When my children were small I had the insane idea of making Christmas stockings. I thought it would be so much fun and they would look so cute. I went to my favorite catalogs, Herrschners and Mary Maxim and started looking at what my options were. I settled on the felt stockings, so cute, so many options, they could be personalized…….I ordered 5 of them and began to work.

What I hadn’t planned on is how much work they were! The pictures look so simple and I have done my fair share of needlework, but what you don’t see in the pictures are how many little tiny pieces it takes to make one big piece look just right.

I received my order of 5 stockings in about August, I completed all 5 stockings 2 Christmases later! I did really well on the first 3, but then I just hit a wall. It became harder and harder to stick with it and do the work. However I did finish, then a few years later I ordered 2 more and made them for my husband and myself. They are really cute and I do like them a lot.

Something else I hadn’t counted on was that the kids would like them so much that they would want them for their spouses and children! So over the next few years I made two more for the new wives and two more for the cute little grandbabies. When I don’t have to do tons all at once I can once again enjoy the process and have some fun making something that looks so creative.

Last year my daughter got married, one more stocking And we had two more grandbabies so they needed a stocking before Christmas, . I had several months to complete these stockings, but we were also planning a wedding and I work full time, so life intervened and it took almost all of that time to complete the stockings. But they did turn out very well. So we all have our stockings, and they look wonderful and festive hanging up at Christmas time. The little ones recognize which one’s are theirs and love finding them full of fun on Christmas morning.

Now I have no idea how much more our family will grow over the next several years, or how long my eyesight will allow me to make a billion tiny stitches, but as long as I can I will continue this tradition. For me, home made has always meant love. Think of all the time and effort and thought you have to put into making something versus just running out and buying it. All the time you work on the thing you are thinking of the person it’s for and pouring your heart and soul into it. You don’t make that kind of effort for just anybody, you make it for the one’s you love.

So start a new tradition, make stockings, go caroling, do some gardening, but do something for someone and with someone that will make a memory, that will make someone feel loved.