Nowadays, stockings are a firm feature of Christmas however, we do tend to hang out our stockings more expectantly rather then to appreciate a welcome accident.

To make a mini Christmas stocking you will need…

Assorted coloured pieces of felt, coloured thread, ribbon, glue and a print out pattern (see the link at the bottom for a free printable patter)

Cut out the pattern piece.

Place the stocking pattern piece onto a piece of felt. Put the pattern close to the edge of the felt to save fabric. Cut right up to the pattern piece, there is no need for a seam allowance. Two main stocking parts are needed for each stocking. These can either be the same or different colours.

Pin the two pieces together and working on the right side, work blanket stitch around the edge of the stocking to sew he two parts together.

Tack a loop of ribbon inside the top of the stocking at the back. This is the loop for hanging the stocking up.

Decorate the front of the stocking with holly leaves and berries cut from scraps of felt. Stick them into place with PVA glue.

You could personalise the stockings by embroidering a name or initials on it.

Sequins make attractive decorations. Sequins look really festive near the Christmas tree, reflecting the light from the fairy lights.

Another simple decorative idea is to cut away shapes in one side of the stocking before blanket stitching them together. This Lacey effect is pretty and shows off a little of the stocking filler inside.

These little stockings are ideal for small gifts, such as sweets, chocolates, money, nail varnish, broaches, and other little trinkets. Hang them on the fireplace or on the Christmas tree.

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With the Christmas holiday season fast approaching it’s time to start thinking about decorating your home for Christmas. While there are many areas of the home that can be decorated most of us focus our attention on the Christmas Tree. Here are some things to think about when decorating your Christmas Tree to ensure it makes a beautiful festive focal point in your home during the holiday season.

The most common Christmas decoration found on a Christmas tree is usually the lights. Christmas lights (or fairy lights) are small lights that tend to be multicolored or white. These days Christmas lights are fairly inexpensive and come in many shapes and sizes, from different colored bulbs to different shapes and lighting effects. A large number of Christmas tree owners use Christmas lights to decorate their Christmas trees. Depending on the type of Christmas lights you use, if you choose to use them at all, you may be able to set your lights to play a Christmas tune or flash in a certain pattern.

Aside from Christmas lights, Christmas ornaments are another one of the most commonly used Christmas decorations, for Christmas trees. Traditional Christmas ornaments are ball-shaped and are typically colored red, green, silver, or gold. However, you can buy ornaments today in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and styles. From Santa Claus and his reindeer to candy canes and even Disney Princesses, you’re sure to find something to suit every taste and decor. Christmas ornaments are most commonly hung from Christmas tree branches using ornament hooks, yarn, or thread.

You can add texture and color to your tree with garland or tinsel. Garland, when used to decorate a Christmas tree, is often intertwined with Christmas lights. Christmas garland also comes in a number of different styles; popular garland styles include floral garland and beaded garland. It is also possible to find pre-lighted garland which has Christmas lights attached to it already. The main purpose of pre-lighted garland is to reduce the amount of time it takes to decorate a Christmas tree.

The finishing touch is often a Christmas Tree Topper. While Christmas tree toppers, like all other Christmas decorations, come in a wide variety of different sizes, shapes, and styles, they are most commonly sold as angels. Other popular toppers include stars, crosses, and Santas. In addition to coming in different sizes, you will find that many Christmas tree toppers are designed to light up with Christmas lights, and some may even play a musical Christmas tune.

You probably have a number of Christmas decorations and ornaments left over from last year but if you need to buy new items this Christmas you should be able to find the items mentioned in this article at a large number of retailers, both on and offline. For affordable Christmas decorations check your local dollar stores, discount stores, or department stores. For the largest selection of Christmas tree decorations, you might need to shop online or at a local specialty Christmas shop.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/decorating-your-christmas-tree-673949.html