New Year and Christmas are the most long-awaited, kind and, despite the cold, beloved winter holidays. One of the glorious traditions at this time is the hanging of special boots or socks on the mantelpiece or window - in them, Santa Claus throughout the Christmas holidays puts gifts for children and adults. That is why such a boot is considered a symbol of the New Year.
Of course, these accessories can be bought at the store. However, they are unlikely to have as much warmth as if they were sewn with their own hands. Even those who do not know how to needlework, it will not be difficult to independently make New Year's boots for gifts. This simple, but at the same time cute and most New Year’s accessory will become a pleasant addition in the form of a festive decor or a nice attachment to the present for both a child and an adult.
History of tradition
New Year's boots as a festive attribute came to us from European countries. Once, many years ago, on New Year's Eve, Santa Claus - that is the name of Santa Claus in Western countries - traveled around England and carried gifts. In those days, almost every house had a fireplace or a stove, and people dried their things by the fire. Since Santa Claus usually arrived late at night, all the doors were already locked, and he looked into the houses through the chimney.
That night, one family, after a winter walk, hung woolen socks to dry by the fireplace. As usual, looking into the pipe, Santa Claus did not notice how a few coins fell out of his pockets and rolled down. Money got straight into socks, where the owners found it in the morning. Since then, it has become a tradition to hang decorative boots by the stove, window or on the stairs - where Santa Claus can go and leave sweets, gifts or money.
Necessary materials
To sew a Christmas boot with your own hands, you will need a minimum of materials that can be found in almost any home:
- Material for the main part. For the boot itself, you can take almost any fabric, but it will be easiest to work with felt, bike, cord, velvet, footer, flannel. In addition, these materials will better keep their shape.
- Material for the top of the boot. White fur, fleecy or smooth fabric - anything can be used. This part is optional, but gives the product a finished look.
- Lining. It is sewn at will, makes the boot more durable and neat.
- Braid on a loop for hanging.
- Threads in the color of the fabric.
- Scissors.
- Pencil.
- Paper for a pattern.
- Set of needles.
A classic Christmas boot with your own hands is sewn from red fabric with a white stripe on top. However, your imagination should not be limited to any framework: let the sock be blue, yellow, and violet, and even striped - the main thing is that it creates a festive mood and you like it!
Process description
All the work will take a small amount of time (depending on your skill and the size of the sock itself). Production is carried out in several stages.
- On paper, draw the outline of the sock in accordance with the desired dimensions that your New Year’s boot should have. The pattern is then cut out and applied to the fabric: 1 time usually, 2 times - mirror.
- Circle the pattern and add 1 centimeter on each side to the seams. If you plan to make a lining, do the same with it.
- Put the sides of the boot facing each other inward and sew along the contour, without touching the upper part, the one where the lapel will be sewn from white material.
- Do the same with lining. Twist the boot, fold the top of the lining with the top of the boot itself and sew. Tuck the lining inward.
- Cut a strip of white material equal in length to the diameter of the top of the boot and carefully sew it to the bootleg.
- Make a loop from the braid on the back, for which the boot will be suspended.
As you can see, there is nothing complicated in making a Christmas boot with your own hands. Now that the sock is ready, it can be decorated.
Boot Trim Options
As a decor, you can use such materials and finishing techniques as:
- fabric and leather applique ;
- embroidery (the New Year’s boot can be embroidered with both threads and beads, sequins and beads);
- lace trim;
- bows;
- decor with buttons, rhinestones, tiny bells, pompons;
- painting with acrylic paints.
The latter option is suitable if the fabric has a smooth surface.
Other manufacturing options
DIY Christmas boot can not only be sewn from fabric. Christmas socks knitted on knitting needles from yarn or with a hook will look very cozy. The latter option, by the way, will look more airy and elegant.
Thick paper can also be used to make boots. If there is no necessary color, before starting work, you can paint it, and then paint it with gouache, markers or make applications from the residues.
When the New Year’s boot is finally ready, it can immediately be filled with sweets, candies, nuts, gingerbread cookies, cookies. And you can wait for the darkness and put small pleasant surprises into the hanging socks under cover of night: for children - toys, fruits, for adults - cosmetics, money, pleasant and useful little things.