EASY DIY: Stockings!

 

We had a girls sewing night last night and while I was finishing my Christmas Present for my Mother-in-law my friends where making these ADORABLE stockings! I had to go home and try since they were the cutest things I have ever seen.

    They were easy to make and I used scraps I had. Now, Mine are all different because I used scraps but if you want ALL of yours identical: I have a TRICK for you to make it go by super fast and EASY...So read EVERY step before starting.

Step 1
Take an old stocking and trace it onto poster board leaving about a 1/2in. between the stocking and outline.

Step 2:

Take Your scrap material and make sure the WHOLE matterial fits the stocking pattern. This will ensure that the strips you cut will fit the stocking without tons of moving around.

Step 3:

FIRST: If you want them ALL Identical...DO NOT cut just yet. You went and bought material but instead of cutting them for each individual stocking just cut long 4in. strips and sew them together...like you are making a big stripe blanket. Then you take the  stocking pattern place it on the sewn material and cut around it and move over a little bit and cut another one. It saves SOO much time and effort. (I hope that makes sense. I drew picture to try and explain.

BUT if you just have scraps:  THEN, Cut into 4 in. Strips. Do STEPS 1-3 with all your scraps.

Step 4. IRON. Seriously....Iron those strips of material! It will make it look super nice and ENSURE that the pieces fit together. It also makes sewing them together easier

Step 5: Make your Patterns (For ALL of the stockings). Each stocking will have 5 strips of material.  The reason you do all of them is so that you know what material is being used for which and what you have left over. This is so that you can use all scraps and it's easier to rearrange ahead of time instead of sewing and making them as you go and realizing you don't have enough of one color.

Step 6:

Cut out 2 white stockings for each ONE patterned stocking. This will be your lining/back of the stocking

Step7:

Now for the sewing! Once you have all your patterns arranged it's time to sew them together. Now...Here's a TRICK: Make sure when you sew that one side has ALL the stripes lined up; as shown in the picture. (This makes it so that even if they are different lengths on the other side...it will still fit your stocking pattern)

Step 8:

Cut out your stocking

Step 9:

Place the white cut out stocking in front and one in back. Line them up as close as you can. 

Step 10:

Sew around the edges...DO NOT sew the top of the stocking where the opening is going to be.

Step 11:

Flip it inside out. Now here's the tricky part. The front of the stocking is going to have a lining too. So grab the front and the lining in one hand and the other white stocking in the other and flip it. If you see the seams from the patterns...DON'T worry...Just try again, but grab the OTHER white stocking with the patterned stocking and flip....it should look like this:

Step 12:

The top may not be even so cut it until all the material is lined up with one another...it shouldn't be a lot of material. 

Step 13:

Fold the top in and pin... Don't forget the pattern also has a white back...so don't pin the two white stockings together. 

Step 14:

Cut a 6in. piece of ribbon and pin it to the stocking

Step 15:

Sew the top all the way around; take out those pins...and You are DONE!

Merry Christmas, from my house to yours!

Amy

 

Christmas on Sunday bumming you out? Keeping Perspective

    

       I’m not going to lie. When I realized Christmas was on a Sunday I was a little put out. I was looking forward to spending the whole day in my Pajamas (no make-up), chilling, going nowhere, and watching Finding Dory with my little ones; especially my two-year-old who LOVES Finding Nemo. Due to our Strict Sunday Observance, even as a family, chilling and staying in our pajamas and watching Finding Dory was sort of thrown out the window. Instead we would be getting dressed and heading to church and following our "Sunday to Do List" to keep in perspective. Then I was humbled...very humbled.

        My Five minutes of being bummed with Christmas on Sunday drew me to have a heart-felt prayer. I knew Satan didn’t want me to enjoy Christmas and all those “natural man” things I wanted to do really weren’t important AT ALL!  After all, the reason we go to church and celebrate Christmas is the same reason: Jesus Christ.

I started to think of ways that I could make this Christmas the best and I’m now SUPER excited and I wanted to share just in case anyone was feeling the same way. I also came up with some NEW Family Traditions I’m excited to start.

 1.  My mom Started a tradition when we were kids that Santa would come from somewhere around the world and leave gifts, food, and a story of how they celebrate Christmas from that particular place. I have continued that tradition with my family and this year Santa will be coming from Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. I will include foods that Jesus ate as a kid and other fun facts and anything I can come up with.

       2. Do “Light the World” that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints put out. It’s 25 days of Christ-like things we can do to make the world a better place. I’ve been doing them, somedays are better than others, but I can really see a difference in my home and perspective.

https://www.mormon.org/?cid=HP_FR_25-11-2016_dMIS_fmorg_xLIDyL1-A_

      3.  Instead of watching movies on Christmas, we will open Finding Dory Christmas Eve and eat “Sticky Popcorn,” Gerret’s favorite treat, and watch the movie together as a family in our New Pajamas. Then after that, read the Christmas Story and off to bed!

       4. Sunday Morning after presents and all the excitement I will read and explain to my children the reason we are going to church and the TRUE meaning of Christmas.

       5.  After church, I’ll prepare dinner while the kids are taking a nap and later…We’ll play some fun games as a family that we got the kids.

I still get to do all the fun things I want, PLUS I get to have the spirit in my home as we do things as a family; based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I feel really blessed that I get to celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ and THEN I get to go to Church and partake of the Sacrament, which represents WHY he was born. I get his whole life purpose in ONE DAY!!! That’s what Christmas is really all about; Jesus Christ. I’m glad it’s on a Sunday this year and I hope you are too!

From my house to yours,

Amy