Learn how to make a DIY personalized Christmas stocking using sublimation and infusible ink!
When I think about my favorite things about the holiday season, I picture lots of lovely Christmas decorations. Every year, I look forward to setting up a beautiful Christmas tree with handmade ornaments and lining my fireplace mantel with stockings — decorated with the name of each family member, of course! On Christmas morning, we all gather in the living room and enjoy each other’s company (and gifts!) amid the festive decorations — many of which I made myself!
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Creating my own holiday decorations is something that has brought me so much joy throughout the years, and I love sharing my ideas with all of you. I’ve got some Christmas time bird designs to share, like my cute birds in a tree and a beautiful cardinal for sublimation. If you’d rather use infusible ink transfer sheets, I’ve made another design with birds for you to try.
You can sublimate either store-bought stockings or handmade stockings, depending on the material. I tested a few different materials, like burlap, linter, and felt. I even tried sublimating on those cool sequined stockings where the sequins can flip back and forth to reveal other colors. Those are so neat, aren’t they?! I love how the flashy sequins add a festive look to the stocking, too. All of my stocking tests came out really well, and I’m excited to share how to sublimate or apply infusible ink to all of them!
When you’re ready to make your own DIY personalized Christmas stocking, just follow the easy step-by-step process in my tutorial. First, I’ll show you how to measure the stocking, and then (if you’re sublimating) how to prepare the PNG file (and the text of the name you’d like to personalize your stocking with) in Google Docs, which is my favorite program to use when printing sublimation designs.
If you’d rather use infusible ink, I’ll show you how to prepare the file in Cricut Design Space (and a name too, of course), then walk you through cutting the infusible ink sheets with your Cricut cutting machine.
Lastly, I’ll show you how to sublimate the designs and the names onto your own Christmas stockings, so you can enjoy your finished product and help Santa fill them with goodies on Christmas Eve!
Here’s a supply list of what you need to make a DIY personalized Christmas stocking! This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.
Materials and Tools to Sublimate a DIY Personalized Christmas Stocking
View my Amazon shopping list with the exact items we used to make this project
- Sublimation Sequin Stocking -or- Sublimation Burlap Stocking -or-
Sublimation Burlap with White Cuff Stocking -or- Linter Stocking -or- Felt Stocking - Sublimation Paper
- White Butcher Paper
- White 12″ x 12″ Cardstock
- Cricut Infusible Ink Sheets – Red, Green, Tangerine, Yellow, Teal and Black
- If using Infusible Ink sheets – a method to cut your materials— I used the amazing Cricut Maker 3 but you can also use the original Maker or an Explore
- Green StandardGrip Machine Mat, 12″ x 12″
- Sublimation Printer with compatible ink if you want to use a printed design- I used my converted Epson EcoTank ET-4700 Inkjet Printer
- Free Google account to use the free Google Docs software to print sublimation images.
- Heat Press – I used my Cricut Autopress – for both sublimation and Infusible Ink techniques but you can also use an EasyPress with pressing mats
- Scissors
- Brayer
- Ruler
- Lint Roller
- Weeding Tool
- Fan – to help with ventilation
- Design #519 – (My free SVG/PDF/DXF design files are available in my free resource library (get the password by filling out the form at the bottom of this page)
How to Make Your Own DIY Personalized Christmas Stocking
The detailed step-by-step assembly video on how to make DIY personalized Christmas stockings debuted during Maker Academy Weekend 2023, held online November 1-5, 2023. Get an on-demand pass to watch all 30+ workshops, each with a printable handbook, transcript, audio file, design files, and support with a VIP pass below:
Answers to Your Questions About How to Sublimate a DIY Personalized Christmas Stocking
Q: Where is your tutorial for this project?
A: These personalized Christmas stockings are a special project we made for our free Maker Academy Weekend 2023 event! A complete and detailed step-by-step video premiered during the event November 1-5, 2023 — this tutorial video was available to watch for free for 24 hours only during the event. If you missed it, you can get access to the full video, the 15-page printable handbook that details how to make this beautiful project with a VIP Pass to Maker Academy Weekend 2023, which comes with other perks and bonuses, too! Look at all the star ornaments made by our VIP passholders in the lead up to our big event!
Q: What can I use to personalize stockings? What can I use to put names on Christmas stockings?
A: To personalize new stockings with a name on the cuff, my favorite method is using sublimation. You can also use infusible ink transfer sheets cut on your Cricut to decorate your own DIY Christmas stockings. For best results, use a smooth material that is high in polyester content. Faux fur or flannel stockings aren’t great choices, but a polyester or white felt stocking will work well. You can also sublimate on burlap — just don’t wash it!
If your material isn’t compatible with sublimation, or you want to go a different route, there are so many other ways to personalize your own Christmas stockings. Get out your iron-on vinyl, fabric paint, glue gun, pom poms, ribbons, and other fun craft supplies and go wild! Whether you want a simple design or would rather decorate your stocking in a more festive way, your local craft store will have lots of fun supplies to inspire your own cute Christmas stocking ideas you can make with the whole family.
Q: Can you personalize stockings with a Cricut?
A: You can use your Cricut to print-then-cut sublimation designs, or cut infusible ink transfer sheets to apply to simple stockings to dress them up for a personal touch. Depending on the material of the stocking, you can also use your Cricut to cut heat-transfer vinyl to apply a design or a name. You can even cut different fabrics with your Cricut and a bonded fabric blade, then apply them to simple stockings, or make your own homemade stockings from scratch! I have free patterns available in my DIY Elf Stocking tutorial, and would love to see what you come up with!
Q: Can you sublimate on burlap stockings?
A: Yes! This tutorial explains how to sublimate on a burlap stocking, but because it’s a natural fabric made from jute, the results may not look as vibrant as they would on a material with polyester content. I also recommend not washing a DIY personalized Christmas stocking made of burlap, because the design will fade significantly.
Q: How do you make a no sew Christmas stocking?
A: Want to make a homemade Christmas stocking without a sewing machine? There are many Christmas stocking patterns available online, like my DIY Elf stocking. This design is so simple, you can skip the sewing and use liquid craft glue or apply hot glue with a hot glue gun instead! If you’d like to sublimate it, be sure to use white or light-colored felt, and follow the instructions in this tutorial for a felt stocking.
Q: How do you put vinyl on Christmas stockings?
A: The cool thing about using iron-on vinyl to decorate Christmas stockings is that it requires fewer tools and materials, and you can apply the vinyl to stockings made of various colors. With sublimation, you’re limited to white Christmas stockings (or at least very lightly colored ones). First, check that your stocking is made from a material that can accept heat-transfer vinyl, like cotton, polyester, cotton/poly blends, and canvas. The Cricut Heat Guide can help you figure out how long and at what temperature you should press your vinyl design based on the type of vinyl you have, the fabric your stocking is made of, and the heat press that you’re using. Then apply the basic steps of using iron-on vinyl to your DIY stocking and voila! With so many options like vinyl, sublimation, and more, you can make adorable homemade stockings for the entire family — your way!
Q: What’s an easy DIY project to make for stocking stuffers?
A: I have so many fantastic ideas for stocking stuffers on my blog! Dress up gift cards with my fun gift card holders, make some keepsake ornaments, sublimate tumblers or T-shirts, engrave a cute custom night light, decorate some mugs, create some fun keychains, and tons more! If you have a Cricut Venture, you can even cut, draw, foil, or engrave certain crafts in batches, saving tons of time when you’ve got a long list of loved ones. Look around my blog for ideas and inspiration!
Q: Do you have any other holiday decor crafts I can make?
A. Do I ever! I’ve got tons of Christmas Cricut decor ideas on my blog. I’ve even got a blog post about budget-friendly holiday decor crafts, too! Some of my favorite Christmas decor crafts are my Christmas Day countdown sign, Christmas tree advent calendar, easy holiday welcome sign, fabric Christmas trees, and glitter ornaments! Need even more great ideas? Visit my blog!
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I SO hope you’ll make a DIY personalized Christmas stocking for every member of your family! Please share a photo of your sublimated stockings in our Facebook group or tag me on social media with #jennifermaker.
Love,
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