2 Unique DIY stocking holders for Christmas

This year I decided to update our Christmas stockings holders and make a new set. I settled on a DIY Christmas village wooden stocking holder.

It reminds me a bit of last year's advent village that I made from cardboard but this year we took it up a notch. It is screwed to the board so it's not moving around.

It's such a simple project and perfect for beginners and to use the pile of scrap wood that you might have. I think they turned out so lovely! I want to make another set now!

They turned out so lovely that I got indecisive and made two sets!!! The first one is with natural wood tones - a simple minimalist Scandinavian Christmas look. Another one is hand-painted with traditional Christmas colors and a lot of details.

I love them both!!

For the wood I used scraps in different sizes - 2x2", 2x3", and 2x4".

Materials

Scrap wood
2x6" for the base
Decorative hooks
Wood glue
Screws
Christmas brush trees (green and neutral)
acrylic paint and brushes (for the colored one)

Tools

Instructions

Step 1 - cut roofs

Put a miter saw at a 45-degree angle and cut the "roofs".

To make sure that roofs are even, mark the middle on the board and cut accordingly.

I made mine in a variety of different shapes - some of them are facing towards me, some of them are on the sides. I think different roof directions make the whole scene look organic overall.

But hey, there are literally no rules to it! So let your imagination go wild!

Step 2 - cut the base and sand

Spend some time sanding houses smoothly. As usual, use 80 grit paper at first and make your way up to 220 grit.

Or leave it rough if you are going for the rustic look.

Cut the base from 2x6". If you set it up on a mantle I like to cut it at ⅓rd of the overall length of the mantle. I feel this way it looks more balanced. But as I said before, you do you! Your DIY stocking holder can show your personality!

PIN IT TO MAKE THIS CHRISTMAS

Step 3 - decorate to your liking

I left one set bare but still had to use a natural stain to cover the houses and protect them from aging.

For another set I used colors! And I love it!

I used Arteza acrylic paints that I mixed up to get the right colors. I had some trouble getting the muted red, but it worked when I added a bit of yellow to the red.

For the small details, I used a small brush and also paint markers. It's not perfect but it's not perfect!

It was so therapeutic to paint it that I didn't even want to watch a tv show in the background or listen to music. It was just a serene peaceful evening with paint.

Step 4 - glue houses to the base

Place houses on the base as you'd like to see them. Trace with a pencil on the back of the board where the houses should stand.

Add some wood glue.

Then take a drill with a drill bit and drill a pilot hole from the bottom of the base through the bottom of the house. Without moving the house, drive a screw through it. I used 2 ½" screws but I think 2" would also do.