from the brick fabric or the snowy white fabric. (whichever is stronger) Attach it the the backside of the finished stocking before sewing the Belznickle in place.
12. I've included the curvy piece of pattern for a snowy top to add to the top edge of your chimney stocking opening. Cut this from a white felt or some other fuzzy white fabric.
13. I used a blanket stitch to attach the snowy applique buy any stitching would be nice.
14. Now sew through the backside of the finished stocking through the cardboard holes to attach St. Nick, leaving the front half of the stocking open to insert candies or nuts. Use a heavy thread, embroidery floss or even dental floss to do this with. The heavier the thread the better the wear of the stocking over time.
15. You may also choose to reinforce St. Nick to the stocking with a bit of hot glue.

A Chimney Stocking pattern by kathy grimm. Free for personal craft use only.
 Property of https://belsnickle.blogspot.com/

Reproducing a Vintage Christmas Stocking

A new stocking for baby in blue or pink felt; how sweet!

      This little drawing of  a blue felt sock is of an actual vintage stocking that once belonged to my husband when he was a baby. It is so tattered and worn but somehow it makes it's way onto our Christmas tree every year. It is far too fragile to fill with gifts however. The stocking was made by some loving grandmother in the late 1950s I'm sure. My husband's sister had a similar one in pink I believe. During the 1950s pastel colored ornaments and stockings on shimmering silver tinsel trees were all the rage. I've redrawn and included a pattern similar to this homemade stocking for those of you who would like to reproduce it. 

       A pair of pinking shears was used to cut the felt stocking out originally. Use a pair of ordinary sharp scissors to cut the marked openings on the sides of two identical felt stockings so that you can weave a pale pink ribbon through the center of the stocking. If you are making a pink felt stocking for a girl, use a blue ribbon instead of the pink. The Christmas trees are also cut from white felt and tiny sequins and silver beads are sewn on to give them sparkle. The "Hello" on the bottom of the stocking is made from silver rick-rack. This word is stitched into place with silver thread. This little felt stocking would be a charming addition to any tree for a new baby.

Click to download the largest possible file.

Free stocking with the purchase of Ivory Snow.

Enhance a Christmas Stocking With Costume Jewelry

 I used a grey felt, silver and crystal seed beads and a simple
 scene depicting a snowman to create this small stocking that
 now hangs on my youngest child's Christmas tree every year.

      When my mother-in-law passed away many years ago, I was given a few pieces of her costume jewelry. I did not frequently wear rhinestones nor did my little ones at that time, for they were quite young.
      I did, however, have a mind to use these vintage pins in some way so that my children could have some sentimental memory associated with them. So I incorporated this glittery costume jewelry into a couple of beaded Christmas stockings. Then I gifted these to my girls on the Christmas following their grandmother's death.
      Now every year I see these charming little socks hanging on their trees and think of her. She would have liked for her granddaughter's to remember her most at Christmas, for she was quite the Christmas fanatic herself. It was one of the happiest common interests that we shared together before her passing.
      The pins can also be removed for wearing should my daughters care to use them for that purpose some day.
      I will also post photos of my older girl's version as soon as she unpacks her ornaments for the season.

My appliqued snowman is made from white wool and he
sports a wooly scrap scarf as well.

Photographed here is one of the little rhinestone twig pins
that once belonged to my mother-in-law.

I finished the top edge of these stockings with wire and glass
seed beads. The sides of the stockings are finished with
embroidery floss using the blanket stitch.

More Christmas Stocking Glitz:

• MacKenzie-Childs Jeweled Peacock Christmas Stocking
• Victorian Christmas Stocking Elegant Lady Rose Boot
• Cute Little Christmas Stockings by Christine Ott

Craft a Belznickle Head, Patchwork Stocking Ornament

      For many years I have designed little stockings to hang from my children's Christmas trees. These are extra special because of the time and care it took to handcraft the faces. The old patchwork came from a damaged quilt remnant that I hadn't the heart to toss out.

I have yet to add the loops to the top of these stockings but they
are finished enough for you to see how these stockings
 will look hanging from our Christmas tree.

  Supply List:

• Fur trim
• patchwork scraps to sew the small stocking with
• grey felt for the hood
• embroidery floss for the stitching and braided cord
• Acrylic paints: black, blue, red, gold, white, and two variations of flesh toned paint, if you are intending to paint a mask.
• Flesh toned oven bake clay for the mask. (optional)
• white paper clay if you plan to paint your mask
• A face push mold (sold in hobby shops)
• white tacky glue
• acrylic gel sealer to preserve the face
• embroidery needle
• scissors
• The pattern included with this project for the stocking and the "hood" of my Belznickle.

Step-by-Step Directions:

1. First you will need to acquire patchwork scraps, sew them or purchase patchwork fabric from the sewing shop. These little stockings are sewn from old patchwork scraps that I already had on hand. Patchwork is also sometimes sold for the constructing of baby blankets, however, some of you my enjoy making your own patchwork. Visit Carolyn Wainscott to see how she she sews a patchwork Christmas stocking.
2. Below is a pattern that you may download and print to use for a stocking similar to the one pictured here.
3. I used a blanket stitch to sew together the two sides of my stockings. You may wish to craft the Belznickle's head and attach it to the stocking prior to this step. I did not do this because I made the small Christmas stockings prior to deciding to add the Belznickle head. 
4. Slip a piece of wax paper between the two stocking halves before gluing the Belznickle mask on top of the front side of your stocking. This will prevent the glue from seeping through the fabric and sticking the two sides together while the mask dries.
5. I made my mask by pressing paper clay into a half press mold. The mold that I used was purchased from a hobby supply store. The mask measures roughly 1 1/2 inches both up and down.
6. The paper clay dries relatively fast, but I waited for the mask to dry overnight before gluing it on to the stocking.
7. Below you can see the colors of acrylic that I used to paint the mask with: black, blue, red, gold, white, and two variations of flesh toned paint. I am aware that some of you do not have the confidence yet to paint ornaments. If this be the case, I recommend that you use a flesh toned low firing oven clay for the mask. Then add suggest a few facial features with fewer colors. Let your acrylic paints dry for an hour.
8. Next, you will need to use tacky white glue to paste on the fur beard. You can use any kind of fur that you prefer for this procedure. I cut out a small "u" shape of fur to attach to the chin of my Belznickle and then added strips of fur to the inside of the felt hood attachment after sewing it to the stocking. (see photo process below)
9. The felt hood is constructed by sewing together two end pieces and then attaching this strip to the stocking over the top of the Belznickle's head. Leave a bit of room above the head approximately one inch so that the Belznickle will look as though his head is inside his hood.
10. stuff between his furry hair and the felt hood a bit of cotton batting and then glue with tacky glue a few strips of fur to the inside of the hood. (pictured)
11. Now you are ready to trim out the rest of the hood with a few blanket stitches and a cord for the ties on his hood.
12. Coat the mask with acrylic gel to protect the face from general wear.
13. Add a cord made of extra scrap fabric or calico to hang the stocking from the tree.

Left, the paperclay mask is dry and glued to the patchwork stocking. Center, you can see the variety of paints that I used to paint my small masks with. Right, the masks have been painted and now I am ready to glue the fur onto my Belznickles faces.

Left, the fur trim beards have been glue both to the mask and the stocking material. Next, the felt hood brim is sewn to the patchwork stocking with a strong straight stitch. Center, I then glue down my Santa's bangs and tuck inside a bit of cotton batting to keep the hood stiff. Right, glue in the final grey fur strips to the upper, inside edge of the hood.

stocking pattern by Kathy Grimm

See more patchwork Christmas stockings:

• So much fabric, so little time
• Patchwork Christmas Stockings from Shannon Makes Stuff
• Elf Stockings from DIY Home Sweet Home

Hang a Unique Stocking On Your Front Door This Christmas

       Christmas stockings come in all shapes and sizes; it's true. However, I thought this botanical shaped stocking quite unique. Why not hang one of these from your front door or barn door if you have one, or fence post or anywhere really, this holiday season?

If you're looking for a fresh way to decorate your door for the holidays, 

Allen Smith has a different idea. With a little chicken wire and some moss, 

he shows how to create a stocking filled with greenery. Smith's YouTube

Christmas Stockings

      A Christmas stocking is an empty sock or sock-shaped bag that children hang on Christmas Eve so that Santa Claus (or Father Christmas) can fill it with small toys, candy, fruit, coins or other small gifts when he arrives. These small items are often referred to as stocking stuffers or stocking fillers.

      During The Great Depression/WWI and WWII, the contents of the Christmas stocking were the only toys  children received at Christmas from Santa Claus in many American families. Both of my parents used to look forward to receiving citrus fruits and nuts in their Christmas stockings because these items were rarely eaten during the cold months where they grew up.

      Tradition in German and Dutch culture sometimes dictates that a child who behaves badly during the year will receive only a lump of coal. A lump of coal, however, is not always considered bad during the winter, holiday season. Coal is equated with warmth and salt with good fortune and bread symbolic for enough to eat for the coming year in England on New Years Day.

      The tradition of putting out a stocking for St. Nicholas began in the Orthodox Christian churches; the exact date for it's humble beginnings, historians are not sure of. St. Nicholas, who was a real person, a Catholic bishop, had quite a reputation for purchasing the freedom of indentured servants (slaves). In legendary stories written about St. Nicholas, his character is revealed through a series of charitable acts. 

      One of these charitable acts is demonstrated in a story about a poor man and his three beautiful daughters. Because none of his children had dowries (marriage settlements) and he feared they would need to be sold into indentured slavery to keep from starving as was the custom for many poor Roman citizens at that time. Saint Nicholas happened to be visiting the small village where these three sisters lived and overheard the villagers talking about their problem. The villagers warned him of their father's pride, saying he would not eccept Christian charity. So, St. Nicholas kept his donation secret by tossing gold coins for the girls down their chimney at night. 

      What about the stockings you say? Well, it was also the custom at that time and for many centuries afterwards, to wash one's stockings out in a basin and to hang these up to dry over night in front of a fireplace. Some of those gold coins tossed down the chimney at night apparently made their way into the three sister's stockings. With the telling of this particular story, in the Orthodox Church, the popular tradition of concealing gifts in stockings began.

      There are other variations to these stories told in churches about St. Nicholas. So much so that artists have painted symbolic gifts along side or in the hands or pockets of St. Nicholas throughout the history of his depiction in art. 

      The popular retelling of the charitable acts of St. Nicholas according to American television are a far cry from the original stories. St. Nicholas is now Santa who doesn't much resemble his former glory and certainly does not take upon himself the necessity of telling little children about Jesus. St. Nicholas was a very charitable bishop who loved Jesus so much that he gave his family's entire fortune in exchange for the freedom of others; he was a devoted abolitionist. The truth is almost always more inspiring than fiction.

 Make an heirloom stocking.

More Ways to Make Stockings:

• Faux Quilted Stocking Tutorial
• Citrus Holiday: Elf Stockings
• Appliqued Snowman Stocking
• Burlap Stocking Tutorial
• Elf Boot Stocking Tutorial
• Blue Jean Christmas Stocking Tutorial
• Knitted mini Christmas stockings
• Knitted Fisherman Pattern Stocking
• Zig-Zag Christmas Stocking
• Recycled Christmas Sweater Stockings!

Cut and Sew Vintage Christmas Prints

      I purchased this "cut and sew" Santa pillow (above)  on an after Christmas sale. The copyright of this Santa belongs to Dorothy Dear Designs, 1979-1991 Forest Grove, OR.

      I cut and sew the snowman (pictured upper left) many years ago from a panel that I purchased from my local sewing shop.

This vintage felt stocking was once owned by my mother-in-law.

Cut and Sew Dolls:

• Cut and Sew Arthur Doll
• Hansel & Gretel cut and sew dolls
• Tilda Doll Kits

Cut and Sew Christmas Panels:

• Mini Stuffed Christmas Wreath
• cut and sew plum puddings