Something from nothing

[peabiscuit]

I need 12 stockings for Christmas this year and couldn't find any really nice ones during the after-Christmas sales. I wasn't looking foward to setting foot into a fabric store (money somehow flies directly out of my pockets and into their registers).
Putting clothes away for the winter...EUREKA!! I started making them out of "found" fabric from around the house:

Blue Jeans - these look amazing! I did one that has the top rolled down like a cuff, one with the back pocket in the front, one covered with patches, etc... they even have the belt loops sewn on to hang them up. I cut up my "skinny pants," but any old or ripped pair will work fine.

Sweat shirts, fleece shirts, sweaters, heavier shirts and tee-shirts, men's dress shirts...Buttons and zippers incorporated into the stockings give them character.

Jeans and long sleeved shirts yield about 2-3 standard sized stockings, if cut carefully.

Dish towels, my old baby blanket (I'm only CONSIDERING this one for my mother), an orphaned pillow case, a large winter scarf, old flannel pyjamas...

I could go on, but someone is eyeing me and my scissors with suspicion and hiding a handful of his neckties.

[Crafty Amanda]

Oh those sound absolutely wonderful! I would LOVE to see pictures!

[PrairieRose]

ooooohhhh pictures PaLEASE!!!!!

[cowpost]

A friend of mine is a great quilter and she was making teddy bears from old quilts, etc. I had her make 2 bears for me--one out of my grandfather's favorite old sweater--it was mainly blue, but had a little red in it and white deer. I found the sweater in a suitcase in my basement over 25 years after he died. Now I have a memento I can see and love every day! I also had her make one a little smaller out of some of my grandmother's old hankies--it is lovely, feminine and sits right next to my grandfather's bear! I have collected clothing from my FIL who just passed away last year, but my friend is not making bears any more, so I either have to do it or find another friend!
I have also been collecting all our old jeans and a lot of our kids old tshirts for years to make pillows and quilts. Just need to get with it!

[padiak]

I, too, made stockings out of recycled materials this year. I went to a nearby thrift store and bought 4 sweaters for a total of $1, and cut a stocking shape out and sewed it together. I used the ribbing on the bottom for the top of the stocking so I didn't have to finish that edge. I plan to embroider snowflakes, etc. on them with yarn before I put them up this year. If I couldn't find the color sweater I wanted, I just used clothing dye. I'm delighted with how they came out-- look handmade, but only 10% of the work!

[LisLynn18]

All of you are giving me such wonderful ideas! I plan on getting a jump start on Christmas this year, instead of leaving it all to just before the holiday.

I love the stockings ideas. Fantastic. I learned to crochet several years ago but I'm horribly out of practice. I think my 10 year old would really get into latch hook rugs. Can't have her spending too much time in front of those video games! :p