Hanging Christmas Stockings on a Stair Rail and Other Places Besides a Fireplace Mantel
Do you want to hang up stockings during the holidays but don’t have a fireplace mantel to hang them on? It is possible to hang stockings on a stair rail, a doorframe or even a window.
Here are a few ideas on places around you home that you can hang your Christmas stockings. So, forget the mantel – with these simple and creative solutions, you’ll have your stockings hung and looking festive in no time.
In the home I live in now I have a mantel where we Hang our Christmas Stockings every year, but it is not the only place to hang them.
One of my other favorite places is to hang them on a staircase railing.
You can hang them by themselves or on garland and even include a few holiday ornaments along the railing with the stockings to create a festive holiday display.
How to Attach Christmas Stockings to a Staircase Railing
Since I know for a fact that Santa will fill our stockings no matter where we place them, I decided to change where we hang our stockings and hang them along the staircase banister in the foyer.
To attach holiday stockings to the railing of a staircase I used garland ties to attach them to the garland that is draped over the banister. If you don’t have garland on the railing, you can still use a garland tie to attach each stocking to the railing.
- Thread one end through the hanging loop of the stocking and wrap it around the banister right above a spindle so that if the slant of the railing moves the stocking downward, the spindle will stop it.
Where to Buy Garland Ties
Garland ties are inexpensive and can be used to do so much more than simply tie garland to a railing. Here are a few creative ways to use garland ties. They can be bought where most holiday decor is sold, craft stores and on Amazon.
How to Hang Christmas Stockings From a Window Sill
I grew up in a house with no fireplace – no chimney – no mantel. When it came time to hanging Christmas stockings every year, instead of reciting the line from a Night Before Christmas…
…the stockings were hung by the chimney with care. My siblings and I replaced “the chimney” with “the window”.
That’s me on the right in 1962. I was 3 years old. My twin sister is looking at the camera and my brother is concentrating hard on the task at hand.
To hang stockings from a window sill, my dad fashioned a way to hang our stockings from the sill in the dining room of the house I grew up in.
He cut a dowel the width of the window and placed it behind the opened sash. He tied 3 long pieces of red wire from it and then closed the window to secure the rod. You could also use ribbon or garland ties.
We hung our stockings from the wire. When the holidays were over, he would open the window, remove the dowel, wrap the wire around it and store it for the next year.
How to Hang a Stocking From a Shelf
When hanging a stocking from a shelf when you don’t have a ready-made weighted hanger made especially for stockings, use a cup hook to hang the Christmas stockings on the mantel in the family room.
- Drill a small holes under the top board or simply push the screw tip of the cup hook into the wood until it is secure. You can do the same thing to hang your stockings from any shelf or even a bookcase.
When the holidays are over, I unscrew the cup hooks and store them in the stockings. Since the holes are under the board they are hidden from view.
Move Over Mantel – More Places to Hang Stockings
Since Santa will find your Christmas stockings wherever they are hung, consider these alternative spots for hanging your family’s stockings.
Cabinet Knobs
Think kitchen cupboards, a dining room sideboard, a dresser or even a bedroom doorknob.
Bookshelves
Weighted stocking hangers made to hang stockings can be used on any shelf or a bookcase.
Bed Posts
Tie the stocking over a bed posts are the perfect place – just like you see in illustrated children’s Christmas stories.
Draped Garland
Clip stockings along a draped garland hung in a doorway or window.
Ladder
Lean a decorative or rustic ladder against a wall and hang a stocking from each rung.
Wreath
Display a stocking so it fills the open center circle of a wreath.
How do you hang your Christmas stockings? Do you move them to a different place each year or do they always grace your fireplace mantel?
More Christmas Decorating Ideas
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