How to Make Retro Felt Christmas Stockings (With Free Stencils!)

Wondering what kind of stockings to get for your mid-century Christmas? Felt stockings are a classic choice, and they are easy to make!

You can sew or hot glue them. And print out my Christmas stencils to embellish your stockings with retro boomerangs, mid-century cats and more.

You’ll be roasting chestnuts and feeling the old-fashioned holiday vibes in no time.

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DIY Felt Christmas Stockings

Materials

• Felt fabric (one base color for the stocking, and one or more colors for the decorative shapes)
• Ribbon to create the cuff look near the top of the stocking
• Christmas stencils (download here)
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Sewing machine and pins (or hot glue and glue gun for the no-sew option)

Trace and Cut Out the Stocking

Start by tracing out the front and back sides of the stocking on your felt fabric. It helps to use an old stocking as a template, or you can draw a stocking shape by hand.

If your fabric is one-sided like my glitter felt, make sure to flip over your template for the second piece. You want the two pieces to mirror each other, so the right side of the fabric will be facing out on both sides of your stocking.

Once you’re done tracing, cut out the two stocking pieces.

By the way, I recommend the glitter felt for an extra sparkly Christmas! I’ve seen it at Jo-Ann’s in red, white and dark green. You might be able to find it in other colors, too.

Add the Ribbon “Cuff”

Then add ribbon to create the look of a stocking cuff about three to four inches down from the top.

I used a variety pack of red and white ribbon to mix and match on each of my stockings.

If you’re going to sew the ribbon, you can pin it in place to sew later. Or hot glue it in place now.

Embellish the Stocking With Christmas Shapes

Now the best part…add lots of festive Christmas shapes!

You can trace and cut your own shapes by hand, or print out my retro Christmas stencils.

Cut out your favorite stencils and trace around them on your felt fabric. Then cut out the felt shapes and arrange them on the front of your stocking, making sure the right side is facing out.

If you’re going to sew, pin the shapes at least half an inch from the edge of the stocking to leave room for the seam. Or hot glue them now.

Attach a Hanging Loop

Next, cut out a strip of felt to use as the hanging loop. This one is six inches long by three-quarters of an inch wide.

Fold it in half and sew or hot glue it inside the top left corner of the back stocking piece.

I sewed mine three-quarters of an inch inside that top corner, where the seam will be hidden inside the stocking.

Finish Sewing (or Gluing) the Stocking

Sew the ribbon and each of the Christmas shapes to the front of the stocking.

And finally pin and sew your two stocking pieces together, with a quarter-inch seam all along the sides and bottom.

Or if you’re hot gluing, you can glue the two stocking pieces together now. Run a line of hot glue along the side and bottom edges, and press and hold to secure the stocking pieces together.

Display Your Retro Christmas Stockings

You can make a variety of stockings with different shapes for a mid-century Christmas. I’ve got Sputniks, retro ornaments and candy stockings.

And it’s always a good idea to add some Christmas cats!

Complete your mid-century Christmas with these decor ideas.

• Mid-century modern Christmas decor guide
• DIY felt tree skirt with retro Sputniks
• Easy tinsel wreath DIY