Reusing old socks

(Updated from a post first published in 2017) 

I try to repair my socks before they get to the unwearable stage but sometimes they become impossible to repair. So what to do then?

I just discovered this brilliant document from Love Your Clothes full of ideas for how to reuse socks, from making sock puppets to using in cleaning to storage.


I have recently taken to cutting the elastic part off the top of the sock and using it like this

which is very useful, better than an elastic band! Then I cut up the rest of the sock fabric to use as stuffing for cushions etc. (I try to buy as much as possible loose from Eco Larder and put them into my own jars but some things aren't available that way and I then try to buy from Real Foods, whose packaging (like that above) is non-plastic.

I also used an old hiking sock as a cosy for one of my keep cups - it keeps the drink hotter for longer and stops my hands getting too warm

and most recently I made this wrist rest for my computer mouse, the sock is stuffed with lentils and sewn up

And you can see my camera case made from an old sock here.