DIY Life

I was inspired by a recent blog post and I followed that lead in the pursuit of thinking up uses for old socks. Every time we use an item for just one idea beyond it's original manufactured intent, we have increased the validity of that manufacturing act. Whether you think so or not, reusing an item just once reaffirms your respect for the entire manufacturing process from raw material to finished goods.

Yeah, it may sound stupid to some people but that just goes to show how little those people really understand their own affect on this world. If you use a Styrofoam egg carton as a paint tray for your child, you have thereby doubled the validity of that egg carton's manufactured existence, strange but true.
I will now give you a list of sock reuse ideas alternating one of mine with each of the ten fine uses my source blog suggested. I'll start from their list:

1. Fill with rice or wheat and use as a heating pad after heating for a couple moments in the microwave.
2. Cut off the elastic part and use as sweat bands on your wrists when exercising.
3. Use to dust difficult items and areas by slipping one on your hand.
4. Wear one on each hand to make quick work of washing fruits and vegetables especially potatoes.
   
5. Make a sock puppet or two.
6. Use over rubber gloves to assist in thoroughly applying flea powder or flea spray on pets.
7. Fill with fresh catnip to make a cat really happy.
8. Make a sock teddy bear (instructions in a later post).
9. Put a tennis ball in the end and make a tugging toy for puppies.
10. Fill a few with blood meal and place them around your garden to help discourage deer from snacking.
11. Fill one with stones to make a door stop.
12. Use as a marble bag for the kid's marbles.
13. Use them to hide valuables in your sock drawer.
14. Drape them over the fence for a couple days to annoy a pesky neighbor.
15. Put some left over soap pieces in one and use in the washer for delicate items or tennis shoes.
16. They work better than the round foam pads for applying paste wax to your car.
17. Use as sachet bags for unseen areas like closets.
18. Put one on the end of a broom handle for cleaning under the refrigerator.
19. Use to protect fragile items when moving, by slipping over items such as drinking glasses.
20. Hand one to someone with a big mouth...and then smile.

My personal thanks to Gomestic for always providing such down to earth inspiration on ways to reuse and recycle unwanted items.