Toodle-Lu THINK OUTSIDE THE GIFT BOX

Sure, you could buy a holiday gift at a department store, but it wouldn’t have the same sentimental value as a personalized craft, says LuAnn Luekemeyer. That’s the whole idea behind Toodle-Lu, her line of custom handmade Christmas stockings.

“The whole way Toodle-Lu started is actually a sentimental story,” she explains. “When I got married about 11 years ago, I made a Christmas stocking for my stepson. It was our first Christmas together, and that was my gift to him, so it had a lot of meaning.”

Luekemeyer’s friends and family members admired that stocking so much that they began requesting them.

“I kept on making them for friends and family throughout the years and eventually I just thought, ‘Well, why not make a little business out of this so that anyone else who wants one can buy one?’”

And thus, the birth of Toodle-Lu. Her customized Christmas stockings are ornate, with details like mini-dollhouses and hand-cut felt décor. Most of those stockings take her about a week to complete but during the holidays, she’s expecting a flood of orders, so there may be a longer turnaround time.

“As we near Christmas, I may be up working on these stockings all night like one of Santa’s little helpers, but that suits me just fine,” Luekemeyer says. “I love making these stockings for other people to enjoy.”

WEBSITE: toodle-lu.com

PRICE RANGE: $180-$250

CONTACT: info@toodlelu.com or 469.744.4342