It’s time to bring out all those lonely orphan socks that you’ve been accumulating for long and put them to work. Here are the best ways to do so.
41. Use as a mitt to polish shoes.
42. Place your shoes inside spare socks next time you’re packing your suitcase.
43. Fill two spare socks with baking soda or coffee grounds, and leave in shoes overnight to deodorize them.
44. 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. You can also try these other tricks to make your shoes last longer.
45. Take two tall socks, fill with newspaper or paper, and place the stuffed socks into boots to keep them from falling over.
46. Take a tall sock, and make boot cuffs – – these can add a pop of color and design and stop chafing.
47. Use to wipe off dry-erase boards or chalkboards.
48. Put a sock on your hand, wet it, and clean hard-to-reach places, like between blinds, along moldings, and in corners.
49. 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.
50. Employ a sock as an eco-friendly, reusable swiffer cover by stretching it to go over the swiffer bottom (chenille socks are especially good at picking up dust).
51. Put your hand in a sock, dampen it, and use as a mitt to clean houseplants of dust and other debris.
52. 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!).
53. Reserve your more attractive single socks to serve as colorful covers for flower pots or vases.
54. For those of you with a large number of spare socks and a high level of crafty-ness, cut socks into strips and braid them together into a bath mat or even a rug.
55. If you can sew, construct a change purse or cellphone case.
56. You can create a variety of cute stuffed Christmas decorations – from the table top (like these snowpeople) to the hanging-from-a-tree variety.
57. Combine socks with a variety of hues and patterns to craft a fabric wreath—make one for Christmas or year-round.
58. For Easter morning breakfast, dress up hard- or soft-boiled eggs with adorable egg cozies. For this, you decorate baby socks with felt, eyes, and feathers.
Pet Projects
59. 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.
60. Fill it with catnip and knot it to create a cat toy.
