Table of Contents
Watch the video: DIY Christmas Stocking Name Tag with Hand Embroidery by Jessica's Quilting Channel
A good name tag does more than label—it makes the stocking feel like it belongs. In this quick, creative project, you’ll turn beloved scrap fabrics into a personalized tag with hand-embroidered lettering, a sweet felt holly accent, and a cheerful jingle.
Here’s the finished look you’ll make alongside the video’s steps.
What you’ll learn
- How to piece a scrappy base, oversized for trimming later (simple machine stitching)
- How to trace a name, hand embroider it with a neat backstitch, and remove guide marks cleanly
- How to appliqué the name panel and add a decorative running stitch
- How to assemble layers with batting, turn, and topstitch for a crisp finish
- How to install a small grommet and thread on jingle bells for a festive touch
Crafting Your Fabric Base
Selecting and Piecing Scrap Fabrics Jessica starts by sewing 1.5-inch fabric scraps into a striped panel for the tag front. She pieces it oversized so she can trim later—much easier than aiming for an exact size too soon. Keep your 1/4 inch seam allowance consistent for straight, tidy rows, and add strips until the panel is larger than the tag template.
Pro tip: If your seams look wavy, unpick any uneven lines and re-sew at a steady pace. A consistent seam allowance pays off when you trim to size.
Preparing the Backing and Batting For the back, Jessica chooses a solid green fabric and uses a simple paper template (she mentions providing it as a PDF). Place your future front panel on batting now; the backing will sit on top later, right sides together, when it’s time to stitch around the shape. Lay out the front and backing together to confirm you’ve got enough coverage before you move on.
Personalizing with Hand Embroidery
Tracing Your Name with Ease To personalize, Jessica prints the name (Oliver) on paper, cuts a small white fabric piece, and stacks two white layers glued together so the threads behind won’t show. She traces the name onto the white fabric with a water-soluble pen and notes this type of pen removes easily with a quick spritz.
From the comments: Several viewers asked about the pen. The creator later confirmed using the LEONIS Water Erasable Fabric Marking Pen. She also printed names with Microsoft Word and liked the font “Countryside”; she didn’t recall the final size and suggested testing a few sizes to fit your tag.
Stitching Techniques for Clear Text Jessica backstitches the letters in black thread. Her best results come from tiny, precise stitches—smaller than you think you need—and re-entering where the previous stitch exited for smooth, continuous lines. She tried six strands of floss, then redid the name with three strands for the look she wanted. She also avoids pulling too tight to prevent ripples or puckering.
Quick check: After stitching, trim a sliver (about 1/8 inch) off the white panel’s frayed edges if needed, then lightly spritz to remove marker lines and let it dry flat.
Assembling Your Name Tag
Appliqueing the Embroidered Panel Jessica arranges the name panel on the lower half of the scrappy front and secures it with an appliqué stitch around the edge. To add polish, she works a decorative running stitch just inside the appliqué line. If you prefer precise guides, use a ruler and light marker line as a border, then stitch just inside it.
Pro tip: Jessica shares a clever spacing trick for even running stitches: place your fingernail to mark the start and end of each stitch—then line up the needle to that guide. It’s low-tech and surprisingly accurate.
Watch out: If the white panel isn’t perfectly straight, keep your decorative stitching parallel to its edge rather than the stripes behind it. That visual alignment matters more.
Layering, Stitching, and Turning Right-Side Out Stack your layers in this order: front (face up) on batting, then the green backing (face down) on top. Sew all the way around with a 1/4 inch seam, leaving a side opening for turning. Backstitch at the start and end. If the batting makes a specialty foot feel awkward, swap feet or simply sew carefully with your standard foot—consistency beats perfection here.
Trim extra patchwork and batting close to the seam, and snip corners to reduce bulk—just don’t cut the stitching. Turn right-side out through the opening; a crochet hook helps nudge corners into shape without poking through.
To close the opening and add a finished look, topstitch around the whole tag, staying close to the edge. This also stabilizes the tag’s outline for a neat, crisp shape.
Quick check: Before topstitching, fold the raw edges to match the seam allowance so the opening disappears evenly.
Adding Festive Embellishments
Decorating with Ribbon, Felt & Buttons Jessica ties a bow from 1/8 inch red ribbon and hand-sews it to the tag, then cuts felt holly leaves and adds a red button for the berry. For accuracy, she tapes the paper leaf template directly to the felt before cutting—smaller, sharp scissors help you follow the curves cleanly. Test different leaf orientations before stitching them down.
From the comments: The creator shared she purchases felt from Benzie Design. Viewers loved the taped-template approach for clean cuts.
Installing Grommets and Jingle Bells Grommets can look intimidating, but in the video, Jessica simply marks the spot, makes a hole using a blunt punch with a hammer, and cleans the opening if needed. Then she inserts a 6mm grommet from the front, adds the back piece, and secures it with grommet pliers (she also mentions using tools from a snap kit).
She threads red DMC Pearl Cotton (size 5, color 321) through the grommet and adds jingle bells. For a front-facing cluster that won’t slip behind the tag, she threads back through the bells again before returning the needle to the stocking.
Watch out: Bells can migrate to the back if you don’t loop back through them. Jessica’s re-threading trick keeps them where you want them—on display.
Attaching the Tag to Your Stocking
Securely Fastening for Holiday Cheer Jessica brings the threaded needle out where she wants the tag to hang, threads the bells and tag, passes back through the bells, and then secures the thread on the inside lining with a tidy knot. Trim the thread ends and enjoy the jingle. This method keeps the bells front-and-center and the back neat.
No grommet kit? The creator suggests sewing directly through the tag to attach it to the stocking or using a safety pin as an alternative.
Tips for Success
- Keep your pieced panel oversized at first; trimming later is more forgiving.
- Use two layers of white fabric (glued or interfaced) behind the name panel to block show-through.
- For lettering, tiny, consistent backstitches read cleaner than long stitches.
- Remove water-soluble lines with a light spritz—don’t soak—then let dry before the next step.
- Turn corners gently with a blunt tool (a crochet hook works) to avoid punctures.
- Loop through bells twice so they stay at the front of the tag.
From the comments: FAQs the community asked
- Which font? The creator used “Countryside” and suggested testing sizes until the name fits the tag nicely.
- How do you print the name? She typed and printed names in Microsoft Word.
- What pen did you use? LEONIS Water Erasable Fabric Marking Pen.
- Where do you buy felt? Benzie Design (online and on Etsy).
- No grommet kit—now what? Stitch directly through the tag to the stocking or use a safety pin.
Customize It Your Way This design is flexible—swap thread colors, stitch styles, or ribbon placement. Add layered felt shapes, buttons, or even yarn pom-poms. Jessica mentions you can also try free-motion machine embroidery for the name if that’s your comfort zone; hand stitching keeps it portable and calm.
If you prefer machine embroidery for names on future tags, explore tools and accessories that make hooping straightforward. For instance, those who run a brother embroidery machine sometimes experiment with supportive accessories to streamline letter stitching, but remember this project’s instructions focus on handwork.
Resource sidebar for machine-embroidery fans
- If you lean toward magnetic accessories for quick hooping, you may see mentions of a magnetic embroidery hoop or even modular magnetic embroidery frames in broader machine-embroidery contexts; these are not required here but can be helpful in other projects.
- Some stitchers talk about the convenience of a snap hoop monster for multi-layer projects; again, not needed for this tag, but worth knowing about if you switch to machine-stitching names.
- Brand ecosystems differ. Quilters with Bernina setups sometimes research a bernina magnetic hoop, while others with Janome might look into a janome embroidery machine approach for monograms. Choose what fits your toolkit.
- If you’re curious about hooping systems in general, the term mighty hoop appears often in machine-embroidery discussions. It’s unrelated to the hand-embroidery method here but might be on your radar for future experiments.
Why this finish works
- The appliquéd name panel gives your letters a crisp, framed stage.
- The running stitch adds a handmade halo that ties the panel to the scrappy base.
- The grommet withstands holiday handling, while bells add movement and sound.
- Topstitching both closes the turning gap and sharpens the silhouette.
Troubleshooting
- Wavy lettering panel: Don’t pull too tight on stitches; relax tension and keep stitches small.
- Uneven running stitch: Try the fingernail trick—place your nail to mark start/end so you match lengths by eye.
- Misaligned layers: Before sewing the sandwich, hold it up to check placement. Even a window light test helps confirm coverage.
- Bulky corners: Trim seam allowances carefully and snip corners—avoid cutting the seam itself.
Project wrap-up When it hangs on the mantle, your tag does double duty: personalization and sparkle. Jessica’s approach—scrappy base, hand-embroidered name, felt holly, tidy grommet, and cheery bells—makes the stocking feel complete. And because the method is modular, you can scale the tag down for tiny stockings or swap motifs to match any holiday theme.
A quick note for machine-embroidery readers If you later digitize names, you might explore accessories by machine family. For example, some stitchers using a brother embroidery machine consider compatible frame styles, while others compare formats across brands; it’s fine to mix craft approaches over time depending on the project. Handwork remains the hero in this tutorial; keep it simple and festive.
Materials and tools seen in the video (as relevant)
- Fabric scraps for the front; solid fabric for the back; batting
- Small white fabric panel (two layers, glued) for the name
- Water-soluble marker; ruler; scissors
- Needle, embroidery floss (three strands for the name)
- Sewing machine for piecing and topstitching
- Felt (green), ribbon (1/8 inch red), red button
- Grommet (6mm) and grommet tools; crochet hook for turning
- DMC Pearl Cotton size 5 (color 321) and jingle bells
Keep the joy in the making: Jessica’s calm, step-by-step pace shows you don’t have to rush to get a polished, personal finish on a small giftable project like this.
From the bench Some crafters prefer to add names on the stocking cuff; others like the detachable tag for flexibility, especially when stockings are gifted or displayed in different places. Either way, you can adapt these steps—piecing, hand embroidery, appliqué, embellishing—to many small holiday projects, including gift tags and ornaments.
Extra note for machine-embroidery explorers New to hoops and frames? You’ll encounter terms like magnetic embroidery frames and magnetic embroidery hoop in other tutorials; these are helpful in certain machine contexts but not needed for this hand-stitched tag. Consider them optional knowledge for future projects.