Easy Christmas Stocking Pattern Sewing Tutorial

Looking for an easy Christmas stocking pattern? You can make this in less than an hour! Starting with fleece makes this a sewing project that is perfect for beginners.

This is a simple stocking pattern. All you need are basic sewing skills. You can embellish it with fabric paints, markers, embroidery, appliqués and more to make it personal. Handmade Christmas stockings make this holiday season even more special!

Looking for a lined Christmas stocking? Check out Two Ways to Make a Lined Stocking.

Make the entire family their own Christmas stocking with this easy tutorial!

Materials needed:

• 1/2 yard of double sided fleece fabric for the body of the stocking
• 1/4 yard of double sided fleece fabric for the cuff and hanging loop for the stocking
• Thread for sewing
• Large piece of paper to draft stocking pattern
• OPTIONAL: 8-inch piece of ribbon for the loop.
• OPTIONAL: Store-bought stocking to trace

Tools needed:

• Sewing machine
• Paper scissors
• Fabric scissors
• Pattern weights – optional
• Pins
• Pen to draw pattern
• Small ruler

How to Make a Stocking Pattern

Stockings come in all different sizes. Stocking shapes vary, too. I like a nice big stocking that has plenty of room for goodies and stocking stuffers! In this step-by-step tutorial, I’ll show you how to make your own pattern so you can easily make a stocking in any size!

To make your own free pattern, start with a piece of paper larger than the expected finished size of the stocking. Take your pen and draw a stocking. If you have a stocking that you love the shape and size, trace around it onto the paper. Also, you can start with an existing or store-bought stocking and make it bigger or smaller. Here I’ve drawn a stocking. My stocking is about 22-inches tall and 13-inches wide. It’s a big stocking ready for Santa to brings lots of goodies!

Next, you need to add the seam allowance. Since this stocking will be made from fleece, I want a big enough seam allowance for the thick fabric. Take your small sewing ruler and mark 1/2-inch around the outside edge.

Here is the finished stocking pattern piece. Cut along the dotted line. The solid line is your sewing line.

Using your paper pair of scissors, cut out your pattern along the cutting line. This is now your stocking template.

DIY Stocking Tutorial

Now you have your pattern. Here are step-by-step directions on how to make your own homemade Christmas stocking. Let’s start by cutting out the main body for the stocking. Lay your fleece out on your table folded in half. If your fabric has a right and wrong side (most fleece fabrics are the same on both sides), by having the fabric folded in half you’ll make sure to have the two sides for the stocking.

Start by cutting out your fabrics for the stocking

Here is my red fleece with the pattern on top and secured with pattern weights. I find pattern weights are easier to use with thick fabric like fleece. Don’t have pattern weights? Check out our how to make pattern weights tutorial.

Using your fabric scissors, cut around the pattern. You’ll end up with two fabric pieces of your stocking bodies.

For the cuff you’ll need to figure out how big to cut the fabric. Double the top width of your pattern PLUS 1-inch for the seam allowances for the width of the fabric. For the length, determine how wide you want your cuff, double this PLUS 1-inch for seam allowance. My cuff was cut at 19-inches by 8-inches. This gives me a 3-1/2 inch cuff.

For the stocking loop for hanging, I cut a piece of the white fleece at 1-1/2 inch x 8-inches.

Next, begin sewing the stocking fabric pieces together

Now you are ready to sew! Take the two stocking body pieces and layer them right sides together. Start at one side and sew down one side, around the toe and heel and up the other side with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Don’t sew across the top.

Here I’m finishing up the other side of the stocking.

Take your loop fabric and fold it in half lengthwise. Topstitch along the raw edges that are lined up. If you are using a loop of ribbon for the hanging loop, skip to adding the loop to the back seam of the stocking.

Then, sew along the folded edge. This secures the loop and makes it sturdy.

Fold the cuff fabric in half width-wise. You’ll be forming a circular piece of fleece that will be the same width as the top of the stocking to make the cuff panel. Here are the three pieces needed to make the stocking.

Take the loop piece of fabric and fold it in half lengthwise. Align the raw edges of the folded loop along the top edge of the seam allowance on the back side of the stocking. This is the seam that comes up from the heel of the stocking. You’ll want the stocking to hang with the toe out. Pin on the seam.

Take your cuff piece and fold it in half with the seam allowance in the inside of the cuff. Place the cuff inside the stocking and pin around the top edge.

Sew all around the top edge, securing the cuff and the loop to the stocking body.

Here is the easy stocking all sewn and ready to be turned right side out.

The finished easy stocking!

And the finished handmade stocking!

Hang your stocking near your fireplace, and wait for Santa to arrive!

What are other great ideas to make the stockings personal?

• Add pom poms around the bottom of the cuff! You can purchase pom pom trim at the store, or make your own pom poms and sew them on!
• Use faux fur for the cuff!
• Cut out shapes and letters from felt and use fabric glue or a hot glue gun to personalize the stocking.
• Use fabric paint to paint the names of each family member and/or decorations on the handmade stockings.
• Embroider names on the cuff of the stockings. Check out our article on how to transfer words to fabric for embroidery with tissue paper.

Maybe have a guardian monster standing by until Christmas morning!

How much fabric do you need to make a stocking?

For this pattern, I made a large stocking. You’ll need 1/2-yard of fleece for the body of the stocking and 1/4yard of fleece for the cuff and hanging loop.