Get in the Holiday Spirit With This Free Christmas Stocking Pattern

Sew an Easy Fleece Christmas Stocking
Mollie Johanson
Project Overview
  • Working Time: 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Total Time: 1 min
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Estimated Cost: $15-20

Make something special for your family this holiday season by sewing your own Christmas stockings. This free pattern makes a small stocking that fits just enough treats to bring smiles on Christmas morning.

There are lots of ways to make Christmas stockings, but this one is quick and easy. Because it's designed to use fleece, you don't have to worry about lining or edge finishing. Plus, fleece comes in so many colors and designs that you can craft customized stockings for every person in your family and can even match them to other handmade holiday decor and gifts.

Of course, the pattern still works with other fabrics. If you choose to work with quilting cotton, consider adding stabilizer to the cuff. To make the cuff from faux fur, use a lightweight lining fabric for one set of the cuff pieces.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Printer
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Embroidery needle (optional)

Materials

  • 1/2 yard blizzard or anti-pill fleece for the main body of the stocking*
  • 1/4 yard blizzard or anti-pill fleece fabric for the top of the stocking*
  • Thread
  • 1/2-inch wide satin ribbon
  • Coordinating embroidery floss (optional)
  • Paper

Instructions

  1. Print the Christmas Stocking Pattern and Gather Materials

    Print all 3 pattern pieces at 100 percent in landscape mode. You may need to adjust the page margins to make sure the complete pattern prints.

    Cut out all the pattern pieces. Join stocking pieces A and B together as marked.

    Note: A 1/4-inch seam allowance is included on all pattern pieces. Sew with a 1/4-inch seam allowance for all steps.

    *The fabric requirements will make more than one stocking.

    Fleece Stocking Materials
    Mollie Johanson
  2. Cut the Fabric

    Stocking Body

    • Fold the fabric wrong sides together, matching the selvages. If it is difficult to determine the wrong side, pull across the width of the fabric and it will curl towards the wrong side.
    • Place the pattern piece so that the arrows align with the stretch of the fleece fabric. (If you use another type of fabric, these arrows should align with the crosswise fabric grain.) If using a material like faux fur with long, raised fibers (i.e nap), make sure it is running down towards the bottom of all pieces.
    • Pin the pattern piece in place.
    • Cut out around the pattern to cut 2 body pieces.

    Stocking Cuff

    • Repeat the steps above to cut out the cuff for the stocking, cutting 4 cuff pieces in total. 
    Cut the Fleece Stocking Pieces
    Mollie Johanson
  3. Assemble the Body of the Christmas Stocking

    • Place both stocking body pieces right sides together—align all the edges and baste or pin in place.
    • Sew around the edges, leaving the top of the stocking open.
    • If you are using a fabric other than fleece, apply a seam finish (like a zigzag stitch) to prevent fraying.
    • Turn right side out.

    Note: Sometimes it's difficult to tell which is the right and wrong side of certain fleece fabrics, so pay close attention when pinning and sewing!

  4. Assemble the Cuff

    • With wrong sides together, pin and sew the short sides of the 1 pair of stocking cuff pieces. Repeat with the remaining cuff pieces.
    • Turn one of the cuffs right side out. Place the turned cuff inside the outer cuff, right sides together.
    • Align the edges, pin, and sewing around the one edge (this will be the bottom of the cuff).
    • Turn the cuff right side out. 
    Sew and Nest the Cuff Pieces
    Mollie Johanson
  5. Attach the Cuff to the Stocking

    • Place the stocking cuff inside the right-side-out stocking, aligning the side seams and raw edges at the top.
    • Cut a 6-inch piece of ribbon and fold it in half. 
    • Place the ribbon between the stocking and the cuff with the cut ends of the ribbon up. The ribbon should be on the edge of the heel side of the stocking.
    • Pin or baste all around the top edge.
    • Sew around the top of the stocking, backstitching over the ribbon hanger for extra strength.
    Pin and Sew the Cuff to the Stocking
    Mollie Johanson
  6. Finish the Stocking

    Turn the cuff to the outside of the stocking. Finish off the bottom edge of the cuff with a line of embroidery floss in a running stitch worked by hand—it's a small detail that adds the perfect handmade touch to your project. 

    finishing the stocking
    Mollie Johanson

Tips and Ideas

  • To help prevent thread jams when sewing fleece, lower the pressure on your sewing machine's presser foot.
  • Personalize a stocking by using novelty prints and unconventional fabrics. 
  • Use a copy machine or adjust your printer settings to enlarge or decrease the size of the pattern to your liking. 
  • Sew tiny stockings to use as tree ornaments.
  • Add hand or machine embroidery before assembling to personalize your stocking. Small charms also make a fun addition.
  • Stockings aren't only for hanging by the fireplace—they also make great gift bags.