How to Make Personalized Stockings

Hello there!

We are officially in the holiday season over here, which for me, is such a fun time for making some new crafts and refreshing my holiday décor.

I know this is a very hot topic, but what type of decorator are you? Do you decorate for Christmas the second Halloween is over, or are you a Thanksgiving purist and wait until after Thanksgiving is over to pull out your snow globes and nativity scene from storage?

Personally, I am a Thanksgiving purist! I don’t like to hang (ahem, have the husband hang) the twinkle lights until the day after we eat our turkey! Honestly, the biggest reason I feel this way is because I LOVE the fall! I love the warm oranges, reds, and browns of the leaves, I love pinecones and pumpkins, and I love cute owl and turkey knick-knacks!

So in my house, we enjoy fall décor until Thanksgiving is over, but that Friday? It’s Christmas go time in my house! I love that tradition we have in our family, and I’m going to keep it that way as long as I can!

With all that said, it’s never too early to start crafting for Christmas! Those four (or so) weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas go by fast, and I like to have all of my Christmas crafts ready to go before it’s time to start decorating.

So today, I’m going to share how to make personalized stockings for you and your family! These are so cute, and pretty simple to make with a cutting machine and heat transfer vinyl (HTV). You can customize these with the names of your family members like I did, but I also added a few other ideas for download if you want to use these for general décor.

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Supplies you’ll need:

• Stockings (These are the ones I have)

• Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)

• Ruler

• Cricut, razor blade, or other vinyl cutter

• Iron

Step 1: Create your stencil

For this project, I used Cricut Design Space to write out each family member’s name. For more font ideas, check out dafont.com for some free ideas for personal use. I get most of my project fonts from dafont.com.  

First, determine the size stencil you’ll need by measuring the top part of the stocking. Alternatively, you could customize the bottom portion with names or pictures. Use your ruler to measure whatever space you’ll be using to determine how large of a stencil you’ll need.

For this heat transfer vinyl brand, you’ll actually create a mirror image to cut on the back side of the vinyl. In Cricut Design Space, click on the mirror image button after clicking “Make It.” Use your cutting machine or other desired method to cut out the design and then weed out the vinyl surrounding the letters to create your stencil. Leave the letters attached to the protective membrane.

Your HTV brand may be different, so be sure to read all the directions prior to cutting your design.

If you don’t have a machine vinyl cutter, you can print the design on regular printer paper and trace the design onto vinyl. Use a razor blade to cut out the letters from the vinyl. This method works well for larger, thicker fonts and shapes.

Step 2: Heat and transfer

Preheat your iron to the temperature listed on your vinyl instructions and place your stencil on the desired area. Place a thin towel over the design and steadily press the iron in one place for 10 to 15 seconds.

After initial set, wait 30 seconds for the design to cool slightly and turn your fabric inside out. Place your iron on the back of the design and press firmly again for 10 to 15 seconds. Allow to cool for 30 seconds and then return the fabric to the front side.

Check to make sure the design is fully attached in all areas and repeat the heat press process until it is firmly attached in all areas.

Step 3: Remove the protective membrane

After the design is fully attached, remove the protective membrane. Mine easily fell off while the design was hot, but for my brand of vinyl, the protective membrane can be removed while the design is still hot or cold.

That’s it! You now know how to make personalized stockings for you and your family! If you need to wash or iron your design after it’s done, make sure to follow the directions on your vinyl. The brand I used advises to wait 24 hours before washing with special washing instructions, and it advises to not iron directly on the transferred image after application.

Happy crafting! Reach out with any questions you may have, and please share your designs with me! I’d love to see them!