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Everything You Need to Know About Christmas Stocking

Written by Ryan Barrett

christmas stockings on sale

A Christmas stocking is wildly colorful and very important to those of us who celebrate Christmas. They might not carry the symbolic punch that mistletoe does, but their importance is undeniable. Just ask yourself ‘What would Christmas morning be like without a Christmas stocking?’ Think of how the morning would start without them. Kids would wake up Christmas morning and have nothing to open before the main present event. You might wake up on Christmas morning to scenes of crazed kids scaling the Christmas tree. Or having a snowball fight with the Christmas pudding. An exaggeration? Maybe. However, Christmas morning without Christmas stockings would throw the most important holiday of the year into a bah-humbug funk.

Let’s look at some more information and ideas related to family Christmas stockings. For those of you who need new stockings look no further. Perhaps your Christmas stockings are giving way to entropy. Or perhaps they’re starting to stink like dirty socks. Either way, we have ideas for sprucing up your stocking collection and offer a wide selection of unique Christmas stockings.  Check them out here.  And don’t forget to use the little stocking stuffer of a coupon code above when you’re shopping!

How did Christmas stockings originate?

The modern-day incarnation of Christmas stockings goes back to early 1800s Europe. The tradition has not always been as colorful though. Christmas morning might have smelled more like dirty socks than cinnamon rolls and gingerbread pancakes. This is because children used everyday socks pinned to the wall or above the fireplace.  

So how did the utterly strange tradition of tacking dirty socks above the fireplace to be stuffed with sweets begin? The origin is uncertain as there are no official written records. As popular folklore tells it St. Nicholas hurled gold through an open window as he was flying by. Right into stockings hanging above the fireplace. The OG Santa was helping out some less fortunate people that he was living with. Does that tell us much about the real origin? No. But it does tell us St. Nick would either make an excellent athlete or belongs in the Marvel Universe.

How did stockings became a Christmas tradition?

Like most other Christmas traditions, stockings were transplanted to North America from Europe around the mid-19th century. In North America stockings were far less vibrant and flashy than they are today. Before their mass marketing in the 1960s stockings weren’t one uniform size. Most folks needed help deciding the right size of a Christmas stocking. Some socks didn’t fit enough goodies and some fit too little.  Then around 1950, Santa started to be mass marketed. With that, the color red became synonymous with everything Christmas, including stockings.

These days stockings have evolved far beyond red. Most likely you don’t even have a stocking that is just red and white. Usually, they are a party of sequins, names spelled in yarn, and festive felt cut-outs. On top of buying new Christmas stockings, the real Christmas stocking concerns you might have are how to decorate them. How to make them stand out. Stand out to the point they will want to make good ol’ St. Nick revert to old habits. The habit of knocking back three-pointers with chunks of gold through your window!

If you’re tired of decorating stockings the same way, let’s look at some ideas to spruce the stockings up!

Where to hang Christmas stockings?

where to hang christmas stockings?

The obvious and most common place to hang Christmas stockings is on the fireplace mantle.  Most of us have become robotic and don’t ever question if there are other places suitable for hanging stockings. That could be equivalent to questioning the meaning of life. Stockings hung on the bedframe headboard? But what does it all mean? Do we ever really think about why we hang stockings above the fireplace?

As mentioned above there are plenty of answers in the dustbin of holiday history. Do we ever question though if it still makes sense to carry on this tradition? Still stuff presents in socks that you’re hanging above the fireplace to dry? Do you even dry your socks above an open fire? If you’re not practicing these Victorian era house hacks then maybe try something new when it comes to stocking hanging. Also, it’s highly probable that like many of us, you live in an apartment and don’t have a fireplace.

6 Christmas stocking hanging ideas

  1. Try a tree branch- This might cause some head-scratching upon first hearing it.  However, tree branches can change the entire feel of any living room. All you need is a wire, hammer, nails, and any branch lying around your house. 
  2. From a bookcase- This is incredibly easy as most of us have bookcases at home. This is a perfect idea if you’re going to stuff stockings with books.
  3. A coat rack- These are already meant to hang things on.  It’s effortless and stylish at the same time.
  4. On a ladder- If you happen to have a ladder around this house this is a cool idea.  Place the ladder next to the tree and hang the stockings on each rung for a rustic look!
  5. In the window- There are a couple of different ways to do this depending on your window. Hang the stockings from the top of the window frame or the window locks.  Whichever way you do it’s both functional and looks great from inside and outside!
  6. Hang them from part of the bed-  This can be done from the bedpost or any part of the frame. It’ll be an excellent surprise for whoever wakes up next to a full stocking!

What to put into a Christmas stocking?

Christmas stocking stuffer ideas
15% OFF On Christmas Toys

Christmas stockings are big. Pretty big. You couldn’t fit an Xbox or puppy in one. Well, maybe the puppy, but there might be more than a few weeping children if you try. After so many years of peppermint candy canes, your well of Christmas stocking stuffer ideas might seem dry. It’s understandable that after a busy 9 to 5 life you’re too exhausted to think of something new. We get it! That’s why we have a plethora of items on our site for you to choose from.  Here are five examples below:

Christmas Stocking Stuffer Ideas

  1. Dinosaur Toys. Take a look at our wide variety of dinosaur toys. They come in 6 to 60-piece sets. All various sizes and varieties of prehistoric lizards. For an extremely large dinosaur that you can fit in any stocking take a look at our monstrous Christmas inflatables Dinos. They range from 30 to 60 inches! They also function excellently as a Child’s punching bag!
  1. Army Toys- There’s also an impressive selection of army toys if your little rascal fancies themselves a soldier. Various toy soldier sets include up to 164 pieces. There’s even a 12-piece combat outfit for a more hands-on role with a toy uzi and camo kevlar vest! It’s worth noting that you might want to encourage your little soldier to play peacekeeper. You know, so they don’t go full Rambo when you’re family is trying to enjoy Christmas dinner.  Joyin also has an excellent selection of military-related toys. To find out more click here.
  1. Vehicle Toys- If your child is more of a little mechanic check out our plethora of vehicle toys. From fire trucks to construction sets, to dinosaur-themed race tracks, the little mechanic will have plenty of options.
  1. Christmas party favors- For a more traditional type of stocking stuffer, Joyfy’s wide variety of Christmas stocking stuffers will please any age group. From rock and roll elves to Christmas ballpoint pens to Christmas rubber ducks our selection of stocking stuffers is beyond unique.
  1. Bath Bombs- Bubble baths are a way of life for most kids. Our wide selection of festive kids’ bath bombs are stocking stuffers kids will get psyched about! If they aren’t keen on bubble baths, our plethora of bath bombs will turn them into bath addicts. Visually bath bombs usually don’t stoke much excitement in kids. That’s why we thought it best to spruce it up a bit. We include dinosaur toys, figurines, or even bath bombs in the form of witch cauldrons!

How to personalize Christmas stockings?

Now, you have a few ideas as to what to put on the inside of your stocking. But what about the outside you say? Let’s take a look at what we can do with personalized Christmas stockings. Making the Christmas stockings lining your fireplace unique is a highly gratifying project to undertake with others or solo. You might have started to make groaning noises, as you have a better prospect of performing open heart surgery than using a needle and thread. Worry not!  The majority of the time a needle and thread can be substituted for glue.

One idea is to create a stocking from scratch. First, get one or as many different colors of fabric as you can, ribbon, and glue. These are only the three essentials. You can use as many extra craft materials as you can find.  Most households have a craft cemetery where crafty things go to die. So maybe check in that craft graveyard and see what you can find! Once you have all your materials follow these five steps:

  1. Sketch a stocking outline on paper and cut it out.
  2. Fold the felt in half and pin the stocking in place.
  3. Trim around your template to make your stocking.
  4. Glue the two pieces of felt together with your glue(preferably a hot glue gun). Take it slow, and just move a few inches at a time. Remember not to glue the top shut!
  5. Invert your stocking. Then, using your hot glue gun, attach your accessories.

Vualá! Let the stuffing of your stocking commence! 

Where to buy Christmas stockings?

Customizing a Christmas stocking sounds fun, doesn’t it? Not all of us have time for fun though. Joyfy has you covered! Christmas is approaching and you have all your stocking stuffers ready. You even decide you’re going to divvy out the stuffers to each stocking. You’re excited and want to prepare for the big day. Uh oh! Seems you went a little too stuffer crazy and have more stuffers than stockings.

Your mind is flooded with questions related to ‘Where to buy Christmas stockings?’ One option is to get in the car and zoom off to Target or Walmart. This might not be viable, to say the least.  Time constraints, time constraints! On top of your regular daily grind, you have all the extra holiday-related errands to run. Like so many problems that arise in our modern age, look no further than the internet for solutions! At Joyfy our website in particular has many options in the Christmas stocking spectrum. Check them out below.

Mini Christmas stockings you’ll be s-mitten for

mini christmas stockings

Things that come in small sizes can pack quite a punch. The ghost pepper, for example, is no longer than a finger but can easily hospitalize someone. Our mini stockings are no different. If you have a large family or have a cluster of guests coming over for dinner our mini red black plaid Christmas stocking is a sure solution. These come in packs of 12 and are 5 inches each.  They’re perfect for a small smorgasbord of stocking stuffers.

Our 3D mini Christmas stockings are around 7 inches long, come in packs of 12 and feature six different designs. These are made of high-quality burlap and are perfect to hang anywhere in the house or office.For something slightly larger look no further than our assorted design Christmas stockings. These stockings are great if you have a smaller family or get-together! They come in packs of 6 and are 10 inches long, with six unique Christmas designs.

Large Christmas Stockings That Will Haven You Feeling Pine

Mini stockings might be out of the question for you. You might have a small load of presents to fit in a stocking and a small number of people in your family. Consider then our selection of large Christmas stockings.

Plush Christmas stocking

plush stockings on sale

The plush Christmas stocking comes in packs of four with four unique designs. These snowman and Santa-decorated stockings are 18 inches long! They are excellent for present overflow. If you have an extra present you can’t fit under the tree stuff it in one of these!

Giant Christmas stocking

giant christmas stocking on sale

Say that you have Goliath as a Christmas house guest, or are raising giants. Take a look at this giant Christmas stocking! This plush snowman-decorated stocking is over 40 inches in length and also makes for an excellent potato sack!

Jumbo Christmas stockings

Do you have a large family or office gathering and need a large Christmas stocking? Our jumbo Christmas stockings are 38 inches long and come in packs of 28. If you do the math that’s over 1000 inches of red felt! That could cover any office party. Especially if you have a Christmas white elephant gift exchange comprised of vacuum cleaners and ugly stained glass flower vases.

Plaid Christmas stocking

Assuming you’re looking for a large Christmas stocking but dread red, take a look at these plaid Christmas stockings. These come in packs of six and are 18 inches each. The black and white plaid pattern is incredibly versatile and can match almost any holiday color scheme for your home.

Light up Christmas stockings

light up stocking on sale

The light up Christmas stockings are supreme for those of you looking for something large that lights up!  These are 18 inches of plush Christmas red and decorated with snowflakes and color-changing LEDs.

Knit Christmas Stockings

knit stockings on sale

Felt, Felt, Felt! The endless amount of felt in Christmas hats and stockings might leave you craving for something a little more traditional. Traditional in knitting grandma sort or way. Our wide array of knit Christmas stockings will give you that homespun fix. The kind of fix that years of fuzzy mass-produced red felt have left you craving. The knitted Christmas stocking patterns stockings come in packs of 6 or 4 and are a solid 18 inches long.  These will turn any fireplace mantle into a winter land, fooling friends and family into thinking you’re a knitting expert.

The Christmas tradition of hanging stockings might look completely different than it did in the past. Surely the damp socks hanging to dry don’t resemble the felt light-up, snowman-suffocating modern incarnations in the slightest. Our joy and elation in waking up Christmas morning, though, has stood the test of time. To continue in the ever-changing tradition of vibrant Christmas stockings, check out our selection today! Feel free to browse other Christmas decoration ideas and Christmas inflatables on sale too! Oh, and while you’re at it take our handy coupon code with you! Please feel free to leave us any Claus-tastic comments or questions you may have below!

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