Christmas stockings for the fashion-forward

Do the traditional Christmas shades of red and green clash with your home decor? Seattleite Ahna Holder thought so when she went looking for Christmas stockings. "I didn't really see anything I liked so I made them myself," says the architect turned stocking designer. Holder whipped up wool felt stockings for her daughter and husband in contemporary colors and designs five years ago. "My mom made everything from felt for the holidays –ornaments, wreaths, stockings – so that's what I used," she says. Friends loved them and the idea snowballed. Last year Holder launched her own line and now sells them in dozens of stores around the country as well as online.

Holder's stockings feature colors such as olive green, raspberry, butter yellow, baby blue and chocolate brown, along with some contemporary takes on red and green. Her architectural background comes through in her use of multi-layered felt flowers and geometric design. Each one looks as if it was "built" to be three-dimensional. At 12-inches by 8-inches, there's plenty of room for stuffing them full of goodies. Buying matching stockings for the kids? Each one comes with a tiny picture frame attached to the top. Just slip a photo in to identify it – and prevent Christmas morning squabbles.

This year she's offering 12 designs. You'll find them at Capers, Re-soul, Frenchy's, tottini, Stuhlbergs and online at www.2modern.com and www.plumparty.com. Prices range from $39 to $45. For more information visit www.ahnaholder.com.

Copyright © The Seattle Times Company