When I was a junior in college, I spent my Christmas break recovering from surgery. To help pass the time, my mom got me a felt Christmas tree skirt kit. I spent four days cutting out felt teddy bears and sewing them onto the skirt. I also embellished it with embroidery and sequins. It was a labor of love I devoted myself to because I had nothing better to do.
Making that skirt set my standards for Christmas crafts at a delusionally high level. When Ethan was born, I bought a felt Christmas stocking kit that I was going to make for him. It involved embroidery and sewing a multitude of sequins on it in the shape of a snow man. I confidently started on the project, thinking it wouldn’t take more than a month to finish. Uh … no. Actually, it took more than a year to complete because I didn’t factor taking care of a baby into the equation. If it wasn’t for our eight-hour drives from Chicago to Kentucky a few times a year, I would have never finished the stocking.
So then James comes along, and the pressure to make him his own homemade stocking built. I bought a stocking kit in which you cross-stitch a scene onto the stocking cuff. Just making a cuff didn’t seem too hard to do at first, until I realized that I am not good at cross stitch. There was no way I was going to rip out all those stitches and start all over again, so I abandoned the project. Thankfully, James was too young to notice that he had a plain red stocking hung up on the mantle.
This year, though, is different. James is almost 4 years old and takes note of every little thing Ethan has and demands the same for himself. It’s do-or-die stocking time for mommy.
So last week I went to Michael’s craft store searching for a stocking project that looked homemade but could be done in two hours or less. I found some green felt to make a stocking. That’s a great start, but I needed some glitz. Then I found some premade felt figures that you just glue on. Add some glitzy plastic rhinestones—and voila!—a stocking is born.
Making that skirt set my standards for Christmas crafts at a delusionally high level. When Ethan was born, I bought a felt Christmas stocking kit that I was going to make for him. It involved embroidery and sewing a multitude of sequins on it in the shape of a snow man. I confidently started on the project, thinking it wouldn’t take more than a month to finish. Uh … no. Actually, it took more than a year to complete because I didn’t factor taking care of a baby into the equation. If it wasn’t for our eight-hour drives from Chicago to Kentucky a few times a year, I would have never finished the stocking.
So then James comes along, and the pressure to make him his own homemade stocking built. I bought a stocking kit in which you cross-stitch a scene onto the stocking cuff. Just making a cuff didn’t seem too hard to do at first, until I realized that I am not good at cross stitch. There was no way I was going to rip out all those stitches and start all over again, so I abandoned the project. Thankfully, James was too young to notice that he had a plain red stocking hung up on the mantle.
This year, though, is different. James is almost 4 years old and takes note of every little thing Ethan has and demands the same for himself. It’s do-or-die stocking time for mommy.
So last week I went to Michael’s craft store searching for a stocking project that looked homemade but could be done in two hours or less. I found some green felt to make a stocking. That’s a great start, but I needed some glitz. Then I found some premade felt figures that you just glue on. Add some glitzy plastic rhinestones—and voila!—a stocking is born.
6 comments:
I totally understand you! I wanted to sew a stocking this year but I can barely keep up with everything else. At least my son is too young to notice, but maybe if I start next month it will be ready for next Christmas.
I had similar trouble - when Reilly was little and I was a stay-at-home, I thought I would get crafty and make him a stocking, so I did. I made a spare, in case I ever had another baby, which I did. Then I had another, and another... So last year, I gave a friend of mine some cash and sent her out to a store where I had already chosen the lovely matchy-matchy (but not expensive) stockings, and had her "buy" the kids all new stockings as a "gift" from her. She was fantastic, presenting them with all of the flourish of a childless friend of mom... And no one remembers the homemade stockings, made with care. Whoops.
I had similar trouble - when Reilly was little and I was a stay-at-home, I thought I would get crafty and make him a stocking, so I did. I made a spare, in case I ever had another baby, which I did. Then I had another, and another... So last year, I gave a friend of mine some cash and sent her out to a store where I had already chosen the lovely matchy-matchy (but not expensive) stockings, and had her "buy" the kids all new stockings as a "gift" from her. She was fantastic, presenting them with all of the flourish of a childless friend of mom... And no one remembers the homemade stockings, made with care. Whoops.
We all have homemade stockings, too, and it took 3 Christmases to get Apple's done. I made Hubby's stocking for our first Christmas together, and it took an hour or two. Honestly, I don't think Apple's took more than a few hours, it's just that those hours got spread out over years.
AH! Brilliant idea! I wanted to do stockings this year but didn't like or want to buy the ones they had in the stores. We can make them! Yay! That one is super cute :)
I can't even find the store bought stockings that I bought a while ago! This time of year is just crazy!
I did help my kids to make ornaments though :)
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