7.26.15: Christmas Stockings

[jenevang]

Yes, we are still going with the Christmas theme.

Tell me about your stockings. Do you hang stockings? Where did they come from? Sentimental? Home made?

Is it just the kids that get stockings? Or grown-ups, too? Do they get filled on Christmas Eve? What are they usually filled with?

I want to know your Stocking Traditions!

For us, we have stockings that I bought over the years (as each child was born) from someplace terribly non-sentimental. LL Bean, I think. Only the kids get them and they don't really hold much (BONUS).

We hang them on the hearth when we put up the tree and they do get filled on Christmas Eve, when Santa comes. They are always the last thing opened, however, because the kids have learned that they are usually pretty lame. Candy/tiny little treasures like lip gloss or playing cards/pens.

This was the way it was at my house growing up as well until one Christmas when I was a teenager when my mom put my "big" gift in my stocking. It was a very grown up ring I wanted and I didn't find it until I got to the bottom of my stocking. I was trying to be mature the whole time before that, being appreciative of the underwear and make-up I had gotten under the tree Sneaky mom!

Here's an old LO featuring our stockings (for a project I did)...

 

[lorryfach]

I grew up with stockings but it's not done in Denmark. Instead, everyone does "calendar gifts", something small every day from the 1st through the 24th. I thought doing both would be too much. Last year, I suggested that we get chocolate every day and a stocking full of small gifts on Christmas, and the kids said they wanted regular calendar gifts instead.

 

[Cath_]

my mom hung ones with our names on, she got from miles kimball. Wrapped each of the little thing she filled in.

when i was married, i crocheted ones for my hubby, me, my sister and our 7 cats.

 

[carilyne]

I grew up with them and continued the tradition. At first my husband enjoyed it (well he always enjoys HIS stocking) but then didn't like having to fill mine. It became mostly socks -- that big package filled the stocking. I made stockings when we had kids and recently knitted new ones. We've had to leave the tradition behind the last few Christmases because of finances. Hopefully this year we can do it again.
This topic is making me a little sad. One of the hand knit ones won't be used this year due to a son's divorce. Might have to make new ones or a new tradition. Have to think about that.

 

[Lindzee]

We always did stockings when the kids were living at home. The stocking were one of our most favourite Christmas traditions. Everything in the stockings had to come from the dollar store, with the exception of a few edible items which I would not buy at a dollar store. The kids each had their own favourite stocking and one for dad, one for me and one for the cat. The challenge was filling them with interesting, or useful or fun stuff. Not expensive and it was everyone's favourite thing to open each year. One year I found balsa wood dinosaur kits, where basically you punched out flat pieces and assembled them into 3D dinosaur skeletons. I still have one of a lion fish I spray painted and it is a unique object d'art in our home. Christmas morning would be full of assembling these inexpensive toys, paper airplane contests or other puzzles. Crayons and markers when they were small, combs nail clippers, razors as they got older.

 

[MandaKay]

We hang out stockings when I put up all the Christmas decorations, and then "Santa" fills them on Christmas eve. We have three stockings - one for each daughter - none for my husband or I. I got new stockings when we moved into our new house - I like things to be "matchy", and I don't do the traditional Christmas red and green usually, so their stockings are kind of burlap colored and each has their name embroidered on it, and their own unique applique. They are from Pottery Barn. You can kind of see them in this LO I did below. We also do not put any big presents in the stockings - we want to take the credit for the "good" stuff...not some guy in a red suit! Hehehehe! They usually get little girly things and a game or two in them. I am not a shopper and not great with gift ideas, so I ALWAYS struggle with this part of Christmas! Amazingly I still have an 11 yr. old who believes in Santa yet, and we've never really pushed it or made a big deal of it because in our home that is not the focus of our Christmas, but I'll let her keep believing as long as I can, because it really doesn't hurt anything! Fun traditions!

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[Cath_]

Boy my old house, or current don't look as nice as yours. Here shows the xmas socks i made



closer up

 

[Karen]

When my hubby and I were first married we each had a regular stocking and it seemed like all the best gifts went into my stocking. You know... "good things come in small packages" Well, I always loved my stocking as a kid too and it's always the first thing I open. One year I told my hubby that I needed a bigger stocking (so I could get more little gifts) and he had a friend of mine make a GIANT stocking as a joke. I seriously could fit my 11 year into that stocking! That year I got paper towels, toilet paper, 12 packs of diet coke, etc just so he could fill it up. Kinda back-fired on me. Lol! But it was pretty hilarious!

 

[jk703]

We have stockings... when I was a kid, it was some that my mom made. Super funny looking, but I loved them! I hope to have them again one day (my mom doesn't use them, I think they are tucked away somewhere). We have a set of four stockings that DH bought when we were in college. All match, and not something I'd usually pick out. They aren't pretty (more on the ugly side), but they are tradition!

My mom still gives us all stockings.... mine is a bunch of little things, and just to make it easier, it has become a box, lol! I have a stocking box!

 

[IntenseMagic]

We all have stockings and mine is the one I have had since I was born. I love it so much. DH didn't have one growing up, but he does now! My kids all got one for their first Christmas and are still using the same ones. My oldest (24), who is married, came in one day right before Christmas last year with his stocking in his hand. I asked him why and he said he wasn't sure his wife would fill it and he knew I would lol.

 

[staciahall]

Like Jan, I have the stocking that I had since I was born. It's old and tattered but it still goes up. Ours hang on a stocking tree in the living room in this house as there is no fireplace. Both my children have crocheted ones they received at birth from a cousin. They are HUGE! Say 3 1/2 feet long! They get small things in them, little gift cards for my son, socks etc and nail polish, mascara etc for my daughter. Occasionally I'll sneak in something big for one of them just as a surprise. Up until a year or so ago, I'm the only one that put anything in mine. She put something in mine as a surprise (the benefit of kids in their 20s)