Jeremy recently got rid of some socks and while he was okay to throw them away, part of me cringed. They were in too bad a shape for donation but I wondered if they could be used in another way.

So, I made these DIY sock wristlets. I love wristlets especially when my hands get cold while working in my office and I don’t want to turn up the heat. They keep my wrists warm which usually warms up my fingers and I still have all the dexterity and movement to type.

Take a sock (you could even use cute colorful ones from the thrift store) and place it on your hand—toe side past your fingers so the heel is by your thumb—determine the desired length.

Make a small cut to mark the ‘finger’ spot, remove the sock and cut straight across. For the thumb hole, make a triangular cut a little larger than a pea (with the point on the inside) about an inch or inch and a half down from the top. This small hole stretches quite a bit so it’s perfect for your thumb but will keep its shape too. Use the first sock as a pattern for the second sock and make your cuts.

What about the toe area that’s cut off? Of course I had to figure out a way to use all of the sock! These pieces conveniently came in hand a few days later when I made hot masala tea and wanted to drink it out of a clear mason jar. I stretched the sock and slipped the glass inside.

A perfect ‘cozy’ to protect my hands and insulate the glass.

Other ways to use an old sock with some ideas from our Feed Your Skull Facebook community:

• “Polishing shoes… Dust tags….bike repair rags” – Diane F. (my Mom-in-love)
• “I clean bathrooms with ’em, with disposable glove underneath.” – Suzi F.
• Ice pack, slip a bag of ice inside the sock
• Heat pack, fill with dried rice or beans and knot or sew off the end. Microwave for approximately a minute to warm
• Shower ‘loofah’, put a bar of soap inside and it’s a soap-infused wash cloth

What ways do you use old socks? We’d love to hear. xo