Christmas Makes to Start Now: Stockings, Advent Calendars & Festive Cushions
Christmas Sewing
Christmas Makes to Start Now: Stockings, Advent Calendars & Festive Cushions
The handmade Christmas that actually gets finished is the one you start in autumn. Three projects, one shopping list, and enough time to enjoy every stitch instead of racing December.
3Projects
24Advent pockets
1 DecAdvent deadline
0December panic
What this guide covers
Plan first, then three makes, then how to keep them for years.
Plan it
Why starting in October beats the December rush
December disappears into parties, school plays and present-wrapping. Starting now gives every project its own slot, and the advent calendar is the one with a hard deadline: it has to be hanging by the first of December.
Late Oct
Early Nov
Mid Nov
Late Nov
1 Dec
Order fabric
Stockings
Advent calendar
Festive cushions
Wrap the gifts
Late OctOrder all your fabric in one go.
Early NovSew the stockings, one per evening. Start cutting advent pockets.
Mid NovStitch the advent pockets and panel. Start the cushions.
Late NovFinish the advent calendar and cushions. Wrap the gifts.
1 DecThe advent calendar goes up.
01
The full fabric choice
The best festive prints and metallics go first. Order early and you sew with your first choice, not what is left.
02
Time to make mistakes
An unpicked seam in October is a shrug. The same seam on 23 December is a crisis.
03
Gifts that are ready
A stocking or cushion made in November is wrapped and under the tree before the rush starts.
Project one
Lined Christmas stocking with a felt cuff
A Christmas cotton outer, a matching lining and a craft felt cuff that never needs hemming. Half a metre of cotton makes one complete stocking, outside and in.
The Lined Stocking
One eveningBeginnerGreat gift
You will need
- →0.5m Christmas print cotton
- →A piece of white or red craft felt
- →15cm of ribbon for the hanging loop
- →A paper stocking template, about 45cm tall
Cut list
- Outer2 mirrored
- Lining2 mirrored
- Felt cuff42 × 12cm
- Seam allowance1cm
How to make it
- 1Sew the two outer pieces right sides together, leaving the top open. Clip the curves at the heel and toe.
- 2Sew the lining the same way, but leave a 10cm turning gap in the back seam.
- 3Wrap the felt cuff into a loop and stitch the short ends. Slip it over the outer stocking, right side of the cuff to the outer.
- 4Fold the ribbon in half and tuck it under the cuff at the back seam.
- 5Slide the outer inside the lining, stitch round the top, turn through the gap and close it.
- 6Fold the cuff down over the top and press lightly.
Tip
Cut the felt cuff a centimetre or two longer than the stocking top measures, then trim it to fit once it is pinned in place. Felt has a little give, and a snug cuff sits flatter than a loose one.
Project two
Reusable fabric advent calendar
Twenty-four felt pockets stitched onto a fabric panel, refilled every year instead of bought new. Felt is the secret here: the pockets and numbers are cut straight out and never need a hem.
The Advent Calendar
One weekendEasyLasts for years
You will need
- →A backing panel about 60 × 90cm, in Jacquard or Christmas cotton
- →A matching piece for the back
- →0.5m craft felt for pockets and numbers
- →A 65cm dowel to hang it from
Layout
- Pockets24 at 10 × 10cm
- Grid4 across, 6 down
- Gap between3cm
- Top casing8cm
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Purple band at the top is the dowel casing.
How to make it
- 1Cut 24 felt squares and 24 sets of numbers. Felt cuts cleanly, so no edges need finishing.
- 2Stitch a number onto each pocket before attaching it. It is far easier while the square is loose.
- 3Mark the 4 by 6 grid on the front panel with tailor's chalk and a long ruler.
- 4Topstitch each pocket down on three sides, leaving the top open.
- 5Place the back panel right sides together, stitch round, turn through and press.
- 6Fold the top over 8cm, stitch a casing, and slide the dowel through.
Shop craft felt
Jacquard for the panel
60″ wide felt cuts all 24 pockets from one short length
Tip
Alternate two felt colours across the grid in a checkerboard so the numbers stand out from across the room. It also means you only need to buy two colours rather than a full rainbow.
Project three
Metallic Lurex festive cushion with a Jacquard back
A shimmering Lurex front for the festive season and a woven Jacquard envelope back, so the cushion still earns its place on the sofa long after the decorations come down. Turn it round in January.
The Festive Cushion
One afternoonBeginnerTwo-sided
You will need
- →Metallic Lurex for the front
- →Jacquard for the envelope back
- →A 45cm cushion pad
- →Piping cord and bias binding (optional)
Cut list
- Lurex front48 × 48cm
- Jacquard back2 at 48 × 33cm
- OverlapAbout 15cm
- Seam allowance1.5cm
How to make it
- 1Double-hem one long edge of each Jacquard back piece.
- 2If you want piping, baste it round the Lurex front now with a zip foot.
- 3Lay the Lurex face up, then both back pieces face down so the hemmed edges overlap in the middle.
- 4Stitch all the way round, clip the corners and turn out through the envelope.
- 5Push out the corners and slip the pad in through the back opening.
Tip
Metallic yarns dislike heat. Press the Lurex on a low setting from the wrong side with a pressing cloth, and use a fresh needle so it slides through the metallic threads instead of snagging them.
Make it last
Quilting-cotton care for festive decor
Handmade Christmas decor comes out once a year and spends eleven months in a box. A little care before you sew and before you pack away means it looks just as good every December.
| Fabric | Before sewing | Washing | Pressing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas cotton | Pre-wash to pre-shrink and test strong reds for colour run | Cool wash, darks together | Medium heat, on the reverse |
| Craft felt | No prep needed | Spot clean only | Low heat with a cloth, or not at all |
| Jacquard | Handle cut edges gently, as they fray | Spot clean; follow the care label | Wrong side, medium heat, cloth |
| Metallic Lurex | Fresh needle, longer stitch | Spot clean where possible | Low heat, wrong side, always a cloth |
Pack it clean
Spot clean any marks before storing. Stains left over winter are far harder to shift by next December.
Wrap in tissue
Fold stockings and the advent panel with acid-free tissue between layers so the felt does not crush flat.
Keep it dark and dry
Store away from damp lofts and direct sunlight, which fades red prints faster than anything else.
Shop the guide
Everything for all three makes
Start your Christmas makes today
Festive cottons, metallics and Jacquard, cut to the metre and dispatched the same day on orders placed before 2 PM.
Patterns