When the Christmas season hits, one of the main additions to the décor are the stockings. Joann's Fabric and Crafts is the place to go if you are looking for stockings. There are a number of different stockings that are perfect every member or your home, your co-workers, church members, teacher or anyone on your Christmas list.

The cool thing is that you can make these stockings yourself. They are Felt Applique Stocking Kits that come with all you need to whip up stockings that you can stuff with goodies to give away to people on your list.

• Bucilla Baby Bear Felt Applique Stocking Kit
• Bucilla Christmas Feast Felt Applique Stocking Kit-
• Bucilla Christmas Carousel W/Musical Chip Stocking Felt Applique Kit
• Bucilla Golf Snowman Felt Applique Stocking Kit - Imagine a Snowman Golfing
• Bucilla Garden Santa Felt Applique Stocking Kit - This one is too cute!
• Bucilla Cruising Santa Felt Applique Stocking Kit - Santa, in glasses riding a motorcycle instead of a sled. Talk about moving on up.
• Bucilla Elegant Poinsettia Stocking Felt Applique Kit

Talk about variety and there are more where those came from.

So this holiday season instead of going out and getting the same stockings for everyone on the list, try something different. Make them yourself with these felt appliqué stocking kits that supply all you need to create stockings that won't get trashed. You will enjoy making them and the receiver will enjoy knowing that you took the time to do something so sweet and kind.

The Christmas stocking is a holiday staple for families with children. Kids love to get up on Christmas morning and see what kinds of goodies Santa has left them! Small stockings are also great for decoration, and they're ideal for holding small gifts to give to your friends and family.

Making felt stockings is very easy, and it's a great family project.

What You Need

• Felt
• Cardboard or card stock
• Marker
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Needle and thread
• White faux fur and other embellishments

1. Draw a stocking shape of the desired size on a piece of cardboard or card stock. Cut out.

2. Place the cardboard shape on the felt, trace around it, and cut out. Make two pieces for each stocking.

3. If you want to sew buttons, fabric or other embellishments on the stocking, it will be much easier to do so before you sew it together. Just make sure to sew them onto the side that will be facing outward.

4. Pin the pieces of felt together, wrong sides facing out, and sew around the edges with a sewing machine or by hand. Be sure not to sew the top closed.

5. Turn the stocking inside out so that the seams are now on the inside. Decorate the outside using fabric paint, glitter, beads, or anything else you like. Sew a strip of faux fur to the top if desired.

6. Cut a strip of felt an inch or so wide and 3 or 4 inches long. Fold it in half to make a loop and sew it to the top left corner of the stocking.

Letting the kids decorate their own stockings gives them an opportunity to express themselves. They could add charms that reflect their interests and hobbies, make pictures with beads, or use finger paint to add handprints. Tubes of fabric paint or glitter glue make it easy for them to write messages to Santa and add their names.

Scraps of holiday fabric are great for adding a decorative touch to stockings. You could cut out shapes such as Christmas trees, angels, or reindeer and sew or glue them to the front of the stocking. If you want a different look, you could even use a sturdy fabric such as canvas instead of felt to make the body of the stocking.

I find it almost impossible to choose between all the beautifull felt applique stocking kits available from Amazon. There is a big possibility that I'm going to blow my budget on felt applique stocking kits. Here are a few more that I'm sure you will love. Imagine the little ones' eyes when they see these!