Instead of using a fireplace to hang stockings, you can hang them across the footboard of your bed for a cozy, festive appearance. If you wish, you can turn any large piece of furniture into a mantel-like stocking display. Just place stocking holders on top of the furniture or shelf, then hang your stockings from the holders. You can also display your stockings along the stair rail, hanging from cabinet door pulls, or displayed in a window surrounded by lights. If you like, you can use a festive coat rack or tree branch to make a holiday stocking display. Or you can use a strand of garland to create a festive rope for hanging stockings.
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7 Incredible Places to Hang Stockings Without a Fireplace
Even if you don’t have a fireplace in your home, you can bring holiday cheer to your space, complete with stockings! Here are the most attractive places to hang stockings, plus they’re all easy to accomplish.
On Your Bed Frame
The footboard of a bed makes an excellent place to hang a string of stockings. Even better, you can hang each family member’s stocking on their own bed. This makes it easy to put stocking-stuffing gifts inside for a holiday surprise. To hang stockings on your bed:
- Use a pushpin to attach one end of this festive twine to the top left corner of the footboard. Do not cut the twine yet.
- Decide whether you want your twine to run straight across, or curve downward in a gentle loop.
- Once you’ve decided on the length of the twine, cut the twine to length.
- Hang your stockings along the twine by threading the twine through the stocking loops.
- Attach the free end of the twine to the top right corner of the footboard.
Just like that, you have a string of stockings running across your footboard. However, you can hang your stockings on the headboard or between the posts of a four-poster if you prefer.
Cabinet or Bookcase
You can achieve the effect of stockings on a mantel without a fireplace. Here’s how:
- Clear space on top of a large, flat piece of furniture, such as a cabinet, hutch, bookshelf, or piano
- Place these weighted stocking holders on the cleared area.
- Hang your stockings from the hooks.
- Add holiday decor around the holders, to create a stocking display.
Stocking holders are heavy enough to keep stockings in place, even if they’re filled with gifts. Because stocking holders come in a variety of designs, you can choose your favorite. Or, with a little DIY, you can personalize a stocking holder for each family member.
Stairway
A row of stockings trailing up a staircase is a gorgeous sight during the holiday season. With the right decor, it can be far more eye-catching than stockings hanging over the fireplace. Here’s how you can achieve this look:
- Cut a 12-inch (30 cm) piece of string for each stocking.
- Run the length of string through the stocking loop and tie the string in place around the stair rail. The stocking will hang from this string.
- Wrap your stair rail in garland, tinsel, and/or lights to hide the string.
This simple system allows you to avoid using push pins or nails, so it works on every type of stair rail. Plus, the lights and garland on the stairs create a festive effect. We recommend hanging stockings on the outside of a stair rail, where they are most visible.
Door Pulls
In a pinch, you can spread the holiday spirit throughout your home by hanging stockings on door pulls. Here are some tips to make it easy:
- Pick seldom-used cabinets and doors, to avoid stockings being pulled on or closed in the door.
- Do not hang stockings in kitchen areas where they may be stained during holiday cooking.
- If hanging on doors with small pulls—such as cabinets—use the stocking loop to hang the stocking.
- If you are hanging your stockings on doors with large handles, run a length of string through the stocking loop, then tie the string to the door handle.
Stockings hanging from the doors of a bar cart, or high kitchen cabinets spread the holiday look to areas that may otherwise be lacking decor. Plus, this is an easy trick that can be used in almost any home.
In the Window
What’s cuter than stockings hanging in a window surrounded by holiday lights? By hanging your stockings in a picture window, they can be seen from the outside or inside. This allows them to add to the exterior look of your home, as well as the interior. Here’s how to do it:
- Choose a large window, preferably one that faces the street.
- Decorate the exterior by hanging lights and garland around the window.
- On the interior, hang a strand of twine, lights, or tinsel in a loop across the top third of the window.
- Hang your stockings along this string.
- If your family stockings have names on them, make sure they are facing inward for privacy.
Although it may seem simple, the effect of this choice is gorgeous. The lights around the window will shine soft light. This shows silhouetted stockings hanging in the window of a beautiful family home.
DIY Wall-Mounted Stocking Holders
If you don’t want to along a shelf or other piece of furniture, you can make a festive stocking holder by mounting one of the following to your wall:
- A pine branch.
- A pair of skis.
- This rustic coat rack.
- Hang tree branches or skis by using command hooks.
- Use the included hardware to mount a coat rack.
Command hooks are an easy way to hang creative stocking racks like tree branches without putting holes in your wall. They’re easy to remove, so you can take your decor down without a fuss once the holidays have ended.
Garland or Tinsel
Garland, tinsel, and lights make excellent strands to hang stockings. You can run the garland through the stocking loop, or tie your stockings to the garland with colored ribbon. To use garland or tinsel for this purpose:
- Plan a wall for holiday decor.
- Hang 1 to 2 loops of garland across the wall.
- Hang stockings from the loops.
- Attach stockings to garland wherever you wish—around door frames, along stairs, or over windows.
Because garland, tinsel, and lights come in so many different styles, you can create a unique holiday look. Silver tinsel combined with colorful lights and stockings creates a fun, retro aesthetic. Meanwhile, green garland, warm lights, and long stockings achieve a classic look.
How Do You Hang Stockings on a Mantle Without Hooks?
If you are considering alternative places to hang stockings because you don’t want to use mantle hooks, you have other options. There are several ways to hang stockings on any type of fireplace. A simple curtain rod hung below the mantle can serve as a great place to hang stockings. You can even hang stockings on fireplaces with no mantle. Just tie your stockings to a strand of garland above the fireplace.
Where Should You Hang Stockings Other than a Fireplace?
When deciding where to hang your stockings this year, there are several creative, attractive options. Here are our favorites:
- Hang stockings along the footboard or headboard of your bed.
- Use weighted stocking holders to hang stockings from a bookshelf or the top of a cabinet.
- Tie stockings along your stair rail and complete the look with garland.
- Hang your stockings on door pulls throughout your home.
- Display your stockings in a window surrounded by holiday lights.
- Create a wall-mounted stocking display from a tree branch, ski, or wooden coat rack.
- Use ribbon to tie stockings to garland or tinsel anywhere in your home.
We like these ideas because they look great, are low-cost, and don’t require special tools. In just a few minutes, you can test out a few alternative stocking displays before you pick your favorite.
