Christmas stockings serve two purposes: they look pretty as a decoration, and they are a receptacle for presents. Beyond that, who ever said they had to be an actual sock shape?
The tradition comes from Turkey. Legend has it that Saint Nicholas felt sorry for a family who didn't have a dowry for their daughters, so while they slept at night he dropped gold coins into the freshly washed stockings the girls had left hanging by the fire to dry. Since then, children around the world have left something out around Christmas time in hopes that Old St. Nick (or some local holiday incarnation of him) would leave a treat for them. In some countries, like America, it's a stocking. In many European countries, children leave out shoes, usually old wooden or peasant shoes. In Puerto Rico, children leave boxes under their beds.
So when you're decorating the mantel this year, don't feel guilty if you're thinking those old stockings are looking a little worn and boring. Try one of these unusual alternatives for a twist on tradition:
SHOES: You can get really creative with leaving out a shoe for each family member, such as leaving a pump for mom, a work boot for dad, a sneaker for junior, or a ballet slipper for the little girl of the family. Or, if you're home has a southwestern theme décor, leave out cowboy boots from second hand stores, writing the names of family members down the side with a glitter pen. Or maybe your children would be delighted to wake up and find their old baby shoes filled with treats.
BUSHEL: For more of a country theme, get some bushels and place them out under the tree, or in a corner. If you want to make plain brown bushels really festive, spray paint the inside green or red, pin a cluster of holly leaves to the front, or line the tops with tinsel garland.
HATS: Any hat collector can make quite a spectacular arrangement by overturning hats to use as stockings. Like with shoes, you can use a different type of hat that would represent each family member: A top hat for dad, a big sun hat for mom, a baseball cap for a small child or a bonnet for a baby.
SHOE BOX SLEIGHS: You can make some cute sleighs out of old shoe boxes. Take of the covers and spray paint the box a bright red (or whatever color you prefer). Get large candy canes and glue them to the bottom for runners. Put a layer of cotton inside for a lining, and, of course, a string of sleigh bells hanging over the side (get a small bag of jingle bells and string them on some ribbon).
COOKIE JARS: Decorative cookie jars are highly collectible, especially those with holiday scenes. Start your own collection, but instead of stashing cookies in all of them, put them on a shelf and use them in place of your stockings.
POPCORN CANS: You've probably seen those large popcorn cans available around the holidays-- the ones with the decorative tins? If you've had more than your share of popcorn, re-use the tins year after year by putting them out around the tree. Use a glitter or paint pen to write a name on each one, and fill them with presents.
VASES: Looking for something chic and posh to suit a sophisticated décor? Why not put crystal, silver or porcelain vases on the mantel in place of stockings.
DECORATIVE GIFT BAGS: Don't throw out all of those bags you have collected over the years, featuring Santa, snowmen and Christmas trees-- use them in place of stockings. Hang them on the wall from a tack or nail. Not only will they add great visual appeal, but they hold lots of goodies.
