I don’t know about you, but my washing machine eats socks all the time and I have a HUGE old sock pile. Poor lonely socks with no mates. It got me thinking, rather than throwing them away, what can I use them for…. here are some suggestions!

Dusting Cloths

The thicker the better! Slip your hand in and lightly spray the sock with either a little Mr Sheen, water or whatever you would normally use and wipe away!

Grass Slippers

My littlest baby hates crawling on the grass as it prickles her knees. Chop the toe off the sock and slip them up on bubs legs. It will add extra padding and stop the prickles. This is also great if your little one is getting sore knees from crawling on tiles etc.

Ice Pack/Heat pack

To make an ice pack: Grab that odd sock, put some ice in it and tie up the end. Use a rubber band if the sock isn’t long enough to tie up on itself. Much better than using a bag of peas for those bumps and scrapes. To make a heat pack: Loosely fill with rice and sew the end shut. All you need to do is pop it in the microwave for between 1 to 2 minutes and then apply to affected area. If you’d like to be able to wash it simply pop another odd sock over the top then when laundering just put the external one in the wash.

Small Dog/ Puppy Jumper

This is so simple and not only looks cute but really works! Get whatever size sock you need and cut the toe off it. Cut two holes in the sock where the front legs will go. Make sure the sock/jumper isn’t too long otherwise the pooch will pee on it. A good way to remedy this is to cut an arch shape from the belly part going all the way to the tail end.

Hand puppets

Sew on some button eyes and some wool hair and away you go. They’ll keep the kids happy for ages!

Shell Bag

I try to keep an odd sock or two in the boot of the car for when we go to the beach. The kids love to collect shells so they just pop them in one of the socks and it keeps them from being scattered through the car on the way home. Also good for putting rocks in that kids like to collect too. Or you can even use them as a marble bag!

Pet Toy

Stuff with scrunched up newspaper and tie the end closed. Puppies love them!

Old Sock Stubby Cooler

Slip one onto your cold drink bottle and it will help keep it cool, your hand warm and act as a grip so you don’t drop it. This also works for hot drinks!

Polishing Leather

Old socks are great for polishing leather. Just put the polish on the sock and away you go!

Door Draft Snakes

Grab together as many socks as you need for the size of your door. Now you can either cut the toes out of the socks and sew them all together to create one long tub, or you can leave the toes on and fill the socks individually. Whatever method you choose to use, fill with some sand and stitch up the end. Very versatile and always handy coming into the cooler months.