Easy DIY How to Make a Christmas Stocking for a Pet

This Hub is for adults and kids.

Anyone who knows how to use a sewing machine safely to stitch forward, in reverse and around curves can make a stocking.

If you live in a home with an active sewing machine and frequent sewing projects occurring, you will most likely already have a supply of scrap fabrics, thread, fabric scissors, pins, hand needles, tape measures, and the other supplies that go with craft or garment sewing.

The stocking shown is less than nine inches long. It is meant for show, not for actual play by the pet.

1. 4 pieces of fabric or felt about 9 by 5 inches or less

2. Newspaper or paper to make your pattern

3. Ruler or tape measure

4. All the other stuff mentioned above which sewers usually have:

Thread, fabric scissors, pins, hand needles....sewing machine.

I love math. Lots of people pretend that math is only formulas and calculators and memorized equations. Math is SO much more than that. Driving a car is all about the math of distances and stopping times (and more.) Sewing anything involves MAJOR MATH that you already are good at. So, if anyone asks you about your math skills– you tell them about your sewing.

Please look at my photo below and any other Christmas stocking look that you like. There is a longer leg part of a stocking and the heel-foot-toe part. Draw a stocking pattern that looks similar to this pattern.

Because you need more fabric around the foot than what will actually show (technical term is the seam allowance), make a very fat foot.

The first time I made a pet stocking, I made the cut-out foot pattern realistically sized.

That was a Big mistake. After I sewed the 2 sides together and turned it right-side out – blecch – I had a weird skinny emaciated chicken foot.

If you want to follow my measurements exactly, the green board upon which the pattern lies shows squares like graph paper. Each one is a 1-inch square. Therefore, the width of the before-sewn leg ankle heel foot is 4 inches. The toe gets down to about 3 ½ inches wide but do not go any skinnier. Think “Chunky Monkey” for pattern making purposes.

Since you are an experienced enough sewer, you know that to connect pieces there must be some fabric which will be sticking on the inside (seam allowance). So, when you decide how many stripes or bands of fabrics there will be – make sure each has overlap room to sew to the adjacent pieces. About ¼ inch is plenty. I have been sewing a LONG time, so I can work with a smaller amount.

Make sure you cut a front side and then flip your pattern over to do the back side.

Sew the front pieces all together using the front –to-front method. Then separately sew the back pieces together. Fold them open to make a complete side with all the seam allowances on what will be the stocking’s inside. DON’T connect front to back yet!!!

If you are going to hang this stocking along the stairs or from a mantle it is very helpful to have a loop for a nail or other hanging hook device.

Over-estimate how long it must be!

Once the strip of fabric is folded in half, you will still need enough length from both halves to be sewn onto one of the stocking sides. I use a piece of scrap fabric 6 inches long by 1 inch wide. First, turn it into a thinner strip by folding the sides inward and sewing down the strip to secure those folds shut. Then I fold the strip in half to make the loop and attach to one of the stocking sides. One could also use a piece of ribbon , shoelace, or bias tape.

Put the two stocking sides together front to front and pin them in a few places.

Then sew from one top corner, going down the side and around the foot. Continue up to the other corner. [Do not sew across the top. That would make it impossible to place treats in the stocking.]

Take out the pins and turn the stocking right side out. A pencil can be used to help push out any parts that are not completely turned right side out.

Last year I made cute stockings to “hang by the chimney with care” for our cats, The Goddess and her son Sammy. Since we have been blessed with a new boy cat, Skeeter, since Christmas – I am making another pet-sized stocking. He is a tiny bit smaller than Sammy and obviously larger than the Goddess, so I am making his stocking to be in-between sized.

Enjoy including your pet in the traditions of Christmas which are safe for the pet. This can include the pet stocking. However, remember, for most pets – human foods are not a good idea. Maybe Santa has some Milkbones or catnip Greenies for your pet.

All photos and text copyright 2011 Maren E. Morgan, all rights reserved.

Merry Christmas!