Boy smocking is always a challenge, especially when it comes to the holidays.

The rules are as follows: nothing too ‘old fashioned’ ; nothing too ‘cutesy’ ; nothing too ‘fey’.

Hopefully, this nutcracker soldier offers you a way to incorporate smocking into your holiday sewing without sentencing your little one to years of intensive therapy 🙂

This would make a fantastic insert in a sweatshirt or for younger boys, a whole phalanx of nutcrackers, marching in lockstep across a pair of overalls or a romper would be lovely. And it doesn’t have to be limited to children’s clothing. This would look lovely on a pillow, a tree skirt or anywhere you might need a bit of holiday spirit.

I’ve given the colours in DMC but you could make it your own by using metallic or specialty threads for an extra bit of shine. You can download the smocking plate by clicking here.

I myself am not doing any holiday sewing (I made two holiday dresses for Ellie last winter) and they still fit this year so rather than overwhelm her little closet, I’m holding off until next year, when she’ll need some new duds. I am going to do a couple of quick embroidered shirts for the boys but beyond that, I’m planning on taking it easy over the holidays.

I hope you enjoy this smocking plate. As always, feel free to share this project with your friends, but please credit my website and don’t resell or repost it.