For many years now, our family have been making Christmas crackers for the table. Not the kit sort either. More the sort where there are bitter recriminations should anyone actually dispose of a precious toilet roll in the months prior to Christmas.
Handmade from scratch.
There's been fancy creations with colourful hats, cracking snaps, special trinkets, fine chocolates and fancy sparkling wrappings. Works of art, that have sometimes taken until the wee small hours of Christmas morning to construct (ok, this is only when I make the crackers; other family members are more organised).
But this year mum had an idea. How about a stocking, instead of a cracker?
OK, they wouldn't go bang, but it did seem like a rather good idea. The novelty of locating clever trinkets to fit the diameter of a toilet roll wore off some years ago. As did the tetris-like challenge of arranging the contents in each cracker and closing it up without spillage. Stockings were a sterling idea.
So here they; ready for the big day. With the Big Sewing List still hanging over my head, I decided some shortcuts might be in order. They are cut from felt and blanket stitched by machine. I have threaded a little wooden ornament through the top of each one.
Did I choose to make one "special" stocking or simply run out of red felt?
I hope they might be sturdy enough to last for a good few years. (Though with Argy's request to wear the stockings, I should probably knock a year or two off their life.)
They are lovely and would look good on someone's little feet too!
ReplyDeleteThey look GREAT!!!! Well done to fit that in as well!
ReplyDeleteVery cute indeed!
ReplyDeleteHow do you make christmas crackers? I would like to make my own, I didn't know you could make ones that went bang!
ReplyDeleteI love your stockings, making everyone a stocking is one of the things I would like to do one day (if I can get off my lazy butt ;))
Hope you have a happy christmas!
Now why couldn't you post these a couple of days ago.. I know what I'll be making all night now for our table presents to go in, brillant idea! Wonder if I have enough white felt around here... hmmm
ReplyDeleteHa, Lisa I would love to have posted these stockings a few days ago, but they would have looked like big pieces of uncut felt! The production line at Chez Hoppo Bumpo is running a little slow!!
ReplyDeleteMill, if you pop into Lincraft they often have all the "bits" for the crackers. They sell snaps that you glue in, as well as hats and trinkets. They also have the crackers themselves to make up, but you can do it yourself with a cardboard tube. Allow the same amount of cracker wrapping paper at both ends as you have covering the tube (if this makes sense?) so that you have enough room to tie the ends properly.
They look very festive indeed. Once my kids outgrow the crackers, we may try this instead. Though wearing them would be strictly forbidden I would say.
ReplyDeleteCor, they're great. Super-red and Christmassey. I made stockings for all the family years ago - probably my first sewing projects in years - and they are still brought out with pride each year, as I am sure yours will be for many years to come!
ReplyDeletethe stockings look great!!! and Poppy and her puppies are soooo cute, very pretty indeed!!
ReplyDeleteCan I please have a photo of argy skiing in his christmas stocking being followed by a trail of pudding crumbs - hee hee
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