Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am the proud owner of a large trash bag of widowed and orphaned socks--all colors, all sizes. Although Erma Bombeck would have known where to search for the mates, we've lost her and are on our own. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to use these single socks--or is there anyone who would like this bag for quilting scraps or something? Thanks.
Could you donate them to a daycare or preschool for sock puppet making?
An idea I read on this site, and am planning to try, is to take the longer socks and fill them with fiberfill or other stuffing and use for stopping air leaks at the bottoms of doors. I just haven't gotten around to doing it yet!
Use them to dust! Slip one over your hand, spray and wipe!
If you have a small loom you can cut them into strips(the short way to form loops) and weave pot holders. Another idea is to again cut them the short way and weave a rug. I have done both of these ideas and they work out great.
If you use a food saver and canning jars, slip one over each jar to limit the jars getting broken in the freezer from getting bumped. Also if they do get broken, the pieces are contained in the sock.
If you cut off the feet, they make great legwarmers for babies.
For crafts--sock puppets and also cute animal theme beanbags that are easy for kids to fill and stitch (older kids) or have adult hot glue closed (for younger kids).
For cleaning purposes, I have a bag of odd socks hanging in the laundry room and also a long 1/2" dowel. When the narrow space between my fridge and cabinets gets full of dust that I can see but can't reach, I place a sock over the end of the dowel and secore the top of the sock with a rubber band wrapped tight enough to hold. Then I am able to spray the sock lightly with cleaner and wipe up all the dust and also any spills that have gone down the side of the fridge. I use the dowel and sock under my entertainment center and big pieces of furniture that are hard to get under otherwise. When I'm through, I throw the sock away as there are many more where that one came from.
When we were children Mom saved all of the mis-matched sock for the winter. When we went out side we would double up our socks to keep our feet warm.
I use the socks that have lost their mates to make pet beds. My dogs love to get their new beds stuffed with these socks. They are launderable and fluffy!
Slit them from the toe through the heel and up to the top. Use them for cleaning rags. You can rewash and reuse or use once, and toss them out. I keep a bagful in my woodworking shop to wipe off excess glue or paint spills, etc.
Put potpourri in socks and use as a drawer freshener or can be placed in shoes for a shoe freshener.
cut off the tops and stuff with fiber fill, and sew together making a quilt.. You can mount them on a blanket or once filled make the old fashion quilt with the batting and adding a backing... either of the ways work... OR you can stuff them sew them closed and sandwich them between two layers of material as the quilt batting. Just create as you go... its fun...
If you have kitty cats, you can put catnip down inside the toe and tie a knot in the sock. You might have to cut off and discard the excess.
I USE MINE ON MY SWIFFER DRY MOP INSTEAD OF BUYING PADS FOR IT. SIMPLY SWEEP FLOOR AND TOSS IT IN WASHER TO BE RE USED(CAN'T BE USED ON SWIFFER WET JET)
I used my old mismatched socks when we moved to slip over all my small collectable trinkets. That way each had its own cozy protector for the trip AND it was much easier unpacking them after we arrived than unwrapping paper.
Use unmatched socks for painting. Instead of using a painting sponge. Works just as well!
My grandmother always said she had a "one-footed, sock stealing monster" living in her dryer. We often ended up using the single socks as rags for cleaning around the house. But as I got older, I realized the fabric of the sock worked great for removing nail polish off of my fingernails. It saved a lot of money in cotton balls and it could be re-used. I know it sounds funny but it really works! Or, sock puppets are always fun. Just add some feathers or googly eyes and you can entertain young kids for hours!
I discovered about a hundred (no kidding) unmatched socks this morning, all of different kinds and sizes. Does anyone have any idea what I can do with them before I'm forced to throw them all away? Most of them are still in pretty good shape, they just lack a partner. Thanks for the ideas! I'm open to anything.
By ramona
+donate to a daycare for making sock puppets
+search online for sock crafts
+advertise them on Freecycle--you never know, someone may want them for a craft
Don't throw them away!
Do not throw them away! I just found a ton of ideas on this site...www.thriftyfun.com/
I would save them to wrap breakables like Christmas ornaments. Tracey in Jacksonville FL
Is it possible to match some of them up with similar socks and try to make usable pairs out of them? This would work with mens black dress socks, for example, as they are so similar and not much of the sock is really visible anyway when they are worn.
This might work with white athletic socks--match them up by type like crew socks, low cut, etc. If it really bothers you that the pairs are not matching, keep them to wear with boots--they will never be seen.
I cut off the toe end and then cut a straight line in the middle of the sock between the two cut toe ends and then put it on the swiffer. I use them just plain under the swiffer, held on with hair elastics on each side of my old fashioned swiffer. I use them once and then throw them away. After reading the earlier post I am going to start making a quilt out of them. I can't wait to start on that. I always keep some in the freezer filled with rice and tied in a knot.
Occasionally I will pour the rice out in a bowl from the freezer sock and then wash the sock and t hen dry it and then put the old rice back in. It is an ice pack or it can be put in the microwave when I need a heating pad. I usually put in in for 30 seconds or more to get it hot. It gets really hot so be careful but it feels good and the frozen version is good to treat the kids little boo boos.
Robyn
Athletic socks turned inside out are my favorite shower mitts. The fact that they are thinner than a normal washcloth really makes it easier to clean my ears and bellybutton!
I use a big woolen one on the top of my broom, on the straw part. Cut off the foot first.....It protects the 'shoulder" of the broom and doesn't scratch my car if I use it to remove snow.
Wow! You guys all rock! I love these ideas, most of the ideas I was going to post are in here somewhere. I often have this same problem, just this weekend I matched 70 plus socks and ended up with a giant pile of unmatched socks left over. And next weekend I will do it AGAIN.
Great ideas, I am now inspired anew.
www.thriftyfun.com/
This is what I submitted recently. All are great ideas.
Poor But Proud
When a family friend stayed with us, he forgot his tennis wrist "bracelet" for wiping his sweat when outdoors. I took the tops off several orphaned socks, folded the freyed edge in and he was truly grateful. I realized that in a heat wave while working outside those sock tops save the day when your hands or gloves are dirty and forehead sweat begins !
Being an elder, one common problem is incontinence, as well as getting up in the night to go. I'be used always pads, but they were too expensive at 3-4/day. I began using one or two orphaned socks in between always pads, which saved me a bunch.
When I got medicare, they gave me medicine which "retrains" the bladder, and it works. I still have a number of socks, and use them for washing the cars,floors, mirrors, windows, outdoor furniture, woodwork, polishing metal hardware, and for painting.
We have three playful cats. I use the longest orphaned socks to play with them. I saw an easy toy for them I plan to make using leather finger-strips hanging like fringe, and I just happen to have a bag of leather scraps someone didn't want.
Staining wood while wearing gloves saves the hand but doesn't help the rag to wipe it clean, but the orphan socks do!
Because the toughest paper towels are not quite tough enough for all jobs, I can count on having an older orphan sock to use for the touchest cleaning. But I don't wash the ones that have the most dirt on them, in the washer. I try rinsing them, but if they are bad enough I can afford to toss them.
I have often wondered if the tops could be somehow sewn together as leggings and winter warmers, but have yet to try. : )
