Holiday DIYs

This time of the year is the best because I get to combine two of my favorite things: crafting and Christmas! I could probably do Christmas crafts every day of my life, but I think Justin would have me committed -- he already gave me the side eye when I pulled out the Christmas decorations last week.

Today, I bring for your reading entertainment my two most recent Christmas DIYs. Both of these DIYs are pretty simple, easy to do, and you're able to make them your own. If you have any favorite holiday DIYs, share them in the comments below. I'm always looking for fun, new things to work on!

DIY Christmas Stockings

Ever since Justin and I got married, I have wanted to buy personalized linen stockings for Christmas. I found the perfect ones on Etsy, but they were not cheap, and being newlywed, we didn't really have extra funds to drop on something like seasonal decorations. Now that we have Avery, and really don't have extra money for frivolous things (hello medical bills!) I decided it was a great excuse for stocking. The things we tell ourselves to justify an outrageous purchase! I was showing Justin the stockings I was going to purchase when he said, "Pshh, you could make those!" So of course, I felt like I had something to prove, so I decided I was going to tackle these bad boys. Maybe he was just trying to manipulate me into not spending our weeks grocery money on Christmas stocking. Either way, it worked. 

Fast forward to when I had all my materials and sat down to start my project when I realized I didn't own a sewing machine and would have to hand stitch these stocking. I may or may not have shot Justin a death glare. But the good news is, I survived and I am happy with the results, even if it did take me three days to finish them. (I'm sure if you don't have a four month old child needing constant attention, it wouldn't take you as long!) Follow the directions below to create your own!

Materials

Fabric of your choice (I used about 1.5 yards for three stockings)

Fabric Sheers

Sewing Machine (or if you're like me and you don't own one, a needle and thread and four extra days)

Decorative Ornaments and Name Tags (optional)

Directions

1. Find a stocking pattern that you want to use. There are a ton of different options on Pinterest for different shaped stockings. I used the pattern from this tutorial.

2. Trace the pattern on the backside of your fabric. Even though solid fabrics don't have a visible frontside or backside, they typically have a side that looks better. Whatever side you want to be visible, trace on the opposite side. Flip the pattern over and trace again so that you have two pieces.

3. Using fabric sheers, cut out your pattern, leaving about 1/4 of an inch border. You will be sewing on the line you traced so you want to leave a border!

4. Finish the top edge of both pieces by folding the top edge along the line you created with the line on the inside of the seam. Sew straight across the top. 

5. Pin the two patterns together with the lines face outward. The lines you traced may not perfectly line up and that's okay! As long as the top seams are lined up, you're good to go! 

6. Get to sewing! Sew along the pattern traced on one side until complete. Turn the stocking inside out and, voila! You have a stocking.

7. To create a loop to hang your stocking with, take a strip of fabric about 6 inches long and two inches wide (it doesn't need to be precise). Fold the fabric onto itself long-ways and sew together. Create a loop and sew into the inside of the stocking along the seam.

8. Add any decorative ornaments or name tags that you want! I found these glitter snowflake ornaments at Target in a two-pack for two dollars. I also have these personalized birch wood name tags on their way to me as we speak. I can't wait to hang them on our stockings!

DIY Newspaper Ornament

I saw a picture once on Pinterest of an ornament covered in the pages of a book, so of course, I wanted to recreate it. I bought clear ornaments and had every intention to buy an old book at the used bookstore in town, buttttt Christmas came and went and I never did it. I decided this year was the year, but I had a better idea. I was given an old Detroit newspaper from the first moon landing in 1969 that belonged to my grandparents. It had just been sitting in a box, getting ripped up, so I thought I would use it to create some ornaments that would actually display a pretty cool piece of history. The pages of the newspaper have yellowed really nicely and I'm really happy with the way they look against the gold, silver, and white theme I have going on in our tree. I have found this DIY, while super easy, is a bit time consuming, so I recommend doing it while watching a cheesetastic Hallmark Christmas movie and sipping some wine.

Materials

Some type of printed material of your choice

Mod Podge

Sponge Paintbrush

Clear Ornaments

Glitter (optional)

A place to hang your ornaments to dry over night

Directions

1. Cut strips of whatever printed material you choose into 1/2 inch pieces or less.

2. Using the sponge paintbrush, spread mod podge onto your clear ornament, lay down a strip of the paper, and cover with a layer of mod podge to seal it in. Continue this process, laying the strips of papers down in different directions, until the entire ornament is covered. 

3. Apply one last final coat of mod podge over entire ornament to seal everything in place. Sprinkle with glitter if you choose to do so.

4. Hang in a safe place overnight to let dry. I used a clothes hanging rack.

5. Hang on your Christmas tree!

I love this DIY because, depending on the printed material you choose, you could have an interesting talking point with guests! 

If you guys recreate any of these DIYs, I want to see your results! I love seeing how different people recreate projects to match their personal style! Now, time to figure out what my next project will be!