How To Make Rustic DIY Stocking Hangers

Make your own DIY stocking hangers to complement your homemade Christmas stockings with these steps!

In this article:

Homemade Christmas Stocking Holders for Mantel Decor
What You Need to Make Three Stocking Hangers
Instructions

DIY Stocking Hangers for Your Christmas Decor

Homemade Christmas Stocking Holders for Mantel Decor

Christmas is just around the corner, so are your Christmas decorations all set? How about your Christmas stockings?

If you’re here to find crafts for stocking hangers or holders, then you’re in for an awesome DIY tutorial. All your efforts in creating this simple Christmas decor are definitely worth it.

Plus, these rustic stocking holders are not only impressive but also perfect as a gift to your family and friends.

Now, if you want something simple, rustic, and cozy, then these rustic stocking hangers are the DIY project for you. For sure, these will bring homey charm to any Christmas mantle decor.

With only a few simple supplies and about an hour of work, you can make these lovely Christmas accents just in time for the Christmas season so, let’s get this thing started!

What You Need to Make Three Stocking Hangers

3 square cuts of a 2×4 board
3 rectangular cuts of a 1×4 board
wood glue
wood stain
garment hooks
upholstery tacks
Baby Photos

Tools from Around the Craft Room

paper towels
rubber gloves
power drill or manual screwdriver

Instructions:

Step 1. Smooth the Wood Blocks

You can make a lot of stocking hangers from a single 2×4 board.

I had a lot of wood left after making only 3 hangers. I cut mine to 5” tall, and that worked nicely!

To smooth out the rough edges, use 100 grit sandpaper. I had some pretty rough splinters along the edges of mine, so it took a while.

Step 2. Glue the Wood Blocks

Use wood glue to firmly attach your thinner 1×4 block of wood to your square 2×4 block of wood. Allow them to dry completely.

RELATED: DIY Jewelry Holder Ideas

Step 3. Stain the Wood Blocks

Stain your pieces with whatever wood stain you have chosen and allow them to dry. I chose mahogany for a classic finish.

Step 4. Screw the Hooks

Now screw the hooks into place along the bottom of your 2×4 squares.

Tip: Make sure the stain has dried 100% before attaching the hooks. Also, if you want an aged/weathered look, then use some medium-grit sandpaper to rough up the edges of your piece.

Step 5. Pin the Photos

I used Photoshop to turn the photos to “sepia,” which gave them a warm, aged look. Use the upholstery tacks (and a hammer to save your fingers!) to pin your photos into place.

Look for upholstery tacks with an interesting texture! I love the beveled upholstery tacks that I found at a fabric store because they have some fun geometric character to them.

What Is Sepia? It refers to a reddish-brown colored effect usually associated with photographs of the nineteenth century.

You’re done!

Tip: If you have really light stockings as I did, you don’t need any additional elements to make your stocking hangers stay in place. However, if your stockings are slightly heavier, I would suggest using 3m adhesive strips on the bottom to anchor them to the flat surface.

They can be easily removed after Christmas, and they don’t leave any damaging marks.

Check out The Latina Next Door’s video tutorial. She also has an awesome style of making stocking hangers:

There you go, crafters! You’re ready to hang your stockings! Isn’t this a great Christmas craft idea for you to try?

I can’t stress enough how this would be the perfect Christmas DIY craft! You can make personalized hangers for everyone in your family.

And if you’re looking to expand your reach — learn to sell these ornaments on Etsy. Don’t forget to fill the Christmas stockings!

Do you have other rustic stocking hanger ideas? Share your take on a Christmas stocking holder in the comments section below or post your finished project!

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on November 25, 2016, and updated for quality and relevancy.

Cliff A says

January 12, 2015 at 10:50 pm

I saw this DIY and fell in love with it. I went out and got the materials and made one for the entire family, that’s 7 of them. It only took me three days to make. Cutting and sanding the wood one day, staining the wood and let it dry was day #2, and gluing the wood together over night,10 hours, and re-sanding the wood and screwing in the hooks and putting in the tacks the third day. Christmas eve was the next day and they were sitting on my mantel with everyone’s baby picture on their stocking holder. It was the big hit of Christmas, next to the presents under the tree. I used Velcro to give the stocking holder that extra leverage to keep it in place.

My suggestions for making this project is to sand your wood to age it before gluing the two pieces together. The excess glue that oozes out and fills the two pieces of wood together will prevent you from reaching the stain underneath it without leaving signs of your sanding.

Also, I used vice grips to pin the tacks into the wood. Doing it this way, made it so very easy. I also used the tip of a flathead screwdriver between the wood and the tack as I squeezed the tack into the wood. I have created a space for the photograph to slip in and out with ease plus remain in place. All you really need is space enough to allow the photograph to side under the tack.

Like I said, everyone really enjoyed them. They all laughed at their baby pictures. They all thought I went out and bought these stocking holders from a craft store. Now that my family knows that Grandpa made them, these Christmas stocking holders have become Christmas heirlooms for many Christmas to come. Thank-You for the great idea, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Comments

tara schaller says

November 21, 2014 at 7:28 am

i love this idea but my issue would be AFter the stockings have been hung and santa has filled them with his Christmas surprises. our are almost always ‘weighty’…far more than just some tape might hold secure.
is there a way to weight them more securely?? for example, one stocking may hold 1lb of candy, a tube of toothpaste, body lotion and a few smaller items to fill of the space. these stocking holders would NEVER
hold this kind of weight.
any suggestions??!!
thanks

Cliff A says

January 12, 2015 at 10:50 pm

I saw this DIY and fell in love with it. I went out and got the materials and made one for the entire family, that’s 7 of them. It only took me three days to make. Cutting and sanding the wood one day, staining the wood and let it dry was day #2, and gluing the wood together over night,10 hours, and re-sanding the wood and screwing in the hooks and putting in the tacks the third day. Christmas eve was the next day and they were sitting on my mantel with everyone’s baby picture on their stocking holder. It was the big hit of Christmas, next to the presents under the tree. I used Velcro to give the stocking holder that extra leverage to keep it in place.

My suggestions for making this project is to sand your wood to age it before gluing the two pieces together. The excess glue that oozes out and fills the two pieces of wood together will prevent you from reaching the stain underneath it without leaving signs of your sanding.

Also, I used vice grips to pin the tacks into the wood. Doing it this way, made it so very easy. I also used the tip of a flathead screwdriver between the wood and the tack as I squeezed the tack into the wood. I have created a space for the photograph to slip in and out with ease plus remain in place. All you really need is space enough to allow the photograph to side under the tack.

Like I said, everyone really enjoyed them. They all laughed at their baby pictures. They all thought I went out and bought these stocking holders from a craft store. Now that my family knows that Grandpa made them, these Christmas stocking holders have become Christmas heirlooms for many Christmas to come. Thank-You for the great idea, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.