Old Socks? Be Creative!
Have some fun with these projects, beautify your home, enlist the aid of any children you may have lounging around the house feeling bored (or if it is too hot to play outside).
My socks have a tendency to wear out at the toe and at the top edge where the elastic gets stretched to the limit.
Below are some things that you can do to reuse old socks. Thank you to Megan Willett and Business Insider for the post on 61 Things You Can Do With Your Old Mismatched Socks. For additional information, click on the hyperlink at the beginning of the project.
No-Sew Sock Puppy. I love sock toys but hate to sew. Then I found this DYI from thejerseymomma.com Meet Fritz. He is made with a sock, rubber bands and fiberfill stuffing. Add whatever you want to give him character.
Decorate planters: Especially if you like pretty or interesting patterned socks, like I do, you can reuse the top part of the sock as a decorative planter covering. Instead of painting planters or using them as-is, you can cover boring pots with a sock. Cut off the foot end of the sock and then place the terracotta or plastic planter inside the sock. You can either bring the sock just under the lip of the pot or tuck the top of the sock into the pot before filling with soil.
Clean a dry erase board: Instead of wasting a paper towel or using the eraser that came with it, a better method to clean marker off of a dry erase board is with socks. This also works well with chalk boards, too.
Cover ice packs: Make ice packs feel more tolerable on bare skin by slipping a sock over the ice pack. This will let it touch your skin without giving you freezer burn. This is especially helpful for children’s small owies. Cover the small ice pack, or reusable plastic frozen ice cube, or a snack-sized ziplock filled with frozen peas) with a colorful, fun sock.
Jar and Glass Cozies: In the summertime, the cold liquid in my drinking glass condenses on the outside of the glass causing the ubiquitous ring if the coffee table. In both cases, the sock will absorb any liquid that could run down the glass or jar and keep rings from forming on your shelves. Place a toe-end of a sock on the bottom of any jar that can get sticky or oily in the cabinet, such as olive oil or vinegar.
Wrist warmers: Looking ahead to cooler weather… cut a thumb opening in the heel of the sock and slip it on your hand. Measure where you want the cut off to be for your fingers (around where your knuckles are), and save the discarded fabric to make a cuff.
Store shoes: If you’re traveling or moving shoes, slip them into socks to protect them from getting banged up or scratched when they rub against each other. The other benefit is that it will keep the dirty soles off of your clean clothes in transit.
Prevent furniture from scratching floors: Place socks on the bottom of chairs or table legs to keep them from scratching during a big move or just in general. I did this we fun and fanciful infant socks. Anyone who came to visit got a chuckle when they saw them.
Avoid paint stains on shoes: If you have a big painting job, slip a few pairs of socks over your shoes. This works best if you have the kind of socks that have a non-slip grid on the bottom. You’ll prevent paint from getting all over your favorite pair and can simply remove the socks once you’re done.