I hope you’re following along with the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies, my online cookie swap. We’re halfway today and Lindsay at The Well-Styled Child is making Pizzelles!
When I saw these bare wooden nutcrackers at the craft store in October, an idea struck me. I’d come back for them, closer to Christmastime, and make stocking holders out of them.
What I envisioned was a more modern version of these:
When I went back to pick up my nutcrackers, they were out. I waited for a new shipment that never came. I ended up buying a couple of nutcrackers at the dollar store in hopes they’d work for my project. Here is what they looked like before.
With just a little bit of glue holding them in place, their hair and beards were easy to remove. I sanded them down just to rough them up so the paint would stick. I also purchased some basic stocking holders which one can find at places like Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, or Walmart, and sanded them too. Next, I used glue and stuck the nutcrackers to the sanded bases. I chose to give mine a couple of thin coats of silver spray paint, but you can choose whatever color best matches your Christmas decor.
At less than 10% of the cost of the gold nutcracker stocking holders pictured above, nothing would complete the look quite like our knit thrift store stockings!
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gusto & grace 
fun! I want cute stocking holders but I sadly have no where to put them. Goal: our next home will have a mantle or a shelf to utilize this time of year! Thanks for all of your posts. I enjoy reading.
love your diy project. where did you first see the bare wooden nutcrackers?
Thank you! I first saw the bare nutcrackers at Hobby Lobby.