DIY Christmas Village Stocking Holders

Add a festive touch to your mantle with these adorable DIY Christmas village stocking holders. They’re easy to make with scrap wood and this step-by-step tutorial.

Wood DIY Christmas village stocking holder on a mantle

Don’t settle for ordinary, store-bought stocking hangers when you can add a touch of rustic charm to your holiday decor with these easy-to-make Christmas village stocking holders.

With just a few simple supplies and some paint, you can transform scrap wood 2×4s into delightful hangers to hold your stockings in style.

  • Scrap wood makes this project practically free
  • Requires minimal sanding/prep work
  • Water-based products make this project quick and easy

Get ready to spread some festive cheer as I show you how to bring Christmas village magic to your mantle.

Table of Contents

This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase from these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Visit my site policies for more information.

Inspiration for These Christmas Village Stocking Holders

In 2015, when I launched Saws on Skates®, I published plans for a set of tiny Christmas village stocking holders inspired by an online store. While I found them charming, their small size meant they couldn’t hold standard-sized stockings, especially when filled.

To address this issue, I decided to revamp the design. This time, I made the buildings using 2×4 lumber and the bases using sturdy 2×6 lumber. Then, I applied stain and chalk-type paint to give them a rustic farmhouse feel.

A manor and cottage style DIY wood Christmas village stocking holders with evergreens and pine cones in the background

What Tools Do You Need?

You’ll only need a few basic tools to make your Christmas village stocking hangers:

  • Miter saw. I used my miter saw to cut all of the parts to length.
  • Pocket hole jig. I made pocket holes that attach the buildings to the bases using my Kreg Jig.
  • Drill. I used my drill to make the pocket holes and drive the pocket hole screws.
  • Handheld router. I used a router and a roundover bit to match the 2×6’s cut edges to their rounded edges, but you can use sandpaper instead.
Wood cottage-style DIY Christmas village stocking holder on a table

What Wood Should You Use?

I used scrap pieces of 2×4 and 2×6 to make my stocking holders. If you don’t have scrap wood, these materials are relatively affordable at most home improvement stores

You may also find scrap wood for free at construction sites, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace.

Related: 14 Ways to Score Free Wood (Build Even if You’re Broke!)

Church-style DIY wooden Christmas village stocking holder on the corner of a table

How Do You Finish the Christmas Village Stocking Holders?

I wanted a rustic look for my village, so I didn’t do a lot of sanding to prepare the wood for stain and paint. The exception was the end grain of the bases.

End grain tends to absorb more stain, resulting in a darker appearance than the other surfaces, so I sanded, closing the pores and minimizing excessive stain absorption. I started sanding with 100 grit and worked my way up, finishing with 220 grit.

I lightly ran sandpaper along the cut edges to soften the building’s sharp roof lines, making one or two passes.

Next, I applied a coat of Behr water-based wood stain in “Dark Walnut” to all the pieces.

Applying wood stain to DIY Christmas village stocking holders

I cut painter’s tape to resemble windows and doors and applied it to the buildings.

Hand applying painter's tape in the shape of a window to a DIY Christmas village stocking holder

Then, I dry brushed them with an off-white chalk-type paint.

Dry brushing involves minimally loading a paintbrush and removing the excess. Then, gently drag the brush across the surface, leaving some of the wood exposed and creating an aged or weathered appearance.

Applying paint to a Christmas village stocking holder

When the paint was dry, I removed the painter’s tape and attached the buildings to the bases.

Saltbox-style DIY wood Christmas village stocking holder

How to Make DIY Christmas Village Stocking Holders

Printed Plan

Get the FREE plan here (includes detailed instructions, measurements, and bonus tips)

Materials

Tools

  • Tape Measure
  • Kreg Multi-Mark
  • Miter Saw
  • Pocket Hole Jig
  • Drill and Drill Bits
  • Router (optional)
  • ⅛” Roundover Bit (optional)

Before You Begin

IMPORTANT: Due to the small size of this project’s pieces, it’s best to cut them from a longer board to maintain a safe distance between your hand and the blade.


Step 1. Make the Bases

Cut four pieces of wood to length for the bases.

The cut edges of the bases are sharp, while the other edges have a rounded profile. To make them match, I used a router and a roundover bit. If you don’t have a router, you can use sandpaper to achieve a similar effect.

Using a handheld router on the edge of a board

Step 2. Make the Cottage

Mark the center of the board and cut a 45-degree angle on either side of the mark.

Cutting an angle on the end of board with a miter saw

Next, measure from the roof’s peak and make a mark.

Marking the length of a DIY Christmas village stocking hanger

Then, cut the cottage to length.

Cutting a DIY Christmas village stocking holder to length

Set your pocket hole jig for 1-½” material and drill two pocket holes on one side.

Related: How to Use a Pocket Hole Jig (& Beginner Pitfalls to Avoid)

Drilling pocket holes on the back of a DIY Christmas village stocking hanger

Step 3. Make the Saltbox

The saltbox is made in a similar way as the cottage.

Use the diagram in the printed plan to mark and cut the angles. Then cut to length and drill two pocket holes on the backside.


Step 4. Make the Manor

Adjust your miter saw’s angle to 45 degrees and cut a bevel on the end of the board.

TIP: While this method is suitable for making a rustic stocking holder, it’s not ideal for cutting precise bevels. The blade’s tendency to deflect from top to bottom can lead to uneven cuts. When working with moldings or other projects requiring accurate bevels, I recommend adjusting the bevel at the back of the saw rather than the table.

Cutting a bevel on the end of a board

Next, measure from the roof’s peak and make a mark.

Using a tape measure to mark the length of a board

Return the saw to 90 degrees and cut to length. Then drill two pocket holes on the backside.

Using a miter saw to cut a DIY Christmas village stocking hanger to length

Step 5. Make the Church

Use the diagram in the printed plan to mark and cut the angles for the church’s back, then cut to length and drill two pocket holes on one side.

For the steeple, use the diagram in the printed plan to mark and cut the angles, the cut to length.

Apply glue to the steeple, center on the back and clamp for about 60 minutes or until the glue is dry.

Clamping a church for a wood DIY Christmas village stocking holder

Step 6. Finish the Stocking Holders

I thought it was easier to stain and paint the parts before assembling them. Please How to Finish the Stocking Holders for more information.


Step 7. Attach the Buildings to the Bases

The cottage, saltbox, and manor are set back from the base’s front and centered from side to side.

Position on the base.

Positioning a wood DIY Christmas village stocking hanger on its base

And attach using pocket screws.

Attaching a DIY wooden Christmas Village stocking holder to its base with pocket screws

The church sets back from the base’s front and centered from side to side.

Position on the base and attach using pocket hole screws.

Next, I determined where I wanted to attach the hook on the front of the base.

Marking the location for a hook on a DIY wooden Christmas village stocking hanger

And used an awl to make a starting point for the drill bit.

Related: What is an Awl? (& How to Use It)

Using an awl to make a starting point for a drill bit

Then, I used a drill bit to make a pilot hole.

Related: How to Drill Pilot Holes (Why, When & Correct Size)

Using a drill to make a pilot hole for a DIY Christmas village stocking hanger's hook

I positioned the hook over the hole and attached it using a screw that came with it.

Attaching a wooden DIY Christmas village stocking holder's hook to its base with a screw

Repeat these steps for the remaining hooks.

That’s it. Your stocking holders are complete and ready to add a festive touch to your holiday decor.

Wooden cottage and church-style Christmas village stocking holders


Final Thoughts

With just a few tools and some scrap 2×4s, you can make your own DIY Christmas village stocking holders. These charming hangers are easy to make and add a touch of holiday cheer to your mantle.

Don’t wait. Get your free plan (including the detailed instructions and measurements) now!

Thank you for stopping by. If you enjoyed this tutorial, would you please take a moment and pin it to Pinterest? I’d really appreciate it!


Recommended For You


Pin This For Later

One Comment

  1. I love these stocking holders! Saving the plan to make it for next year! Thank you! Love all your ideas Scott!

COMMENTS

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