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, Carol is looking at the camera and my brother Greg is concentrating hard on the task at hand.
My dad fashioned a way to hang our stockings from the window 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 (4 when our little sister was born) from it and then closed the window to secure the rod. 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.
Earlier this fall, when I first saw the photo on this years cover of BHG Christmas Ideas magazine that shows stockings hung along a staircase banister, not on a mantel, it got me thinking. Thinking about hanging my Christmas stocking as a child from a window sill.
It also got me thinking I may change things up this year and better get to work. If you have not been following along. 5 other bloggers and I are sharing Christmas projects and ideas every Friday until Christmas. I have linked to their projects at the end of this post.
Since I know for a fact that Santa will fill our stockings no matter where we place them, I decided to hang them along the staircase banister.
This year I am decorating for Christmas using the color scheme of black, white, and green with lots of glitter, silver, and gold. You can see more of what I am doing, here. Of course there will be hints of turquoise in the mix
I picked out these Striped Wonder stockings from Tiny Prints. I chose them since they are in my favorite color of green. I used garland ties to attach them to the garland that is draped over the banister. I had each one personalized with our initials. Tiny Prints has many fonts to choose from, but I could not settle on one font to personalize them, so I created each stocking using a different font.
In previous years, I used cup hooks to hang the Christmas stockings on the mantel in the family room. I drilled small holes under the top board. When the holidays are over, I unscrew them and store the hooks in the stockings. Since the holes are under the board they are hidden from view.
I also ordered metal photo ornaments from Tiny Prints using photos of my siblings when we were little at Christmastime. I placed them in between each stocking on staircase garland. I decided since the photos were taken in the early 60’s and are black and white they would go nicely with my chosen color scheme. You can’t see in these photos, but the ornaments are two sided. You can use 2 photos for each ornament.
Each photo ornament comes in a gift bag and a red satin ribbon to hang it.
I liked the ornaments the way they are sold, but I added my own style in the way of silver ribbon and a jingle bell to the bottom of each ornament. Christmas is not Christmas in my house without candles, music, glitter, ornaments, greenery, and lots of jingle bells.
The ornaments come with a hole on the top to thread ribbon or a hook through to hang them.
I used my rotary drill to make a hole in the bottom.
I used jump rings that I bought in the jewelry making aisle at the crafts store to attach the jingle bells to each ornament.
I also ordered 2 metal ornaments in color. I am going to hang these on my tree, but it is not up yet, so for the time being, I hung the ornament of my mom and dad from a doorknob. It is one way to keep their memory alive, especially since Christmas is not Christmas without them. I placed a boxwood sprig from the ribbon.
The other metal ornament is of my daughters when they were little. It was made from a Polaroid photo – you know the kind you receive when you get your kid’s photos taken with a shopping mall Santa. It was not the best resolution, but the TinyPrints designer review made sure it looked OK. It actually looks better than the original grainy photo.
How do you hang your Christmas stockings? Do you move them to a different place each year or do they always grace a mantel?
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To see what the other bloggers taking part in Countdown to Christmas have created this week, click the links below.
The White Buffalo Styling Co
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I am a Tiny Prints Home Décor Brand Ambassador and have been compensated for this post. All ideas and opinions are my own.
Thanks for the great giveaway. I would purchase some metal ornaments and stockings.
I would use the $100 to buy Christmas stockings and some Christmas cards.
Absolutely LOVE the photo ornaments! Thanks for such a fun giveaway, Diane!
I love your home! I would purchase the “happy home” pillow and family ornaments of my grandparents who as of September have all passed away. I love the idea of a “family tree” filled with the most wonderful treasure of all….family and friends.
We are expecting our first grandchild in Dec so I would get a baby’s first Christmas ornament. Thanks for a chance to win!
Love your site! I love to use pictures for ornaments on my tree, so I would choose the ornaments from tiny prints. I also love pictures on my wall so a canvas would also be nice :)
I can’t decide yet which styles I would get but I would want the metal &/or zinc ornaments for stocking stuffers and gifts this year. They would compliment my homemade gift ideas, such as meals in jars.
I’d get a stocking for my new baby & some photo ornaments.
I love the photo mugs! They would make super gifts for the grandparents in our family!
I make a small ornament very year for our two grandchildren and have been stumped trying to decide what to make for them this year…your Tiny Prints blog just solved my problem! I’d choose the metal photo ornaments. Adorable!
I love the metal ornaments! They would make great family gifts.
My kids would love the Beary Wonderful and Santa Surprise Stockings! Thanks for the fun giveaway!
*kelly
wow! I didn’t know Tiny Prints had all kinds of wonderful things! I like the glass ornaments and the iPhone cases, which would make a great gift for my daughter with her new phone, there’s nothing better than a custom case and they have some fun designs.
I’d definitely order holiday cards!
Christmas cards!!Maybe christmas shine =- but would have to look at all of them. :))
I love those metal ornaments. I would love to make some using my family’s vintage photos!
I had no idea tiny prints sells housewares! I would love a herringbone blanket or personalized ornaments!
For my daughters who cherish personal or handmade gifts at Christmas, I would order the ornaments, using their childhood Chirstmas photos along with Chirstmas photos of their children (human and canine). For my 96 year old mom, photos of her as a girl. Christmas is for the child in us, right? So, what better way, than keepsake pictures of them as children, to keep alive the awe and wonder of Christmas.
I love the metal and glass ornaments at Tiny Prints! And of course their holiday photo cards are always the best!
I love the Herringbone Monogrammed throws!
I would love to be able to make the ornaments like you made, and hand them out to all the family!
I just love the Tiny Prints metal ornaments. You did an amazing job with your decorations.
I would get the same metal ornaments you used. I love how they look on the garland!
I love the metal ornaments you made with the bells! Very Christmasy! I’ve never ordered from Tiny Prints before, but I love the idea of canvas prints, and you can’t go wrong with photobooks! Thanks for the chance!
I never knew tiny prints had home decor items. Thanks for this giveaway which took me to their site to discover the many unique ideas. I love their personalized throw. We are redoing a flooded guest cottage and call it Hammock Haven and love one of the throws with that on it. Must add I bought clorox yesterday and have picked up pinecones in our yard to bleach them like you suggested. We have the really large pinecones so can’t wait to see the results.
I love the HERRINGBONE MONOGRAMMED CUSTOM BLANKET
I love the metal ornaments embellished like you did! :-)
I love their address labels
I love their photo calendars and holiday cards
Visited the site and I really like the Striped Wonder 11.53×20.00″ Christmas Stocking
I love the black and white photo metal ornaments. I would use them as gift tags.
Motivated and inspired once again! The brushed metal memory ornaments are fabulous. Would order those for our home and would also make wonderful gifts. And love the snowflake impression Christmas stocking.
It’s a toss between the beautiful Herringbone blanket monogrammed or the special gift wrap and photo metal tags.
The herringbone blanket in color ‘storm’ would be my pick!
I’d order some business cards at Tiny Prints. Thanks for the giveaway! :)
I would buy some Christmas cards and some glass ornaments.
Hi Diane!
Luv your photo ornaments! We are expecting the arrival of our first grandson December 1st; those photo announcements and a new stocking would be wonderful! Thank you ever so very much for the giveaway!
I love these ornaments and the jingle bell is the perfect addition! I think I will need to order these to add to our decorations! I order my my Christmas cards from Tiny Prints every year and always have a hard time choosing because they offer so many beautiful options. I’m crossing my fingers that I get one really great picture this year…last year I had to do a collage of pictures because I could not get my three boys to behave at the same time. If I’m able to do a single photo card then I will choose Merrily Frosted. Thank you for the inspiration to personalize our decorations a little more!!!
I have a new grandchild this year and so I would like to get the Dots and Joy ornament for his first Christmas.
I love what you did with your metal ornaments, and would have to do that myself :) the jingle bell is the perfect touch! And I love your sweet stocking story, btw!
I like the glass ornaments.
I love the photo ornaments and the herringbone throw…they have lots of great things!
I’d love to order the photo ornaments! I’ve never seen anything like these!!! Adorable!
I LOVE the metal photo ornaments. Thanks for the opportunity to win some!
I would absolutely LURV the large canvas print. My daughter is a photog and I’ve been dying to enlarge some of her pix!
Tiny Prints is an incredible web site. I loved the picture ornaments and stockings.
No fireplace at my childhood home either so my parents bought one of those wonderful cardboard fireplaces with the red and white painted “bricks.” Not sure if we ever questioned the validity of Santa’s path down such fireplace! But oh, what delightful memories!
I would order the Delicate Quilting stocking in red
The acrylic photo blocks would be perfect for our twin babies!
Those metal ornaments would be great to win–although I see they have a wide selection, and I’d have a difficult time picking them out and which pictures to use for my two grown kids.
Love, love, love what you did with the ornaments and old photos. I have a ton of old photos I’d love to do the same with. Thanks for the inspiration and thanks for the giveaway! :)
Thank you for sharing this Lovely idea about the Tiny Prints ornaments, my favorite from their website. I’m off to my Mom’s house to find pictures of me and my sister. She will be so surprised Christmas Morning! Thank you for the Giveaway opportunity.
Everything from Tiny Prints is amazing. I can envision sitting on my sofa with one of their blanket beauties on my lap while looking at our tree decked out with adorable family photo ornaments!
Love you color scheme….such a great sense of style!! Thanks for sharing.
What a great giveaway! I’d definitely get the metal picture ornaments for my brothers and myself. Great gift idea!
Love the throws for my screen porch! But I’m ordering metal ornaments as my stocking stuffers for my 7 brothers and sisters!! Perfect!!
I like the Metal Christmas Ornaments with Photos. I wonder if I could get the cats to stay still long enough?!!
I love the dot pillows. Yellow or green with an “S” of course! And I love your stockings on the bannister. Thanks for your terrific ideas.
I would definitely get some of the glass ornaments. They are beautiful!!
The ornaments are darling — they would make wonderful gifts for my husband’s (he’s got 4 siblings) and my (I’ve got 2 siblings) families. It’s always tough buying gifts for family members you don’t see very often. Using old photos to make ornaments that they could enjoy every year is such a sweet and creative gift.
I would love to use some old black and white photos of my family and my husband’s family for metal keepsake ornaments and make some for my daughters to have for their trees one day. Of course I might also like to buy Christmas cards if I win. Decisions, decisions!
So many cool things to choose from! I’m most interested in Fancy Forest Christmas Stockings…they are so cute!
acrylic photo blocks
I love the ornament that you ordered so I would use the gift certificate to order one for each of my ten grandchildren .
Love the metal ornaments. Who doesn’t have an old Polaroid of sitting on santas lap. I will use this idea this year for my siblings. I love the jingle bells too.
Oh I love those metal photo ornaments! Would make great gifts for my family and friends. Love them! Love your added jingle bell – just too, too cute.
I would use it to get personalized address stamp, they have so many cute designs!
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
I’ve ordered from Tiny Prints before when we moved a couple of years ago and I wanted new address cards. One thing I saw on their site that is new to me is their customizable pillows. So pretty!
A friend is doing a family portrait for me this year. I would love to put it onto a metal print.
What a great idea! Oh there is so much at Tiny Prints that I would LOVE to have. With Christmas around any of the ornaments would be wonderful! I have 3 sweet babies and need more of their smiling faces around.
I love your ideas and the tiny prints photo ornaments are just precious!!! YOu are so creative!!! And there you are working away to make sure your stocking looks just right, not even turning around for a photo op! LOVE the acrylic boxes!
I like the Joyful Trimming holiday photo cards.
LOVE the custom ornaments….I have five siblings, we live all over the country. I really would love to make one for each family so we could have a memento of our happy childhood Christmases. Thanks for showing us all these wonderful ideas!
Love the stockings and photo orns on your banister this year! We always hang ours from the mantle (hard to break that childhood tradition!) I especially love the great selection of photo xmas cards on Tiny Prints.
I just love the square zinc ornaments and I love the idea of Christmas long ago photos on them!
I would love a personalized self inking stamp! Tiny prints has so many to choose from. Love your story!
I love the ornaments and after visiting the Tiny Prints site, I’ve spent more than an hour considering what photos I’d like to use to make my own little ornaments like yours. That’s what I’d spend my winnings on! Adorable.
Thanks,
Wow, so many cute items! I love the Herringbone throws!
I would choose to have two Lush Blossoms Linen Acrylic Photo Blocks with my son’s wedding picture. One for me and the other for him and his bride.
I love how your metal ornaments turned out, really cute how you added the bells! There is an old photo of my mom when she was a child standing in front of their christmas tree, I would love to have metal ornaments made for my siblings with the photo of her…I know they would love them!
I love the metal ornaments you shared, and would probably choose the Favorite Memory Metal Ornaments. Lots of nice choices, though. Thanks for the giveaway, Diane.
I like the striped wonder stocking in the turquoise color way. I have lots of aqua and green in my Christmas decorating!
Photo ornaments! Would love to gift my sisters (far away) with some old photo memories!
I would LOVE to win $100 credit to Tiny Prints to buy personalized Christmas ornaments or stockings. My teenager wants a new one so badly and she would love to choose one from this company. So many cute options.
we use old photos to make birthday cards, but would love to have ornaments of my people!
I would get the Favorite Memory Metal print with our family picture. We RV full time so decorating is a challenge, but I think this print would fit right in. I’m really enjoying this series! Thank you!
My family grew up with no fireplace also and we always hung our stockings along our stairway bannister!! For years we wore matching footy pajamas (4 of us girls) and have many black&white photos of us standing along the little bannister behind our stockings. We lost one of my sisters who is now deceased and I would LOVE to order some of the metal ornaments for myself and my 2 sisters to remember those happy days and so that our own children who never knew her (and future grandchildren!) can see as well! Thank you for the many creative ideas you share!!!!!!
I really do love the striped wonder stockings.
I would use the 100.00 to order my Christmas cards from them! They have a great selection and I love their attention to quality! Thank you so much!
I love the metal ornaments! I have lots of old black and white pictures of my family in black frames…..and the black and white ornaments would compliment the whole scheme of the room! I am going to order some anyway……with pics of my children and now, my grandchildren! How adorable! And I have jingle bells in the drawer waiting!
Wonderful idea!
I love these metal ornaments! My colors are red, gold and green with rustic touches.
Oh, does it ever sound like you inherited your Dad’s cleverness! And what a wonderful sweet photo of you three hanging your stockings1
I would love one of Tinyprints custom stamps … as it is they are a little out of my ‘retirement’ budget :-(
Your article in BH&G, BTW, was the best thing in that special issue! The turquoise was just unbelievably ‘Christmas.’
I would love to order some of these ornaments for in-laws. I think they would love some of my husband and his sister. Thanks for sharing.
I *LOVE* those tiny photo ornaments! I would love a whole tree or garland decorated with just lights and those.. carrying on memories of Christmas’ past. I’d also love to give them away to family members as they visited during the holidays. What a memorable little gift that would be for my guests!
Thank you for the chance to win some great nostalgic fun! I would love to make some of the ornaments in metal … yes, a copycat! I have one of those French bottle dryers (kind of looks like a tree?) that I want to put special ornaments and I would add these cuties to that. Thanks again for the inspiration!
I not only have picture treasures from my own childhood, my own children’s pictures as well as two special grandchildren’s pictures…I would love to combine all of those generations into special ordnaments for my tree now and ones that I could pass down….
In regard to hanging stockings, I have used a red ladder to hang family stockings…It can be moved easily and does not interfere with other decorations. Plus, there is always room for one more stocking if the number of guests increases at the last minute (that tends to happen from time to time)
What fun things in her shop. I’d love the Favorite Memory pillow, first of all. We had all but one family member together in August and the group picture is great of the 17 of us. For myself, the Loving Ombre stocking!
We had friends without a fireplace. When they moved into a home with one, their youngest said “Oh great! Santa won’t have to come through the oven anymore.”
Rosie
They have so much great stuff! I love the pillows and throws, but I would probably end up buying personalized stationary. I can never get enough!
It is my youngest daughter’s first Christmas….we just had her 10mos pictures taken so I’d put one of those in the Favorite Memory glass ornaments. Thank you for sharing all of your creative ideas….love your blog!
I really love the metal photo ornaments, too! What a nice family heirloom, keepsake!
Two of my three daughters have “significant others” who are becoming a part of our family traditions. The girls have their own stockings but the boys do not. I’d get stockings, Snowflake Impression in red for one with the classy monogram (that’s just his style) and Frosty Fireworks with a script initial in red for the other. Those stockings would look good alongside the girls’ stockings.
I’d love to order their Favorite Memory Canvas Art. We did a family photo session a few months ago. It’s hard to get us all together since I live so far from the rest of my immediate family but we had a great time. Putting the prints on canvas would be a fantastic way to celebrate the family. Thanks for the giveaway Diane!
I would order 2 Dots and Joy ornaments and a Beary Wonderful and a Santa Surprise stocking for my 2 new “grands”,
Keegan born in Feb. and Allie Mae born in Aug.
I would get some of those ornaments if I won! Every year, I get my girls ornaments with the idea that when they have a house of their own, I’ll have a meaningful gift for them for that first Christmas. These would be so perfect!
I love the picture of you and your siblings hanging stockings. Simpler times… I have been thinking about how to make my Christmas decorating easier and more meaningful for me and my family. Excellent ideas! Thank you!
I have a 1950s aluminum Christmas tree, and I would love to fill it with these little pictures of our Christmases from years past! Please enter me in your giveaway! In everything, give thanks, GrandmaSoucie
I’d choose invitations for our annual ‘Night Before the Night Before Christmas’ party – on Dec. 23rd almost everyone is available! And maybe one of the lovely throws to keep warm by the fireplace. I also hand our stockings from the railing – too many for the mantle now. Lovely!
The photo ornaments are fantastic!!! I do love the herringbone throws, too!
What a most precious memory of your dad. How clever and unique a way to hang the Christmas stockings!
How wonderful that this décor is about family. So special.
I love your holiday decor so far! I would order some of the ornaments like you got as gifts, love them!
Tania
Love the new metal ornaments from Tiny Prints. We have our first grandson due any day and would love to get an ornament for my daughter and son-in-law to celebrate!
LOVE your old photos!! How clever of your Dad to hang those in that way!! I love it!
I LOVE Tiny Prints too…I send cards from there all of the time(well, they merged & became treat.com, but love tiny prints stuff also!)
I’d choose the personalized stockings! thanks for the chance to win!
Joey J.
Thanks for highlighting this wonderful company! I was quite torn between several wonderful items… an embosser with our home address, a beautiful monogrammed throw, or the sweet tiny metal photo ornaments!
Thanks for the inspiration you provide through your delightful blog!
Warm regards,
Ruth L
I love so many of Tiny Prints merchandise…. but I think I would choose the Striped Wonder Stockings in the green like yours. Okay, I also love the photo ornaments.
Your house is always so perfect every holiday.
acrylic photo blocks
I would buy the ornaments like yours-so beautiful! My mother sent black and white photo cards when my sister and I were young. I would make those into ornaments!
We buy a new ornament every year, so I would love a Tiny Print ornament!
Those ornaments are the best! I love the sentiment of having one of your parents. I have a question, how do you get the older photos to tiny prints, do you scan them?
I would love to win and get the Winter Garden pillows in different colors to coordinate with my decorating. Love those pillows! Thanks for the giveaway!
I like the Shining and Happy cards and also Cozy Tiding cards for Christmas. I love the ornaments you made!
We hung our stockings on the bannister when I was a kid. Then my dad build a fake brick wall in our living room to divide the entry and the living area and then the stockings got hung from there.
Love your blog and creative ideas. The Tiny Prints ‘Merry Prints’ ornaments are lovely.
The metal ornaments are a great idea! Oh, and the first house I lived in had no fireplace, but my parents bought a cardboard one somewhere (three-dimensional!), and we used that.
Really love the photo ornaments, but there are so many things to choose from.
So many great,fun items to chose from. I think the wooden ornaments are really cute. Thanks for a great give away!
The Herringbone Throws are wonderful! I also love the Custom Photo ornaments. Thanks for this great giveaway opportunity!
I’d get a metal print of a photo taken of my two kids.
I absolutely love these picture ornaments. They are nostalgic and fun! Thanks for the giveaway!
I like the embosser and the personalized blankets
the photo of you and your siblings is darling.
New! Herringbone Full Name: Storm
Tiny Prints is the best! We get our holiday cards from there every year and any birth announcements/invitations. Their designers are so helpful and friendly! Our daughter was born last year and we started ordering the metal photo ornaments with the year as a gift to our families. Would order more of those for this year as well as a 16×20 canvas wrap I’ve been dying to order but won’t let myself splurge on. :)
I would also buy a roll of their custom wrapping paper which is SO CUTE AND unecessary but an item you just want but won’t let yourself buy for $20.00 / roll.
Oh my goodness – those ornaments are TOO cute! I want some of those!
Oh, I so love these ornaments. My Mom & Dad made Christmas so special, but they’re both gone and my siblings live hundreds of miles away, so the ornaments would be a great way to honor and remember….
My daughter is going to have her first baby any day now! I would love to make photo ornaments just like yours, for the Christmas tree with photos of family and my new baby granddaughter.
love your ideas!
The pic of you and your siblings hanging stocking is so precious. Love the Swirled Surname ornaments at Tiny Prints.
I love the metal bracket ornaments and your idea of attaching a jingle bell. Thanks for a chance at the giveaway.
love the black and white photo ornaments
Love the bleached pine cones. Tiny Prints ‘Favorite Memory’ ornaments are my favorite.
I absolutely love those metal photo ornaments and how you embellished them! I would love to make some of us and my parents for my sister – who have passed on. Also for my daughter-in-law of our new grandson! AND I love the Herringbone Monogrammed Throw Blanket for these chilly evenings. Great gift idea too!
I’d get the Herringbone throw and stockings.
Oh the monogrammed herringbone throws…how cute!
I love the monogram blankets
I love your ideas. I saw the “Happy Home” pillow on the Tiny Prints website, so I must have that and some of the ornaments, too. I was going to ask you how you got the hole in the bottom of the ornaments, so thanks for explaining that. My photos are mostly packed right now, so most of the ornaments I will order will be after I move, but the pillow and a few photo ornaments will be great for now as I can take photos of my girls — my dogs. Thank you for sharing. Blessings
My daughter is due to have our first grandchild in April. I would use Tiny Prints for invitations to the shower!
So many wonderful items at Tiny Prints to choose from! I’ve been wanting an embosser so if I win, I think that’s what I’d choose. Thank you for a chance at the giveaway!
Oh my choose just one, I love how u did the ornaments and I’m a copy cat, I sure am enjoying these Fridays. Happy holidays, Lena
I love the metal ornaments!
Love your stockings on the staircase! The metal ornaments are the perfect addition. If I was ordering from Tiny Prints, my first purchase would be a stocking for our first grandchild due in February! What fun that would be to personalize her stocking!
I love their wooden block ornaments!! Too cute!
I would LOVE the delicate quilting stocking!!
I love these ornaments! I could think of so many family favorites that would be perfect. My tree has ornaments that each have a history and meaning so these would be such a great addition. I think they would also be really great gifts for lots of family. Thanks for sharing!
And those throws look wonderfully cozy!
Wow! I really love the ornaments you made… I also love the acrylic photo blocks.
I love the khaki herringbone throws on the tiny prints website. It goes perfect with the redecorating scheme I’m currently working on.
Love Tiny Prints, and love your new stockings! Looking through the website, I didn’t realize that they sell home goods as well.! Those monogrammed herringbone blankets are beautiful!
that sure s a cute photo of you and your siblings Diane, Happy Holidays to you all
What a great idea on your ornaments with your family pix from Tiny Prints. I like their style. You inspire me. I have been making lots of ornaments from scrapbook paper, fabric, older sheet music, etc. But these photo ornaments would be fabulous to purchase for the family if I won your $100.00 giveaway.
I am making one of your paper garlands. Great idea and simple to do. Thank you for coming up with such fun creative ideas!
Have a Colorful Day!
Irene
The metal ornaments are a wonderful way to display and preserve special moments past and present — all throughout the year.
I love the picture ornaments you made. I would love to make those for my family!