How to Make DIY Stocking Holders

DIY Stocking Holders for the Mantle

Personalize your holiday decor with these custom DIY stocking holders for your mantle. Follow this step-by-step tutorial to learn how to make your own stocking holders this holiday season.

Decorate this holiday season with these adorable, custom stocking holders!

These stocking holders were made using my Holiday Layered Alphabet, wood, and permanent vinyl.

The holders themselves can be painted, stained, or left natural.  Add a simple hook or find a decorative knob to fit your style. 

Using permanent vinyl for this project ensures that these will last for years to come.  There are lots of color options for permanent vinyl which make these truly customizable.

Design yours to fit your space adding the letters of your family members’ first names or spelling out a meaningful holiday word such as NOEL! 

Let me show you how to make your own Stocking Holders in Cricut Design Space.

This can also be made using a Silhouette, Brother Scan n Cut, or another cutting machine.  Just choose the file type that works for your machine.  You can reference the ‘How to use cut files’ document included in the zip file to learn which file type is needed for your cutting machine.

This post contains some affiliate links (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you). 

Materials & Supplies to Make the Stocking Holders

STOCKING HOLDERS

• 2″ x 6″ Pine Board (cut into 5.5″ and 4″ pieces)
• Circular Saw or Miter Saw – Or some hardware stores will cut the wood for you
• Sandpaper
• Stain or Paint and Brush
• 2 1/4″ Flat Head Wood Screw (for attaching the bottom of the stocking holder)
• Drill
• Hook or Knob

LAYERED LETTERS

• Holiday Layered Alphabet Cut Files
  • Purchase the whole alphabet here
  • Download NOEL for free here
• Cricut Maker, Cricut Explore, or another cutting machine
• Cricut Cutting Mat – LightGrip or StandardGrip
• Red and Gold Glitter Permanent Vinyl
• Weeding Tool
• Transfer Tape
• Mod Podge Acrylic Sealer

Instructions 

Step 1.  Cut the 2″ x 6″ board

Fun fact that I learned while doing this project.  The boards you get at the hardware store are really 0.5″ less than what you’re getting.  So a 2″ x 6″ board is really 1.5″ x 5.5″.   Why?  I have no idea but every board is that way.

With that out of the way let’s start!  So make one stocking holder, you’ll need one 5.5″ x 5.5″ piece and one 5.5″ x 4″ piece of wood.  Keeping in mind that the 2″ x 6″ board is already 5.5″, cut the board to make 5.5″ pieces and 4″ pieces.

If you’re cutting the wood yourself you’ll need a circular saw or miter saw.  Remember, measure twice, cut once!

Cut as many pieces as you’ll need for your mantle.

Step 2.  Sand, Stain/Paint Your Blocks

Using sandpaper, make sure the block faces and edges are smooth before you paint or stain them.

You can make several variations of these DIY stocking holders.

• 1. Keep the natural pine look by simply sealing with a clear Polyurethane coating to protect the wood.
  2. Stain the wood with your choice of stain.  I chose a walnut stain to give a rustic look.
  3. Paint the wood with your choice of paint color.  For my final product, I chose white paint to make my vinyl pop.

Pick the style that fits best with your holiday decor.

Step 3.  Cut the Permanent Vinyl using a Cutting Machine

Follow these easy steps to cut the Holiday Layered Alphabet with permanent vinyl using Cricut Design Space. You can also be cut on a Silhouette, Brother Scan n Cut, or another cutting machine.

Open Cricut Design Space and click the + to create a new project.

In the Design Panel on the left, select “Upload.”

Click Upload Image, then Browse, and navigate to the SVG files on your device to upload them to Cricut Design Space.  Here you can change the name and add tags. Click “Save.”

Once you have all of the files uploaded, select the designs and click “Insert Images” to bring them onto your canvas.  You can select more than one at a time.  

Each letter is originally 8 inches tall but the width varies for each letter.  Keep the width in mind as you resize them.  They should all be the same height but the height maximum will be determined by the width of some of the letters.  

The design can be resized using the Edit Toolbar at the top of the page.  I resized mine to 4.5″ tall so I could fit them on my 5.5″ blocks.

Resize the remaining letters.

Now you’re ready to cut it.  Click Make It in the upper-right hand corner and you’ll be taken to the prepare screen.

Here you’ll want to select your material size. 

Note:  You do not mirror permanent vinyl.  You use transfer tape to transfer the design to the wood blocks.

Now it’s time to connect to your machine and select your material.

I used Permanent Glitter Vinyl. 

Whatever your design, these simple, yet elegant stocking holders will be sure to add charm to your mantle this holiday season.

Ready to make your own?

DOWNLOAD THE  ‘FREE LAYERED LETTER NOEL’ CUT FILES HERE OR PURCHASE THE WHOLE HOLIDAY ALPHABET

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DIY Stocking Holders for the Mantle