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What to do With Old Socks

By Sharla Kostelyk

(This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure policy.)

Do you have a pile of single socks because their pairs were eaten by the dryer or got lost or got a hole in them? I certainly do!

I pay the kids 10 cents a pair to find matches for them. They are surprisingly motivated by this so sometimes, the level goes down, but inevitably, the pile grows again and the basket I keep them in threatens to spill over. I used to go through them and find the ones that I haven’t seen the matches for in the longest time and throw them out. It always made me feel like I was wasting perfectly good socks to do that though, so I’ve come up with some other uses for them and now, none go to waste!

Do you have piles of unmatched socks? These household helps, crafts, games and activities are great ways for them not to go to waste!Image Copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo

What To Do With Old Socks:

-use them for rags.

-slip a sock onto the bottom of bottles of oil so that they don’t leave rings in your pantry.

-fill with rice and tie to make a homemade stress ball.

-use an elastic to secure a sock onto a yardstick or broom handle and use it to dust hard to reach places like ceiling fans and high ledges.

-put ice or ice packs in them.

-stop drafts by filling socks with other socks, rice or a filler and use them under doorways.

-wear them mismatched since that’s the style anyway!

-use them to make sock buns.

-turn it into an aromatherapy pillow.

-make an adorable no sew snake sock stuffie.

-make play donuts using men’s socks.

-do a fun math activity and play Socks in the Box.

-sew a sock monkey. Or take it up a notch and make a superhero sock monkey.

-make a hobby horse worthy of giving as a gift.

-make a bubble snake. These are really fun for the summer months!

Ideas for Old or Mismatched Socks

-sew an animal baby rattle.

-make puppets. Here’s a few examples: fox puppet, Olaf puppet, adorable and simple horse puppet, sock monsters, and silly sock puppets.

-make an Olaf snowman.

-make them into sock animals. The fuzzy owl is so cute!

-put on some music and do some sock mopping with your kids.

-make a sock pumpkin craft in the fall.

-play sock snowballs just for fun.

-make sock stuffed toys.

–craft with socks.

What about you? What do you do with your old or mismatched socks?

Filed Under: Crafts and Activities

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