christmas with kids: diy stocking hanger

As a total self-proclaimed social media addict, I've been captivated by all of my friends gorgeous trees and holiday decor. We've also had our house ransacked with the stomach flu and other grinchy germs so it's Christmas Eve and other than our tree, we haven't managed to get any decorations up this year. Still, I'm totally impressed by my friends abilities to decorate and coordinate and transform their living spaces into a winter wonderland. I lack that skill despite my best intentions. We bought our house in 2008 and our master bedroom still has paint swatches on the walls, and our living room walls are still mostly bare. My favorite thing about the holidays, though, is that you can totally put kids in charge of the decorating. (No? Just me? It takes the pressure off of me and gives Ethan great joy.) Our tree gets another three pounds of salt dough ornaments each year (and now with Carmen here, that'll be doubling soon). 90% of our pre-kids (read: glass) ornaments are broken or mangled beyond repair, replaced with salt dough and plastic commemorative keepsakes showcasing our children's first Santa photos and other milestones.

Ethan was totally accepting of the fact our decorations never did quite make it out of the attic this year, but he was disturbed by the fact we couldn't hang our stockings. We don't have a chimney or a fireplace in our home here in South Florida and before this year, Ethan never really cared so much about the stockings (which usually sat propped up against a wall on Christmas morning). This year, though, he cared.

One morning, we went to Home Depot and bought a $5 piece of wood. If you're craftier (and less impulsive) than Ethan and I, you should measure. (We didn't.) While there, we also picked up four cabinet knobs. (Ethan was feeling the gaudy gold, apparently.) These were only a dollar a piece. Using Epoxy, we attached the knobs to the wood and let it dry.

Then, we used paint to stamp everyone in the family's handprint. Once dry, we used a metallic Sharpie to write everyone's names. (I don't doubt my days of having bigger hands than Ethan's are nearly numbered.)

I put the year in the corner because one day Carmen's freaking adorable itty-bitty-teeny hands won't be so itty-bitty-teeny.

And ta-da! The perfect keepsake. Which we didn't get around to hanging until Christmas Eve (just pretend you don't still see the Target tags on the stockings).