A cuff hung with bells and ribbons wound down the legHang a small circle from each scallop of the cuff. The ribbons spiral like a barber's pole.
A cuff with a wavy edge and checks from top to toeDraw a grid over the leg, then fill every other square.
A Fair Isle band of small trees under the cuff, plain to the toeFair Isle knitting repeats small shapes in bands. Keep the trees in one tidy row.
A felt stocking with holly leaves sewn on and blanket stitch round the edgeBlanket stitch finishes an edge. Draw it as small upright dashes joined along the outline.
A fluffy cuff, candy-cane stripes down the leg and a plain toeDraw the L shape first, then slant every stripe the same way down the leg.
A fur cuff, wide and narrow bands by turns and a pompom on the toeRule the bands across the leg and let them follow the bend at the ankle.
A herringbone leg with a plain cuff, heel and toeHerringbone is rows of V shapes that break and turn back. Draw columns of slanted dashes.
A knitted cuff, a row of reindeer round the leg and a striped toeBlock each reindeer in with small squares, as a knitting chart would. Four across is plenty.
A plain cuff and a patchwork leg where no two squares matchDivide the leg into uneven blocks. Give each a different mark: dots, dashes, crosses.
A ribbed cuff, an argyle leg and a dark heel and toeArgyle is diamonds with thin diagonal lines crossing over them. Rule the diagonals first.
A turned-down cuff, cable twists down the leg and a round toeA cable is two ropes of stitches crossing. Draw a column of X shapes, then round each one off.
A zigzag cuff, snowflakes down the leg and a star on the toeEach flake is three short lines crossed. Scatter them, larger near the cuff.
Polka dots on the leg, stripes on the cuff, the heel and the toeSpace the dots evenly first. The three striped parts all slant the same way.
Name on the cuff 12
A cuff lettered in capitals, the last letter squeezed inSpace the first letters wide, then crush the last one against the edge.
A name embroidered on the cuff with a small star each sideLetter the name in the middle first, then fit one five-point star at each end.
A name knitted into the cuff in square stitchesBuild each letter from small squares on a grid, five squares tall.
A name on a strip of ribbon stitched flat along the cuffDraw the strip with two forked ends, then letter along it and add a stitch at each corner.
A name spelled out in buttons along the cuffDot the letters in pencil, then draw a button on every dot: a circle with two holes.
A plain stocking with a name tag on a string round the cuffA luggage-label shape with a hole and a loop. The name goes on at a slant.
A short thin stocking labeled THE CAT, with a fish on the toeCareful capitals on the cuff. The fish is an oval with a triangle for a tail.
A small slate tag clipped to the cuff with a clothespinA dark rectangle, a clothespin on top, and the name in thin pale lines.
A stocking half the size of the rest, with a brand-new name tagDraw it small, beside the blank space where the big ones would hang.
A wide cuff with a name stitched in looping scriptWrite the name in pencil, then turn each stroke into a row of small stitches.
Felt block letters sewn one by one across the cuffDraw each letter as a cut-out shape with a line of dashes just inside its edge.
One big initial on the cuff, sewn on like a badgeA single letter in a circle, with a row of small stitches just inside the edge.
Filled to the top 12
A candy cane and a teddy's head looking out over a fluffy cuffDraw the hook of the cane first. The teddy shows two ears and two eyes above the cuff.
A net of chocolate coins spilling over the cuffA net is a grid of diamonds. Draw the coins as circles pressing against it.
A rolled-up comic sticking out of a striped stockingThe comic is a tube with a spiral at its end. Tilt it out to one side.
A round bulge in the toe that could only be a ballPush the toe out into a clear circle and shade underneath it.
A stocking filled with nothing but pairs of socksRolled pairs as small ovals heaped above the cuff. One sock hangs down the side.
A stocking packed so full the toe has gone squarePush a box shape out through the toe. Something in there did not want to fit.
A telescope sticking out of a long thin stockingThree tubes, each a little narrower than the last. The leg takes the shape of the widest.
A toy boat's mast and sail standing up out of the cuffOnly the top shows: a thin mast, a triangle of sail and a small flag.
A toy train's funnel and one wheel showing above a spotted stockingA short chimney shape, a puff of steam, and half a circle with spokes.
A toy trumpet and a jump rope handle poking out of a checked stockingThe trumpet shows its bell as a small cone. The rope handle is a peg with a loop.
A wind-up mouse looking out of the cat's stockingTwo round ears, a pointed nose and a key standing up behind them.
Paintbrushes and pencils standing in the cuff like a bunch of flowersFan five thin shapes out of the cuff and give each a different tip.
Hung up 12
A paw-shaped stocking for the dog, hung lowest of allA round pad with four toe shapes on the foot. Hang it a head lower than the others.
A star-shaped stocking holder on the edge of a shelfThe holder is a flat base with a star on top and a hook below the shelf.
A stocking draped over a radiator, hung up far too earlyThe radiator is a row of tall loops. Fold the stocking over the top of them.
A stocking on a door handle because there is no fireplaceA round knob, a loop over it, and the edge of the door behind.
A stocking tied to every second spindle of the stair railDraw the handrail as a slope. The stockings step down with it.
An empty hook, and its stocking on the floor underneathDraw the hook and its small shadow, then the stocking lying flat below.
Mini stockings on thread loops, hung from twigs in a jugKeep the twigs thin and the jug plain, so the small stockings carry the picture.
One giant stocking hung where the wreath usually goesDraw the door panels first. The stocking covers the top two of them.
One stocking looped over a bedpost at the foot of a bedA tall post with a round knob. Loop the stocking over it and let it hang down the side.
Stockings along a mantel from the tallest to the shortestDraw the shelf line first. Each stocking is a little shorter than the one before.
Stockings clipped along a string across a windowOne sagging line, a clothespin on each cuff, and the panes of glass behind.
Three stockings hung from the rungs of a leaning ladderTwo long slanted lines and five rungs. Hang one stocking from each of three rungs.
Easy 11
A capital L with a cloud across the top and three bandsDraw a tall rectangle, add a foot to one side, and round every corner.
A dotted stocking with a loop to hang it byThe loop is a thin oval at the back corner of the cuff. Scatter the dots last.
A plain stocking whose heel is a heartRound the heel out a little, then fit the heart inside the curve.
A stocking in a single pen stroke, from the loop round the toe and backStart at the loop, go down the back, round the toe and up the front to the cuff.
A stocking lying flat with its loop off to one sideNo hook, no mantel: the shape alone, with a short shadow along one edge.
A stocking outlined in a row of dashes, as if stitchedDraw the outline lightly, then go over it in short even dashes.
A stocking with a single holly leaf and two berries on the cuffA holly leaf is a pointed oval with a wavy, spiky edge. The berries are two circles.
A stocking with a zigzag edge to its cuff and nothing elseDraw the cuff as a band, then cut its lower edge into even points.
A stocking with one big star on the legThe outline first, then a five-point star that nearly touches both sides.
A stocking with two wide bands, one at the cuff and one at the ankleTwo bands follow the shape of the leg. Fill them in and leave the rest plain.
Three stockings in a row, each larger than the lastDraw one L shape three times, growing each time. Keep the cuffs level.
How it works
Each of these Christmas stocking drawing ideas is one stocking to design: a cuff, a pattern for the leg, and what happens at the heel and toe. Others say what sticks out of the top, or where the stocking hangs.
Read the full guide
Draw the stocking shape first
A stocking is a letter L with soft corners. Draw a tall rectangle, add a foot to one side and round off the heel and the toe. Lay a band across the top for the cuff. Everything else goes inside that outline.
Ideas to draw on Christmas stockings you have made
For a paper or felt stocking, pick from Patterned or Name on the cuff. Pencil the bands and letters first, then go over them in marker so they show from across the room.
Patterns bend at the ankle. Turn the stripes with the foot so the stocking looks soft.
Give a full stocking a bulge or two in its outline before you draw what is inside.
Questions and answers
What can I draw on a Christmas stocking?
Start with a pattern that repeats: stripes, checks, dots, snowflakes or a row of small trees. Then add a name on the cuff. The Patterned group has knitted looks such as argyle diamonds and cable twists.
When is a Christmas stocking hung up?
On Christmas Eve, or in some places on Saint Nicholas Day, so that it can be filled with small gifts. Some people hang it on a bedpost, which is one of the stockings in Hung up.
Which stocking is easiest to draw?
A capital L with a cloud across the top and three bands. Choose Easy in the box under the button for more that need one outline and one pattern.