We all know the line, "the stockings were hung by the chimney with care." But how do you hang stockings with no mantel in sight? Even without a fireplace, you have lots of great options. With our creative Santa-approved ideas, you'll find the perfect place to hang your Christmas stockings without a mantel.
Staircase Railing
A staircase is a common focal point for Christmas decorations. Hang stockings along a garland-decorated staircase railing.
Hang From Garland
Hang the Christmas stockings from a garland with ornament hooks. Secure a holly or pine garland from any of these areas:
- Fireplace: For a fireplace that doesn't have a mantel, you can drape a garland over the firebox high enough to keep the stockings away from flames.
- Wall: Drape a garland festoon style (hung from two or more points) across a wall.
- Console Table: Hang garland above a console table at picture height, with stockings suspended from it.
- Door Frame: Decorate an interior door frame with your favorite garland and hang stockings down the length of both sides.
Bookcase
Bookcase shelves are an ideal spot for hanging Christmas stockings. This is a great choice if the room where you place your Christmas tree has a built-in or freestanding bookcase or some other type of shelving unit.
Shelves
Bookcases aren't the only shelving option for displaying Christmas stockings. Use a wall of shelving or a simple floating shelf. If your den or living room doesn't have any shelving, consider putting a temporary floating shelf on the wall beside the Christmas tree.
- Decorate the shelf with garland, Christmas lights, and/or ornaments to create a nice seasonal display.
- If space is available, place a bench underneath the shelf and decorate it with Christmas pillows.
Stocking Holders and Stands
You can place decorative stocking holders and stands on any flat surface, such as a shelf, table, bookshelf or buffet hutch.
Fireplace Screen
If you aren't going to use your fireplace and have a curtained or glass built-in fireplace screen, you can attach a small wall rack and secure some Christmas greenery to it. Now you have a perfect place to hang your stockings!
Tinsel Line
You can also suspend stylish stockings above the firebox or in front of a fireplace screen by securing a tinsel strand across the fireplace width. The stockings are hung using a brick wall hanger. The connection is camouflaged with tartan plaid bows for a cute decorative look.
Plaque With Hooks
Use a Christmas plaque with hooks along the bottom for hanging hats or mugs. Simply retrofit a basic Christmas plaque with hooks, or even decorative door knobs, to transform it into a stocking holder.
Wall Coat and Hat Racks
Move the coats and hats to the closet and relegate the coat or hat rack as an ideal place to hang Christmas stockings when you don't have a mantel. Decorate the rack with holiday greenery or faux poinsettias. Add a few Christmas ribbons and bow for a complete look.
Adhesive Wall Hooks
Transform a plain wall near your Christmas tree just for the holidays by placing stockings on a few adhesive-backed hooks designed specifically for walls. You can easily remove this type of hook once the season is over.
Bough & Branches
Cut a cedar bough, along with a pine or birch branch and mount it above the firebox or on a wall near the Christmas tree. You can then hang your stockings from rustic nails or attractive hooks attached to the limb/bough.
Kitchen Island
If your kitchen and living room are connected, hang your stockings along your kitchen island or outer counter ledge. This is an easy way to bring the whole room together, especially for when you are hosting holiday parties.
Blanket Ladder
Blanket ladders are a fun room accent that don't get the use they deserve. Move your blanket collection to another spot in your home — the cold weather probably has you using a lot of them right now anyway — and place your stockings on the ladder rungs instead.
Christmas Tree
No one ever said that you can't just hang those stockings on your tree! After all, we add tinsel and ornaments. For the folks with smaller stockings, this can be a fun way to trim your tree and add a little extra whimsy.
Ever wonder why we hang hosiery every year? Legend has it that one Christmas, a recently widowed man who was the father of three daughters was having a hard time making ends meet. Since he was not one to take charity, Santa decided to sneak down his chimney and place gold coins in the girl's recently laundered stockings. The rest is history!
Creative Ways to Hang Christmas Stockings Without a Mantel
Whether you don't have a fireplace mantel or simply prefer not to use yours for Christmas stockings, it's easy to come up with different ways to display them. Place your stockings close to the Christmas tree for a classic and picturesque decorating solution.
