Do It Yourself Denim Stocking

We thought being that it’s now the holiday season, you might like to do a little denim crafting. 

Courtesy of “Just Kat Stuff” we bring you a Denim Christmas Stocking Tutorial – (Thanks Kat!)

You need:

Old jeans – 1 pair per stocking.

Lining fabric -optional- (2 yards of 42″ wide fabric will make 6 stockings)

Stocking pattern

Trim (I’ve used mini feather boa ribbon from Michael’s)

Sharpee to trace pattern on fabric.

Heavy thread to match your denim.

Thread to match your trim.

Denim needles for your sewing machine.

1. MAKE YOUR PATTERN

    * Click the stocking pattern link and print out each one of the pdf’s. The pattern will print on four pages.

    * Trace the outlines with marker, match up the lines, tape the pieces together thoroughly, and then cut out your stocking shape.

    * Note that I did NOT follow the pattern on the site with the pattern pdf’s. I knew I could simplify it, and have done so here.

    * This pattern with my instructions will give you a finished stocking which is about 18″ long x about 7-8″ wide. If you want to, you can reduce the pattern size for a smaller stocking.

2. CUT LEGS OFF JEANS

    * Lay the pattern over the jeans, giving an additional 3″ or so at the top of the stocking for a fold-over cuff.

All the stocking patterns I found showed a cuff which was sewn on, rather than folded over. You can sew on a cuff of a different material for a different look.

    * Use this cut leg as your measure for where to cut off the other leg.

3. CUT LEGS OPEN

    * I wanted the heavier seam which runs down the inside of the leg of the jeans to show on my stocking, so I cut the legs open along the outer seam.

4. IRON YOUR FABRIC

At this point, I’d recommend ironing the denim flat, as well as ironing your lining material if you are using it. I didn’t do mine ’till later, but I’m lazy about ironing.

5. TRACE PATTERN & CUT DENIM

    * Lay the pattern on the fabric. Your denim may not lay perfectly flat if the jeans are worn, so play with the denim to get it to lay flat under your pattern. It doesn’t have to be perfect to turn out great.

    * The cut is going to be inside your seams, so the black marker lines won’t show.

    * When you trace and cut your denim, make sure you leave that 3″ at the top, and don’t draw along the top of the paper – that black marker line would show.

    * You can add 3″ to the top of your pattern with paper if you want to. I just didn’t want to do the extra step, and winging it works fine for this as long as the two halves of your stocking match in length.

    * Make sure you flip the pattern over for the other side of the stocking, so that they’ll match up with right sides out.

6. TRACE & CUT YOUR LINING FABRIC

    * These don’t have to be lined, but I thought it would be nice – especially when I saw this cute fabric at Joanne’s. Cut this fabric the same way you did the denim:

You’ll notice that I cut mine with the pattern upside-down. I did that purposely, as when the cuff flips over later, I wanted the pattern to appear right-side-up on the outside of the stocking, like this:

    * I’d recommend using a material that doesn’t have a pattern that has to go in any certain direction – it would be much easier and use less fabric that way.

7. STITCH LINING TO DENIM

Pin your fabric, faces out. You’ll want the right side of your lining material to show on the inside of the stocking.

    * Sew as close to the outside edge as you can, all the way around. This can be sewn with a light stitch – you’re still going to sew the two halves of the stocking together and that will hold all the material firmly in place.

8. SEW LINED HALVES TOGETHER

    * Put the two lined halves together and sew, with an approx. 1/4″ seam. Make sure this is a strong stitch.

    * Leave that top 3″ open. We’ll sew this part of the seam on the other side, so it won’t show when the cuff flips over.

9. FINISH THE CUFF

    * Turn the stocking right-side out and fold over the cuff.

Sew along the open edge.

The raw edges on this one don’t quite match up, but my trim will completely cover that.

10. MAKE A HANGING TAB

• Cut about 3 1/2 – 4″ from one of the seams on a scrap from the jeans.

• These do not have to be lined. Without lining, the inside of the jeans shows on the outside cuff, for a different look.
• Material can be found for these very inexpensively at thrift stores, and if you ask, friends will gladly give you their old jeans, too. I found them for $1 – $2 at thrift stores. You can find all different colors of jeans to use. Even lining fabric can be cut from old shirts or dresses, and it is fun to look for material this way!
• Trim can be anything – look around at a craft or fabric store for something you like.