Socks ready to be turned into crafty creations.
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They had the best of intentions. They really did. Grandmothers, distant relatives, even Mom and Dad who were sick of staring at your holey stockings. And now, you are the proud owner of 30 pairs of socks!
If you don't plan on wearing every last pair, here are five ways to utilize their crafty potential. Some of these are fun to do with kids, so if you've got young cousins, nephews/nieces or your own offspring running around, ask them to join you.
1. Sock Animal Puppets
Howcast.com can teach you how to make a sock puppet in a little over a minute. While sock puppets are fairly intuitive, this video does a nice job of showing you special touches to give your puppet character (like a well-placed set of teeth). In addition to your sock, you'll need scissors, felt, a hot glue gun, buttons and/or googly eyes, and accessories for this project. Items gathered, you're ready to roll.
2. Sock Quilt
Cut your socks into equal-sized squares, and decorate with fabric paint or dye. Allow ample time to dry, then stitch together the squares accordingly. (Because many socks have a looser weave, this is one of those times you can use yarn and large yarn needle if you don't feel like messing with a sewing machine).
3. Sock Snowmen
This is another good craft to do with kids. We love Write. Click. Scrapbook's step-by-step instructions for transforming white tube socks into a family of snowmen, and are particularly impressed by the way they're accessorized. Snowmen in three-piece suits? We'll take it.
4. Sock Coffee Cozy
This is a quick, simple craft that will help you recycle your socks and save your hands from hot mugs all at once. Check out Handmade News' tutorial for turning the long (non-foot) end of a tube sock into a comely coffee cozy. While you're at it, you may sort through your sock drawer for any socks who have lost their mate, and upcycle them with this speedy craft idea.
