5 ideas for recycling old socks

Why recycle?

Recycling old clothes can make our day and our lives easier by getting rid of outdated stuff that are no longer needed. At the same time, we'll make a new, useful little thing, quickly come up with a nice present, or spend some time with our kids and, through some of these mutual projects, get them to like hand crafts.

In this post you will find 5 ideas for recycling old socks, stockings, and nylon tights.

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1. Swans made from wire and nylon stockings

For these lovely swans you will need long nylon stockings or tights, a piece of wire, scissors, and for the wings a piece of tulle, crocheting thread or old doilies, whichever you prefer.

The procedure is very simple - bend the wire in shape of letter "S" and wrap it around with the nylon stocking which you have previously cut into long strips. Start from the beak, and finish at the tail. The head and the neck of the swan should be wrapped with 2 or 3 layers of nylon fabric, while the body needs to be fatter. Therefore, make sure you wrap more layers around the body. To get the body fatter you could also put some cotton balls or some yarn leftovers around the wire and then wrap all that with the stocking.

For the black swan, I crocheted the wings from golden thread in the shape of half-circles and sewed them to the body. Then, I pulled the excess stocking through the holes of the wings and I got a nice, interesting pattern on the wings. If you're not into crocheting, you can use some old doilies for making the wings. In case of the white swan, I used a piece of tulle which I folded in zigzag and hand sewed to the back of the bird. I also made a silver crochet crown.

If you want your swan to have a tail, one version is to use another piece of wire and fold it into an oval or round shape, and wrap it up with a piece of stocking. Then you can attach it to the body either by sewing it onto the body, or by wrapping the stocking around it while finishing the back part of the bird. The possibilities are endless. Take a look at this video tutorial for a more complex variation of the swan.

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2. Glamorous Sexy Gloves from old nylon knee-length socks

On  this link you will find detailed, yet simple instructions for converting old nylon socks into elegant fingerless gloves for special occasions. With some extra lace, the gloves will get a bit more flamboyant tone. I used socks with shimmering fabric, so they matched perfectly with a sparkling black dress that I wore in a ballroom.

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3. Stuffed Toys

Photo taken from the Internet

Video tutorial for a sock puppy

This is great fun for younger schoolchildren. From old torn children's socks (or adults') you can make a bunny, a bear, a dog, a unicorn... anything you like! The best is to use winter socks from soft materials. Beside socks, you will also need some kind of pillow filling or cotton balls, scissors, needle and thread, and a few buttons for eyes. Old, unused pillows can be great for stuffing the toys.

 Photos taken from the Internet

Photo tutorial for Easter Bunny from socks

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4. Nylon-Stockings Yarn

From old nylon stockings or tights you can make yarn for crocheting or knitting. Have a look at this great video tutorial and use up your unworn, torn stockings for making bags, coasters, wall hangings, bath mats, doormats...
How to make nylon stockings yarn

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5. Bun Doughnut 

If you like buns, and you don't have a bun doughnut which makes it thicker and fluffier, this video tutorial will show you how to make the doughnut with a few old pairs of tights. The colour of the bun doughnut can be matched with your own hail colour.

Photo taken from the net

A Few Words at the End

If you have already tried out some of these ideas for recycling old socks, or if you are planning to do so, if you have a question, please write comments, suggestions, and critics. And, of course, enjoy creating new things!