Inspired by this month's DIY Christmas decorating posts and a picture we tore out from a magazine (Country Living?) a few years ago, we made some stockings to hang by the fire. They're made from something pretty recognizable and surprisingly easy to work with. If you haven't guessed, find out after the jump.
You're right if you guessed shaggy cotton bath mats. We used them because we love their chunky texture and because their long pile would hopefully cover up our hand-stitching. To make them we cut a paper pattern out of newsprint, folded a rug in half and put the newsprint stocking on top. We cut just the inside edges out around the pattern with a razor blade- (the back of the stocking is the fold, and the top is the finished edge). You definitely need a thimble to protect your fingers doing this, and a fat embroidery needle. It didn't take very long to hand-sew them with big basting- stitches and embroidery thread.
We bought our rugs at Marshalls, although we've also seen them at just about every big bath store. Ours are all cotton and have the cotton (rather than the sticky non-skid) backing. These stockings are probably not everyone's style, but we have a pretty casual house and a love of shaggy run-your-fingers-through-them materials in the winter. We also like that you can fill them with odd sized gifts or oranges without them losing their shape, and that they are a lot of fun.
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How
Very
Odd
view bepsf's profile
Do not like. I immediately knew what it was, too. Maybe it's better when you're surprised by the materials.
view lucitebox's profile
I kinda like them...although I'm not at all sure why. They are def. different - maybe that's why.
view AZkathy's profile
Shag rugs? They look soft & snuggly - I'd probably give one a whirl. Could be more comfortable around my foot though!
Best,
Suz
Beautiful Home Accessories
view Suz at Popular Home's profile
jeanine, these are fantastic!!
view boston_kyle's profile
I didn't know what they were made from, and I loved them right away! Very cool idea.
view universal mod's profile
Those are crazy stockings. You can probably dust your wood floors with them in the future, similar to these, only crazier: http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemID=11026&itemType=PRODUCT
Or reuse them for next Halloween, I bet you can sew up a whole bathmat suit. Cut some coasters out of it, I bet there's not too many things you can't do with a bathmat.
view K T G's profile
They are very very winter holiday...furry, snowy, mossy, and like a much washed terry bathrobe...ultra comfy looking - a nice feeling for Christmas.
view dodo's profile
Love the texture!
view Bex's profile
They look like Muppets.
view Griffin's profile
Cheap looking. Shags looked ugly in the 70s, they looked gross in bathrooms and still look unkempt today. Not hot. This idea merits one ugly stick.
view click212's profile
ack!
they totally belong on the floor... not my mantle.
view tashar's profile