Happy Lost Sock Day: Putting Lonely Socks to Useful Purposes
Guest post from Imperfect Homemaker contributor, Andrea.
Did you know that there was a holiday for missing socks? Neither did I! But let me tell you – I have lots of experience with missing socks! My family does not have a washer and dryer in our urban apartment, so we utilize the laundry mat. And nearly without fail, we come home with at least one mate-less sock. I think this quote sums it up for me:
“I have come to the conclusion that dryer lint is the cremated remains of all my missing socks.”
Or perhaps you can relate to this one:
Whatever the reason, I’m sure we all have some missing socks in our homes! I always hate to throw away those perfectly good socks, just because their mate is M.I.A.. So what can we do to put lonely socks to useful purposes? A quick search on Pinterest revealed many ideas. Here is a list of the best ideas I found, and a few of my own ideas too!
Children:
- Make a Sock Fishing Game: Basically, you stick a heavy duty magnet down in the toe of a baby/child’s sock, then stuff it (with paper, fabric, etc.). Tie up the ends, decorate it, and you have an adorable homemade fishing game that the kids will love! I made this with my kids and shared it on my blog here.
- Sock Puppets: Put a few miscellaneous craft supplies to use and get creative with your kids making sock puppets!
- Foxtails: You know – those balls with a tail? Stick a tennis ball in a lonely tube sock, tie with a hair rubber band, and go play in the back yard! If you want more information on Foxtails, check out this link.
- Baby Doll Socks: My daughter loves to dress her baby doll in real baby clothes – the ones left over from her siblings. Give the mismatched baby socks to your kids to dress up their dolls or stuffed animals. (As long as your child is not OCD about matching).
- Dog Toy: Not exactly for your kids, unless they like to play with the dog. As a kid I used to tie knots in old socks to make a tug-o-war rope for the dogs.
Crafts:
You can make all kinds of crafts with lonely socks! Here are a few ideas to get you started (and there are many variations on Pinterest!)
Household:
- Bottle Sleeve: Use a lonely sock to insulate your water bottle in the summer. It will absorb the “sweat” from your bottle and keep items in your bag/purse dry!
- Suitcase Organization: My family is on deputation for missionary work right now, and we are doing a lot of traveling. There are always tiny items getting lost in the abyss of the suitcase. Use various sized lonely socks to organize everything from jewelry, to belts and accessories, to kids’ bow ties and hair bows. I can’t wait to put this idea to use on our next trip!
- Dusting: Slide a sock over your hand and dust away. This would be especially helpful when using furniture polish. I use Scotts Liquid Gold on my wood furniture, but I hate touching the rag and getting the oils all over my skin. You could also make a reusable Swiffer-type duster out of old socks.
- Shoe Polishing: You can use mate-less socks to polish your shoes. When they are worn out, toss them in the garbage and start over with another lonely sock!
- Shipping: Use socks to pack valuables for shipping or moving. You could place glasses and stemware into the sock itself, or use the socks to pack around items in a box.
- GPS/Electronic Protector: We do not leave our GPS in the windshield because it invites theft. We have had our car window broken twice since moving to Brooklyn; in each case something electronic was the target. One time we think they were looking for the GPS because the glove box had been emptied. However, I stored my GPS in a cosmetic bag in the side door, and so the thief came up empty handed. You could use a lonely sock to protect electronics such as your GPS, and “camouflage” them at the same time!
- Soap Exfoliator: Slide a bar of soap into a mate-less sock and wash the car, the bathtub, or even yourself. The sock will exfoliate the soap suds!
My last tip comes from personal experience. These are ideas are great for using those lonely socks. But it may be better to prevent the missing sock epidemic from happening in the first place. I throw all of my kids’ socks into a mesh laundry bag prior to heading to the laundry mat. 
I wash and dry them in the bag. They are usually still damp after going through a dry cycle this way. When I get home I spread them all over the dining room table to air dry overnight, and then I mate them and put them away in the morning. It has been mostly successful for me thus far!
So go out and celebrate Lost Sock Day. Make a craft. Dust your house. But if you can't find any of these ideas useful, then please throw away those mate-less socks and and at least be clutter free!