Turn your old sweaters into pretty Christmas stockings

We asked blogger and design expert Deb Nelson to share a fun Christmas craft, her favourite holiday tradition, and what she hopes to find under the Christmas tree.

The craft: Sweater stockings

I love classic red-and-white holiday colours, and I thought it would be a great idea to recycle old sweaters into homemade, one-of-a-kind Christmas stockings. It’s a fun, simple project, and the stockings become irregularly shaped, giving them a Grinch look.

Here's what you'll need

Old sweaters (1 per stocking unless it’s really large)

Good scissors (for cutting fabric)

Sewing machine, or needle and thread

Instructions

1. Choose a few sweaters you want to recycle (if you don’t have any look for some at Value Village or other thrift stores) – wool is a good option if you want a felt stocking.

2. Machine wash and dry them (in the dryer, don’t hang to dry).

3. Lay them out flat and cut a long sock shape up from the bottom band of the sweater. Cut a shape that is a bit larger than you would like to allow space for the seams.

4. Put the right sides together so the inside part of the sweater is facing out then sew along the edges. You can use small, tight hand stitches or use a machine for better durability.

5. Turn it inside out so the seam is on the inside and you have a new Christmas stocking.

Favourite holiday tradition: I love decorating for the holidays! I get a fresh tree, boughs and branches from a small tree farm in the country. I always look forward to decorating the tree and the exterior of the house.

Under the tree: I hope to find a new decor book, something with lots of design inspiration!