Handmade Christmas Stockings

Knitting a pair of socks for a friend, a new baby, or Santa is quite simple. If you can knit in the round, you already know everything you need to know to get started. Embellish hand-knit stockings with snowflakes, a tree, or a reindeer motif.

Cozy mitten stockings are just as handy for holding goodies as socks are. Tie a knit pair to a child's bedpost for Santa to fill with small presents; the contents will keep early risers occupied until the rest of the family finally awakens.

Line the mantel -- or a child's bed -- with colorful handmade stockings that invite stuffing. These felt socks, cut with scallop scissors, are embellished with rickrack zigzags or blooms. You can scatter the blossoms or cluster them in a cuff.

The pierced detailing on these felt stockings -- reminiscent of openwork on creamware china -- is made using decorative hole punches. Practice the patterns on a piece of scrap felt first, since placing holes in correct order is tricky.

Invite little ones to count down to Christmas with this charming treat-a-day calendar. This hanging Advent calendar assembled from baby socks is full of great things, and it's the perfect way to mark the season for a baby or an older child. A collection of stray socks or a mix of new ones in festive colors looks adorable dangling from a ribbon along a mantle or railing.

Spell it out for Santa: All the treats in these stockings are meant for one lucky kid, as the name -- sewn across wool socks -- makes clear. Use an embroidery stitch for the letters. Sew store-bought pom-poms to the cuffs, or make your own. To join socks, cut heavy yarn somewhat longer than desired garland length; with a yarn needle, sew through cuff of first sock, position sock, and knot to hold in place. Repeat with remaining socks.

Whether nostalgic about the classic ballet or discovering it for the first time, everyone is sure to love these Nutcracker-themed stockings, which inspire visions of Sugar Plum Fairies and Dancing Tea Cups.