65 absolutely brilliant uses for old socks

These uses for old socks will finally give those lonely orphan socks that you’ve been accumulating for years a purpose.

Use it to hold your jewellery when you travel. The sock will provide cushioning and it will also (hopefully) deter thieves.

Use spare socks when you need to pack breakables like glasses or vases or use them as padding in boxes.

The next time you garden, put sock cuffs over your knees to protect your clothes and provide a bit of padding.

They’re also great for storing breakable Christmas ornaments.

Another holiday tip: Cut off the cuff part of the sock and put it on wrapping paper rolls so the paper won’t slide off.

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You can use the cuff part to wrangle and contain loose electrical cords.

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Cut a sock into strips to tie your growing plants to stakes.

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When painting, slide larger socks over your sneakers and shoes to shield them from splatter.

Place a sock in your bed frame to stop squeaks.

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When moving furniture at home, put socks on the feet of your chair or table legs to prevent scratching the floors.

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Take multiple socks, fill them with a mix of popcorn kernels and quilt/pillow batting, and connect them! Voila: You’ve got a nifty draft stopper to put under the door.

Use stray socks to cover your golf clubs.

Keep any stray golf, ping pong, and other small balls together in a sock.

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Put your wet umbrella in an orphan sock to keep the inside of your car dry.

Fill socks with silica kitty litter (which is extremely absorbent), and keep them on rear and/or front window ledge to stop windshields from fogging up.

On a hot, sunny day, place a sock over the metal parts of seat belts so they don’t burn people’s skin.

Place a tennis ball inside a sock, knot it, and use this to roll out knots in your back or legs.

Combat aches and cramps with a DIY heating pad. Just fill a clean, dry sock (use one that’s all or mostly cotton or wool, with no embellishments) with white or brown rice (not the instant or quick-cooking kind), dried beans, flaxseed or barley. Either knot the sock or sew it shut with cotton thread, and microwave it for one minute. If it’s not hot enough, up the time in 15-second increments.

For pains and itches that require a cold touch, fill a plastic bag with ice and place it inside of a sock to make a softer ice pack.

For an ergonomic wrist rest for your computer, take a sock, stuff it with filling, and sew it closed. Whether it resembles a ferret, cat, another mammal, or no animal at all is up to you and your preferences and skill.

In a pinch, cut off the cuff and use it as a scrunchie in your hair.

Follow these steps to create a chic sock bun (don’t worry: you’ll be the only one to know a sock is in there).

Curl your hair while you sleep by tying up hair with singleton socks. In the morning, you’ll have mermaid waves.

When dry hands and feet need extra attention, slather lotion on your extremities, cover them with socks and go to sleep. Wake up to baby skin.

Stash socks in the kitchen where they’re surprisingly useful. For starters, when cooking on the stove, slip one over the handle of your saucepan or frying pan; this will not only shield your hand from the heat but also prevent the handle from getting sticky.

Use a spare sock as a grip to help open stubborn jars.

Keep your cupboard and refrigerator clean by deploying single socks to cover the bottoms of bottles or jars containing messy, sticky, drippy stuff like syrup, honey, molasses, and barbecue sauce.

The cuff can also serve as an armband to hold your phone while working out.

Store your eyeglasses in a sock.

Cut off the cuff of a sports sock and use it as a wristband when you’re working out.

Or, make fingerless gloves. If you want a matched pair, use an extra long knee sock.

Fashion a sleep mask with an old sock, some flat backing fabric, and an elastic band.

Put potpourri or dried flowers and herbs inside a sock, knot it, and stash in drawers to make them smell nice.

Fill a sock with mothballs and stow in a drawer, chest or closet to ward off moths.

To soften laundry without using fabric softener or dryer balls, take a couple of socks, put a tennis ball inside each, knot them, and throw into the dryer before running your next load of laundry.

Create an easy dryer sachet by filling a sock with a mix of lavender and flax seed, closing it, and using it with a dryer load.

A larger sock can make an improvised wash bag to hold delicates like lingerie or stuffed animals.

Use as a mitt to polish shoes.

Place your shoes inside spare socks next time you’re packing your suitcase.

Fill two spare socks with baking soda or coffee grounds, and leave in shoes overnight to deodorise them.

Stuff a sock into another sock, then put the whole ball inside your shoes when you’re not wearing them. This will help them retain their shape (and looks) longer.

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Take two tall socks, fill with newspaper or paper, and place the stuffed socks into boots to keep them from falling over.

Use to wipe off dry-erase boards or chalkboards.

Put a sock on your hand, wet it, and clean hard-to-reach places, like between blinds, along mouldings, and in corners.

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To dust extra-tall (e.g., on ceilings) or extra-narrow (under appliances or radiators) spots, fasten a sock to the end of a yardstick or a broom, dampen, and clean (chenille socks are especially good at picking up dust).

Put your hand in a sock, dampen it, and use it as a mitt to clean houseplants of dust and other debris.

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Construct a pincushion by stuffing with toy filling (you can find at craft stores) and sew it into a ball. Bonus points for fashioning into a pleasing shape (like this mushroom!).

When shedding season arrives and you can’t find a brush, put a sock on your hand, wet it, and use to remove excess hair from your cat or dog.

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Fill it with catnip and knot it to create a cat toy.

Put a tennis ball or chew bone inside a sock, knot it, and you’ve got a pull toy for a dog.

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Hamster owners: there’s a craft for you, too. You can make a sleeping bag for your wee one.

Use a bigger, prettier sock to make a jacket for a flask.

Use the cuff as a soda or beer can holder to keep your hands dry and your beverage cold.

When you go on a hike or day trip on a hot day, pack a frozen water bottle and put a sock over it to keep the water cold longer.

Next time you give someone a bottle of wine, wrap it in a cute sock (not a white athletic sock) to dress it up and cushion it.

For help with your kids, check out the next 18 uses for old socks. Socks can be turned into a chestful of soft toys for your kids. The most easiest and most basic is the sock puppet.

By taking a sock, stuffing it, and sewing it, you can turn it into a zoo’s worth of animals, both real (monkeys, rabbits, chickens, owls, sheep, lions, octopi, bears) and imaginary/extinct (dinosaurs, monsters, dragons). Look on Etsy and Pinterest for ideas.

Put a bell inside a baby sock, add polyfill stuffing, sew shut, and embellish to make a rattle.

Construct a hacky sack by filling a single sock with rice or lentils or sand, shaping into a ball, and sewing it closed.

Put together an adorable, 3-D advent calendar for a child. Use babies’ or children’s socks in attractive colours or patterns, attach numbers, enclose gifts, and pin up.

With scissors and pins, you can make all kinds of clothes for all kinds of dolls, whether they’re Barbies, American Girls, or others.

Since soap can be slippery for small hands, put the bar inside a clean sock and knot it to make it easier for kids to use.

Cut off the toes from a sock and use the cuffs to protect baby’s knees when they’re learning to crawl.

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When your baby has chickenpox or insect bites, put socks over their hands to stop them from scratching themselves.

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Since kids are frequently ripping their clothes, spare socks can provide comfy material for patches. You can also use a spare sock to add pockets to their clothes.

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Source: RD.com