Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Unless you don't have a fireplace...then what are you to do?



As long as I can remember, I have wanted to hang stockings by a fireplace for Santa to fill with goodies on Christmas eve.  The only problem...I grew up in an old farm house without a fireplace...but I did have a giant flue running straight thru my bedroom for the wood burning stove that we didn't have.  Like I said...it was an old farm house...over a hundred years old and apparently, if you as my kids that was like a hundred years ago...so that house is really old!

Well, my new casa doesn't have a fireplace and probably will not ever have one, since we are in the midst of remodeling and don't have any plans for one.  I had to come up with something, I have just been hanging them on a coat rack for years past and I want to actually hang them this year.

I got my creative juices flowing one day while I was fleasing and came up with this idea.  I'm sure I am not the first one to come up with such an idea, but I thought it was kind of cool and wanted to share if anyone else was in the same boat as me.

I found a bucket full of old railing spindles and what nots and thought what if.....hmm.

So, I whipped out my moolah and bought one spindle.  And then I ran drove to Michael's and picked up a wooden plaque.  Then I got home and once I found all of my tools...again, they seem to have a mind of their own and keep wandering off (must be from the renovation or something, huh?), I took a lovely picture for all of my loyal readers and got to work.

Materials needed:

Drill gun with drill bit and Phillips head bit

Wooden plaque

Wooden spindle

Hook of some sort w/screws

and

a wood screw, just one.

First thing I did, was line up my spindle on the wood plaque with the majority of the plaque in the front.  Have to even out the weight of the filled stocking once it is all together.  I drew a little line for my own reassurances and then grabbed my drill gun and drilled two little holes.  One in the plaque and one in the bottom of the spindle.

Then I lined up my holes and took my one screw and screwed into the bottom of the plaque up into the bottom of the spindle.  It then looked like this...

Now....what to do about the color...well, it has to go with my house, but I don't really want to just pigeon hole it for Christmas time.  You never know what else this might be used for.  I only had almond spray paint at the time, so I took it outside and gave it a good covering.

I'm not really digging the almond...doesn't really look much different, even if I do put a glazing of black on it, I'm still not liking it.  So, off to Walmart i skipped to get me a few white cans of spray paint.

Oh yeah....much better!

Then I brought it into the house to give it a good layer of black glaze and screwed the hook onto the top.

I think it turned out pretty good.  I am thinking I want it a little bit taller for the others, but if I have them all different sizes it will look more whimsical and I'm totally about that.



Yes, I do have a white Christmas tree...it is mine from way before there was a CX or Lil' Sis, or even Sir for that matter.  My kiddos told me that that isn't a Christmas tree, so last year I bought a green one, pre-lit and let me tell you...how I wish my white one was pre-lit!  It takes a matter of minutes to put that pre-lit sucker up!

I like my stocking hangers and now, I have to hope that there are still a bunch of them left at the flea store.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Thanks for visiting today.  Let me know if you make one, I would love to see pictures!  And, please, if you do make one, please give credit where credit is due.  That's what makes this blog world so much fun...we can all share our creativity and spark something in someone else!

I'm linking up to whatever goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts.  Go check it out...there are a ton of talented bloggers out in this world.  Visit them and give them some love.  It makes me so excited when I get comments and I know others feel the same.