Personalized Christmas Stockings: How to Choose, Personalize and Keep Them for Years

On Christmas morning, before a single present is opened, there's a row of stockings on the mantel with everyone's name on it. It's one of the smallest parts of the holiday and one of the most memorable — which is exactly why a personalized stocking is worth getting right.

Why name stockings matter

A stocking with a name on it does more than end the "which one is mine?" debate. It says you belong here. That's why new babies, new partners and new family members often get a stocking before anything else — hanging it is how a family says welcome.

It's also why personalized stockings tend to last for decades. Choose them well once, and they'll come out every December for years.

Choosing your stockings

Our personalized stockings are cable-knit with a folded cuff, and the name is embroidered — stitched in thread rather than printed — so it has texture and holds up to years of use.

You can choose between four color combinations:

• White with a red top
• Red with a white top
• White with a green top
• Green with a white top

Mix or match? A mix of colors along the mantel looks warm and traditional. Giving everyone the same color looks clean and modern. A nice middle ground is alternating two combinations — red and white, then green and white — so the row has rhythm.

See our embroidered knit stocking and the family name stocking to compare.

What to embroider

Each stocking takes up to 15 characters, which fits almost any first name. A few things to think about:

• First name or nickname? Use the name the person is actually called at home. A stocking that says "Elizabeth" for someone everyone calls "Libby" feels oddly formal.
• Keep spelling consistent. If you already have a few stockings, match the capitalization and style so new ones don't look out of place.
• Family roles work too.