🎁 PET BIZ FRIENDS! Save $100+ on My Most Popular Offers → LAST CALL!

DIY Dog Bone Christmas Stocking Pattern {FREE Tutorial}

Last Updated: November 2024

Decorating for Christmas with dogs in the house can be a challenge. I’m always careful what ornaments I place on the tree at “tail height”, and I don’t usually put out presents until Christmas day unless I want them unwrapped early!

With so many tempting but off-limits things around the house, it’s nice to make the dogs their own decorations like a personalized Christmas stocking.

As a professional sewist with over 24 years of crafting experience and creator of countess pet accessories, I’ve designed this dog bone stocking pattern to be both beautiful and practical.

My DIY tutorials have been featured in major publications and on Chewy’s PawCulture, and I’ve also taught in-person pet accessory workshops. This pattern has been made by thousands of dog parents since I first shared it in 2019!

DIY Dog Bone Christmas Stocking Project Details

Difficulty Level: Beginner-Friendly
Time Required: 1-2 hours
Skill Level: Basic machine sewing
Cost: $10-20 for materials

 

I love to share this free DIY dog bone Christmas tutorial! This easy sewing project can be customized to match your own holiday decor and your dog’s personality.

In this post, I show you how you make your very own pattern, sew the stocking and add personalized finishing touches. 

[UPDATE: I created a new no-sew DIY version of this Christmas stocking for dogs!]

I love how these dog bone stockings look hanging on my mantle because they give an extra dog-obsessed touch to the rest of the decorations in my dog-friendly home!

Watch the Video Tutorial for this Easy Craft

Before we dive into the written instructions, watch my step-by-step video tutorial below to see exactly how I made these stockings for my dogs. I’ve made dozens of these for my house, in workshops and to give as gifts.

Supplies Needed for Your Dog Bone Stocking

Making this bone-shaped pet Christmas stocking is a pretty easy sewing DIY. I encourage you to try out this free pattern and sewing tutorial!

Photos, step-by-step instructions and a video can all be found below. If you want a no-sew version, click here.

DIY dog bone Christmas stocking tutorial with pattern - easy sewing project for pet parents

Create a custom dog bone Christmas stocking using this free pattern and step-by-step tutorial

How to Make a Dog Bone Christmas Stocking

One of the reasons I love to DIY is because I can make things exactly how I want them. My holiday style is a little whimsical and vintage-inspired.

For this DIY dog bone-shaped Christmas stocking, I picked out fabrics that perfectly coordinate with the rest of my holiday decor style.

Living in a cold climate, I always enjoy the lights, decorations, and joy that the holidays bring. The dogs and I spend many nights cuddled up on the couch with the Christmas tree lit and a few candles on the mantle.

One of my favorite nights of the year is when we get the first big snow. I love to walk the dogs around my neighborhood when it’s peaceful and covered in a fresh layer of snowy shimmer.

Walking in the snow and admiring my neighbors’ holiday decorations one of my favorite memories with my dogs every winter!

That memory is the inspiration for the fabric I chose to use for this DIY stocking tutorial.

DIY dog bone christmas stocking

DIY Dog Christmas Stocking Tutorial

I’m going to show you exactly how easy it is to make this bone-shaped dog stocking from scratch. I made my own sewing pattern and will show you how you can do it, too!

Here’s the supplies I used to make 1 dog bone stocking:

2 coordinating fabrics (a quarter yard of each is plenty)
Blank paper
Ruller and a small bowl or large cup
Pen
Scissors
Sewing Machine (this is a good basic one for small projects)
Ribbon
Needle and thread
Fabric Paint (optional for customizing your dog’s name)

First, find great fabric! Making your own Christmas stockings for you and your dogs is so great because you can use fabric that coordinates with your other decorations.

At Joann, I found a snow-covered tree print for the outside of my stocking and red and black buffalo plaid for the inside. (BONUS: I sewed this so it’s reversible! It’s a fun way to just sew once and get 2 Christmas stocking looks!)

Next, pick up ribbon and notions I also found a fabulous ribbon at Joann! Skip the regular ribbon aisle, and look for the special Christmas ribbon aisle.

I found this extra-wide burlap ribbon with red whipstitching. I like how it looks wrapped around the bone it’s a great place to customize the finished stockings with my dogs’ names.

You can order fun supplies online from Joann, Michaels (I love this snowflake ribbon!) or get really cool fabrics from Spoonflower!

Dog bone stocking pattern measurements - 16 inches long by 9 inches wide

Dog bone stocking pattern using my measurements – 16 inches long by 9 inches wide

make your own pattern dog bone stocking

Dog Bone Stocking Measurements: Make Your Pattern

I made this stocking 16 inches long and 9 inches wide at the widest point.

Standard Stocking Measurements:

Length: 16 inches
Width: 9 inches at widest point
Seam Allowance: 1/4 inch

To make the Christmas stocking pattern myself, I use scrap paper (or the backside of wrapping paper!) to trace out the shape. I use a ruler to draw the straight edges and a small snack bowl or large mug to trace the ends of the bone to make them round.

Keep in mind that when you sew it, there will be about 1/4″ lost on all the edges for your seam allowance. You’ll want to allocate for that in the pattern or when you cut out your fabric.

You can make this DIY Christmas stocking pattern yourself!

I see a lot of people searching for free printable stocking patterns, but I recommend that you just trace and draw it yourself exactly how I did. I even show a more hands-on tutorial in the YouTube video a bit further down in this post.

Making your pattern yourself will allow you to make it the exact shape and size that you want! If you have a small dog, you might want to make a smaller bone. For larger dogs, like my labrador, I like to make a larger bone stocking.

To make a stocking exactly like mine, follow my measurements! Here they are again:

My dog bone stocking pattern is 16 inches long and 9 inches wide at the widest point. I use a ruler for the straight edges and a small snack bowl to make the round parts of the bone. 

Once you have your DIY pattern ready, it’s time to cut out your fabric.

To make this stocking reversible and fully lined as I did, you will cut out 2 pieces of both fabrics that you’re using. When it’s cut out, place them with right sides together, pin the edges and get ready to sew the stocking together!

⏰  Time-Saving Tip! Pre-cut all your fabric pieces before starting to sew.

This project needs: 

2 bone shapes from your main fabric
2 bone shapes from your lining fabric
1 strip for hanging (2″ x 8″)

Step by step tutorial for sewing a dog bone Christmas stocking

Follow my simple steps to create your reversible dog bone stocking

dog bone christmas stocking DIY

Sew Your Dog Bone Stocking Together

With right sides facing, sew your bone pieces together along the sides and bottom curves.

I stitched about halfway up the curve of the top rounded edges of the bone. *Do not sew the top edge completely together because that’s where you’ll sew the outside fabric to the lining fabric.

When the outside fabric and the lining fabric have been sewn together along the sides and the bottom, it’s time to sew them to each other. Once again, you’ll want right sides together as you stitch one fabric’s top bone edge to the other fabric’s top bone edge.

Take your time and make sure it’s going to line up correctly when you flip the lining inside.

As you’re lining it all up, remember that this is for a reversible dog bone stocking. So if you do it correctly, all the seams and raw edges should be on the inside.

Stitch the other top bone edges together but leave a 2-inch hole to flip it all through. You’ll also use that hole to attach the ribbon to hang your stocking from.

>> Please watch the YouTube video I created below for a more hands-on look at this sewing tutorial. 

dog bone christmas stocking

Add the finishing touches to your Christmas Dog Stocking

Once the bone and lining are complete, I cut a strip of the buffalo plaid fabric to use as the strip to hang our stocking. This way it perfectly coordinates with the lining and has a nice finished look.

To make the hanging ribbon strip, fold the long sides of your strip into the center, so you have a finished folded edge on both sides. Then fold it in half and insert it into the hole you left in the top of the bone.

Hand-stitch it into place and close the hole that you left to flip everything through.

free dog christmas stocking

Personalize Your Dog’s Christmas Stocking with their Name

I personalized this bone stocking with my dog’s name using a simple black market on the burlap ribbon. The fabric marker I used bled, so pardon the blurriness!

*This year I re-did the Ribbon with black acrylic paint and a very small paintbrush! That did not bleed at all and looks much better! 

For a more professional-looking name, I could also take the ribbon up to a local embroidery shop and have my dog’s name stitched on. Or if you havea sewing machine that can do embroidery, you can program it to do that for you.

Drawing or painting it on will look more homemade, while embroidery will give it a professional finishing touch.

Sidenote: If you have a Cricut that would also be a great way to add your dog’s name, initial or a dog paw outline to their custom Christmas stocking!

dog christmas stocking pattern

Finished DIY dog bone Christmas stocking with personalized name and reversible fabric

The finished stocking can be personalized with your dog’s name using paint, embroidery, or vinyl

DIY Dog Bone Christmas Stocking Tutorial

Christmas Stocking Stuffers for your Dog

Once you finish your dog’s Christmas stocking, you have to fill it up with some excellent stocking stuffers! My dogs love treats and I love cute accessories, so we’ll probably do a mix of both.

I have lots of Amazon lists of our favorite products. But I also recommend that you SHOP SMALL!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What size Christmas stocking should I make for different dog breeds?
A: For small dogs (under 20lbs), you can reduce measurements by 25%. For extra large dogs (over 90lbs), increase by 25%. The standard size (16″ x 9″) works well for most dogs and will look good hanging on most mantles.

Q: Can I make this Christmas stocking without a sewing machine?
A: While hand-sewing is possible, I recommend checking out my no-sew dog bone stocking version for an easier alternative.

Q: How durable is this stocking?
A: Using quality cotton fabric and proper stitching, these stockings last for many holiday seasons. I still have the original ones I made for my labradors five years ago!

Q: What’s the best fabric to use?
A: Medium-weight cotton like quilting cotton works best. Avoid very lightweight fabrics that won’t hold their shape or very heavy fabrics that will be difficult to turn right-side out.

More Dog Mom DIY Projects You’ll Love:

DIY Metal Stamped Dog Tags
Goat Milk Pupsicle Recipe
DIY Dog Mom Message Bracelet
Santa DIY for Your Dog Art
Make a Concrete Dog Bowl Holder
DIY Holiday Snuffle Mat for Dogs
No-Sew DIY Version of this Dog Bone Stocking

Pin this!

DIY Dog Bone Christmas Stocking Tutorial - Free Pattern

Save this easy dog bone stocking tutorial for your holiday crafting!

DIY dog bone stocking dog bone christmas stocking DIY how to make a dog christmas stocking dog bone stocking tutorial how to sew a dog bone stocking DIY reversible dog bone stocking DIY Tutorial Dog Bone Christmas Stocking

DIY Dog Bone Christmas Stocking DIY Dog Bone Christmas Stocking
Tori Mistick

Tori Mistick

Tori Mistick is the founder of Wear Wag Repeat and a professor of multimedia at Point Park University. With over 15 years of digital marketing experience, she transformed her passion for pets into a thriving platform, helping over 450 petpreneurs grow their businesses. Her advice reaches millions of pet lovers through features in the Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, and more. Tori's popular podcast has nearly 200,000 downloads featuring the most successful women in the pet industry. A devoted Labrador enthusiast for over 20 years and certified Canine Enrichment Specialist, Tori is a trusted expert in the pet world.

16 Comments

  1. Placida Cavalcanti

    I love your ideia

    Reply
    • Tori

      Thanks! If you make this, please tag me on Instagram @tmistick in your photos!

      Reply
    • Delmy

      I rreally loved thank you so much ❤️

      Reply
  2. Pat Dudar

    yes i love the stocking but am having a problem with the sewing of the top. i sewed the lining pieces together and the outside them if i am correct i place the lining and the outside together right sides facing and leave a 2′ opening to pull it lining through how do i get the lining then inside the stocking. please help

    Reply
    • Tori

      Good question! It’s hard to show in photos, I’m going to do a video this week! You just have to kind of jam it through! You can use the eraser end of a pencil or a small ruler or something you help you get the corners in each other.

      Reply
    • Tori

      Hey there – I just wanted to let you know I finally got a video up showing exactly how I make this dog bone stocking. You can see if on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/-QnQOSzIXYg Happy crafting!

      Reply
  3. Julie

    If I may put in my two cents….in stockings I make for non- furries, you sew the outside fabric right sides together, turn right side out, press. Then sew the lining WRONG sides together. Do not turn. Slip lining into stocking. Press raw edges of lining and stocking 1/4”, and slip stitch closed. Hope that helps!

    Reply
    • Tori

      There are many ways to make christmas stockings 🙂

      Reply
  4. Julie

    I just realized the instructions you gave were for reversible, mine are not for reversible.

    Reply
    • Tori

      Yes, this is for a reversible style. A girl needs options! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Earlene Wisch

    What size bowl did you use, my granddaughter wants one for their new puppy they just got. She wants it to match their other two stocking in length. Its 21 1/2 inches long please help

    Reply
    • Tori

      Congrats on the new puppy! The bowl I used is about 4.5″ in diameter.

      Reply
  6. Rebecca Woods

    Cute idea!!

    Reply
    • Tori

      Thanks! I’ve really enjoyed having them on the mantle!

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tori Mistick Labrador Dog Mom Blog

Get To Know Tori

Pack Leader

Tori Mistick is a blogger, podcaster and certified Canine Enrichment Specialist. You might call her a professional dog mom! Tori has a soft spot for senior dogs and loves the color pink. Based in Pittsburgh, PA.

LEARN MORE

Lucy and Burt Wear Wag Repeat

The Pups

Lead Lab Techs

Lucy + Burt are the chocolate labrador duo in charge of testing toys, recipes and activities.

Get to Know the Dogs

CAUSES WE SUPPORT

Action for Animals