This summer my family moved into our new home. I love most everything about our new house EXCEPT for the fact that it does not have a fireplace or a mantle.
Deep sigh.
The builder that we used is a “certified green” builder and apparently fireplaces make homes very inefficient and “un-green.” So, indoor fireplaces are not an upgrade they offer- even if you, um beg.
So this year I was left with a predicament-
Where the heck to I hang our stockings??
I did some googling and pintrest-ing and alas- a solution! Enter- the stocking hanger! I found several online that were either not quite my style or suuuuper pricey. So, I decided to make my own! I think it turned out pretty fab and here is how I did it!
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Materials:
- 2- 1 in x 6-1n x 6 ft fence pickets from Home building store ( mine were priced under 2$ each)
- 8 short screws (1 in long)
- paint of choice ( I used a mixture of acrylic craft paints that I already had)
- sealer (I used polycrylic)
- coat hooks (found in a 6 pack at Walmart)
- lettering of choice ( I used cut vinyl but you could also stencil it)
- heavy duty picture hangers
You will also need a saw, drill, sand paper, and paint brushes
Directions:
First, decide how wide you want your hanger to be. This would best be decided based on 2 factors- 1) how many stockings you have to hang and 2) how large the space is that you want to display the hanger. I made mine 3 ft wide. This worked out perfectly for the 5 stockings I have for our family. Then, cut your pickets to the desired length. Next, cut 2- 12 inch long pieces out of the wood that’s left. Then, attach the 2 long pieces using the 12 inch pieces and the short screws. Do this by placing both 3 ft pieces next to one another and then laying the 12 in pieces on top perpendicularly and attaching each piece with 4 screws. Next, give any rough areas a quick sanding. (Full disclosure- I did not actually do these 1st steps myself, my sweet husband did. We are a 2 part DIY team- I dream things up, he uses the power tools, and then I make things pretty!)
Here is where I took over- Now, decide what color or design you want your stocking hanger to be. I wanted mine to say “The stockings were hung” (referencing the night before Christmas poem, of course). But you could also have yours say “The ______ family stockings” or “Believe” or anything else that you like. Then choose a color scheme. I decided I wanted mine to have a wood-washed look with white lettering. I wanted it simple to allow our actual stockings to be the showpiece. So I decided to “wash” mine with a mixture of brown and gray acrylic paint, gold acrylic paint sparkle, and water. I mixed at a 1:1 paint: water ratio. Then, I brushed the mixture on and then let it dry. Next, I applied 2 coats of polyacrylic, allowing it to dry between each coat.
Finally, I had my dear neighbor-bestie cut my lettering out of vinyl with her fancy machine. I then carefully applied it and added the hooks. (Yes, I used the drill MYSELF for this part!!) Next, I drilled in the picture hangers on the back, making sure they were level with one another.
Finally, I finished it all off with a bit of greenery and voil’a!! Ready to hang!
