How to Sew a Folk-Style Felt Christmas Stocking
A felt stocking is one of the friendliest sewing projects you can try. There is no fabric to fray, no pattern to buy, and no sewing machine required. All you need is a paper template, a few sheets of felt, and one easy hand stitch that does most of the work for you.
In this guide, I’m sharing a simple way to sew a folk-style Christmas stocking with a classic blanket stitch around the edge and a little hand-stitched heart and tree on the front. It is a gentle project for beginners, and the slightly uneven, handmade look is part of the charm. I can’t wait to see how yours turns out.
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What You Will Need
- Wool-blend felt sheets: cranberry red, cream, and forest green for the stocking, appliques, and backing. Shop this option
- Six-strand embroidery floss: in holiday colors for the blanket stitch and decorations. Shop this option
- Embroidery needles: a large eye makes threading floss easier. Shop this option
- Fabric scissors: sharp blades give clean felt edges. Shop this option
- Sewing clips: hold the front and back together without pin holes. Shop this option
- Kraft paper: for drawing and cutting your reusable stocking template. Shop this option
- Tailor’s chalk: for tracing the template and marking stitch spacing. Shop this option
- Natural cotton twine: for the hanging loop. Shop this option
- Fabric glue: to hold the appliques in place before stitching. Shop this option
Why Felt and Blanket Stitch Work So Well Together
Felt is forgiving. Because the edges do not unravel, you can cut a shape, stitch it, and be done. The blanket stitch is the classic partner for felt because it wraps the raw edge and gives you a decorative border at the same time. Once you have done a few inches of it, the rhythm becomes almost meditative.
The folk look comes from contrast. Cream thread on red felt, red thread on cream felt, and simple shapes like hearts, trees, and stars. I’d keep the palette to three colors so the stocking feels cohesive rather than busy.
How to Sew a Folk-Style Felt Christmas Stocking
Step 1: Make Your Stocking Template
Sketch a stocking shape on kraft paper or poster board. A good starting size is about 16 inches tall, with a leg roughly 7 inches wide and a rounded foot that curves to the left or right. Cut it out and hold it up to check the proportions. If the opening feels narrow, widen it now: a roomy stocking is easier to fill and easier to stitch. Keep this paper template, because you can use it again for every stocking you make.
Step 2: Trace and Cut the Felt
Lay your template on a sheet of felt and trace around it with tailor’s chalk. You will need two stocking pieces for each stocking, a front and a back. Cut both with sharp fabric scissors, using long, smooth cuts for clean edges. Then cut a 7-inch length of cotton twine for the hanging loop. If your sheets are smaller than your template, join two pieces with a few overlapping stitches before you trace, or choose a smaller template.
Step 3: Decorate the Front First
Before you join the front and back, add the decoration. Cut a small heart, a simple tree, or a star from contrasting felt, and a cuff band if you like. Dab a little fabric glue on the back of each shape, press it onto the front of the stocking, and let it set. Then stitch around each shape with small running stitches or tiny blanket stitches. Doing this first keeps the back piece out of your way and hides your knots on the inside.
Step 4: Learn the Blanket Stitch
Thread your needle with about 18 inches of embroidery floss and knot the end. Three strands give a delicate border, and all six strands give a bolder, more rustic one. Here is the stitch:
- Bring the needle up from the back of the felt, about a quarter inch in from the edge.
- Take the needle over the edge and push it through the felt again, a quarter inch along the edge and a quarter inch in, keeping the thread loop under the needle tip.
- Pull gently so the thread sits snug against the edge, without puckering the felt.
- Repeat, keeping the stitches evenly spaced and the same height.
Practice on a scrap of felt first. Even spacing matters more than perfect tension.
Step 5: Stitch the Front to the Back
Line up the front and back pieces and hold them together with sewing clips. Fold the twine in half and tuck the raw ends between the layers at the top corner of the back edge, with the loop pointing inward. Begin your blanket stitch at the top of one side, stitch down the leg, around the foot, and up the other side, catching the twine ends as you pass them. Leave the top opening unstitched. When you reach the top, stitch a few extra times over the twine for strength, then knot off on the inside.
Step 6: Finish and Trim
Weave your thread tail under a few stitches on the inside and trim it close. Turn the stocking and check that the edge is even all the way around. If you spot a loose stitch, simply pass the needle back through and tighten it. If you want a decorative top edge, you can add a row of blanket stitch along the opening on each layer.
Tips for a Neat, Charming Finish
- Use shorter thread: Eighteen inches is plenty. Longer lengths tangle and fray as you stitch.
- Keep stitches consistent: Mark your stitch spacing lightly with chalk if you want a very even border.
- Choose wool-blend felt when you can: It is thicker and holds its shape better than thin craft felt, so the stocking looks sturdier on the mantel.
- Clip instead of pin: Clips will not leave holes and are easier to remove as you go.
- Personalize it: A single stitched initial or a small name tag in a contrasting color turns a plain stocking into a keepsake.
Styling and Gifting Your Stockings
A set of stockings in slightly different shapes and colors looks wonderfully collected when they hang together along a mantel, a staircase, or a shelf. For a coordinated look, repeat the same stitch color on each one and vary only the felt color or the shape on the front. A single stocking also makes a thoughtful handmade gift, filled with a few small treats and tied up with a ribbon.
Ready for More Handmade Christmas Projects?
If you enjoy working with felt, you may like these no-sew felt ornaments, which pair nicely with a stocking on the mantel. And if you are making presents this year, my list of handmade Christmas gift ideas has plenty more to try.
