Stockings

[mam0918]

Just a curiousity question more than anything but do you use the same stockings every year or buy new ones?

Also do they all match or are they randomly mismatched?

We have always used a random mismatch (bob the builder, loony tunes, a black velvet one then over the years added a football one, a sequin one and one with a snowman on etc... so everyone has one with a spare for emergancies and most are probably over 20 year old).

Well my 2 year old got over excited last year and yanked them down snapping the loops on several of them so I went online thinking maybe I would get us all matching velvet initals ones (pinterest style) but was shocked to see how much it would add up to to replace all of them (for something we use 1 day a year).

I also went on Ebay to see if I could find any cheeper and noticed many people selling 'job lot bundles' that their kids have used in the 'pervious years' as if they get a band new one every year.

Now Im wondering if we are wierd for not updating them until now, is it usually an annual thing to get a 'new' stocking?

It’s only my 11 year old Daughter who has one in our house now. My boys are older (24 and 19), so I stopped last year as it was getting very expensive and I never knew what to put in them anyway! (They have massive stockings)
My DD will have the same one as last year. I don’t change them. I do have two identical ones for her though (so I can do the switch on Xmas Eve easier 😉)

The same, my two boys have personalised sacks with their names on, same size and design but completely different picture and writing on them because they were purchased four years apart but no plans to replace them unless they get damaged.

My sister and I (31 and 28) have matching stockings and sacks and my DH has the stocking MIL knitted for him as a child. I personalised a sack for him.

Both of my DDs have personalised stockings and sacks that match from this company:

www.personalisedxmas.co.uk/collections/personalised-christmas-stockings

We use the same ones every year.

Same ones each year. I think it makes them even more special. Also that's soooo wasteful.

We use the same ones each year and mine are 12, 15 and 18. X

My DCs are 15 & 13 and they have always had the same ones.

I have seen on other threads people posting about red velvety ones from B&M with initials. They probably aren’t expensive.

If you want initial ones... B&M.

Now isn't the time for that sort of bargain!

These are the B&M ones. Think they were £4 each

Noooo why would you change be them every year? The tattier they get and the more memories attached to them the more magical they become as the years go by IMO.

I bought initial sacks last year so I think the plan is to reuse those and as for stockings we will see as we go along. I'm considering skipping stocking this year and doing a mini hamper instead using a cardboard gift box (you know the large foldable ones that get sold nearer xmas)

We use actual stockings or cut off tights, as my parents did before me, so I replace them when the have become too laddered or holey to contain any items!

Actual football socks here. All in red. Far more than we need, so I can stuff a stocking without removing it from the kids room, then only need to go in once to switch them out.

We used to use actual socks (or tights, as girls got older and wiser!) in our house.

DD has a stocking we were given when she was a baby, and has used ever since even though she is really NOT a pink girl (it is baby pink, with a face on the front).

I actually made a bunch of stockings for DSiblings a good few years ago for Secret Santa type thing - they were intended to be reused every year but I think there is only 1 left in my DPs house....I don't know where they disappeared to . But I made 3 new ones this year (well, cut them out last year, finally finished them yesterday...) for our own house now that DD is a teen, and so that DH and I can also have one. Involved some Christmas fabric, some I inherited from DGM stash when she died, and a couple of old PJ legs recycled into linings.

I made our stockings so they all match. Last year though I decorated my sons bedroom in a Harry Potter theme so I got him a new Harry Potter stocking to match the decorations.

DH, myself and oldest dd have personalised ones, dd2 & dd3 have random ones I’d bought house guests before they were born. I bought the original personalised ones overseas years ago. I keep meaning to get all new matching ones but it never happens. We did get all 3 DDs the velvet sacks from B&M last year, 2 choose matching with initials one choose a different colour and Santa on it. I’ve no plans to buy any new ones unless needed or DDs ask for all matching.

No, it's bloody wasteful to buy new ones every year.

I made us all personalised ones (just sewed initials and some trim on) from the plain £1 ones from hobbycraft a couple of years ago. I’m intending for them to be used until we don’t do stockings anymore, I love that they become part of the tradition of Christmas. My brother and I had pillowcases that DM embroidered our names on and we used those as our present sacks until we were in our teens.

We have some nice, cheap (the Range or B&M) ones with initials on, but they’re just for decor. We actually leave out pillowcases as stockings for Father Christmas to fill - picked at random on Christmas Eve.

We've been using the same ones since dc4 was a baby- she's just turned 14, I got them from a craft fair and the lady that made them hand stitched their names on them.

I've seen the red velvet ones and been tempted to replace the old ones but I think the dc like to see the one they've always used on Christmas morning.

Ds1 used to have a Thomas the Tank one but he grew out of that, he's 25 now has left home and I still make him a stocking each year, I also make one up for my mum- but I always make sure I ask for it back once she's unpacked it, so I can reuse it the following year.

We bought a pack of cheap man sized socks with Christmas pictures on them a few years ago and we let the DC each choose which sock they want to put out on Christmas eve. Only issue is, DP has started wearing them and I fear he's going to put a hole in them so may have to find some more if they're not of good enough quality.

We fill the matching sock that is not on the bed and do a quick swap, so they have to look the same.

When they were ittle and the stocking was to kep them busy at 5am, they had gift bags with tiny LED lights in the pattern (just had to remember to switch it off before putting away)

A few years later , teenagers , no early rising , small ££ presents , I bought light up tapestry stockings that they still use ( 20 and 22)

I think it's part of the Tradition , like getting out the familiar old decorations each year and going "Awww remember this"

My ds 14 has had his since he was 3, it was bigger than him back then, dd9 got a new one a few years back that is of similar size as I couldn’t get the same one as DS,.... we only do stocking until they are 18 so not much longer for DS.

At the risk of sounding ultra twee, my DC have hand knitted stockings made by their grandma so these will be used forever!

Seems like a bit of a waste to buy knew ones every single year, there are so many other things to buy at Christmas

We reuse - we've got some from when we were younger from like Santa visits etc. A few years ago my Mum asked my Nan to knit her some stockings with our names on and I think they're amazing, I'd be gutted if my Mum ever wanted to replace them!

She got me a Santa sack with my initial on last year for my main presents, I imagine that will be resued this year and makes it easier when I'm carrying my presents from hers back to mine etc. When I surprised her with a Christmas Eve box a couple of years ago I got a proper wooden one so we can use it for as long as possible.

As others have said, the best thing about Christmas is getting the decorations you remember from your childhood out, I couldn't imagine replacing all of mine every single year?