What to Do With Old Socks: 20 Ways to Repurpose Them & Save Money

1. Cleaning rags

One of the easiest ways to upcycle socks is for household cleaning. Socks are great for attracting dirt, so just put one over your hand to quickly dust even your dustiest furniture. Then you can flip the sock inside out, spray your polish, and give your furniture a beautiful shine.

2. Swiffer pad

Why not save yourself $10 and use an old chenille sock or footy as a washable and reusable Swiffer pad? Those are great for picking up dirt, whether wet or dry.

3. Vacuum catch

Place a thin sock over the hose when you vacuum to catch any valuables you may have dropped along the way.

4. Protecting items

Old socks also come in handy when packing for a trip. You can cover your shoes with socks to protect them from scratches and protect your clothing from the dirt on your shoes.

5. Store jewelry

You can also use socks to store your jewelry and keep your necklaces tangle-free in your bag.

6. Ring holder

Here are a couple of accent pieces for the bedroom. Using just the toe portion of a sock, you can glue a cardstock circle to the underside and inside to make a small ring holder for your dresser. You can also use it to hold safety pins, hairpins, or any other small objects you need to keep together.

7. Drawer sachets

Using some tights that my daughter outgrew, I cut out four pieces, and closed the bottoms of each one using hem tape. I filled them with an essential oil and rice mixture and added some ribbon for some adorable scented drawer sachets.

8. Glasses holder

You can cut a small slit in the heel of a no-show sock, hang it on a hook, and use it to keep your reading glasses handy in the kitchen or any room where you need to use them.

9. Chalkboard eraser

You can fold and tuck a sock to use as a chalkboard eraser and make it even handier by adding some ribbon for easy hanging.

10. Umbrella cover

On a rainy day, don't forget to grab an old sock on your way out to cover up that wet umbrella.

11. Ice bag

You can put some ice in a plastic bag, tuck it into a sock, and now you’ve got a soft ice bag.

12. Hanger padding

Are you tired of those annoying hanger dents you get in your shirts and sweaters? Well, just wrap and tuck small socks around the ends of the hangers to solve the problem.

13. Hair bows

Socks also work well as hair accessories. You can cut two one-inch pieces, cinch and secure the center with a rubber band or a piece of material, add some hair clips or hair fins, and you've got yourself some really cute little hair bows.

14. Bun sock

Wrap a sock around a ponytail to help create a full bun hairstyle.

15. Hair ties

You can also use the top band of a sock to make one thick hair tie. Alternatively, cut up a knee-high to make several hair ties. Moreover, you can use these same loops as refills, if you just happen to have a weaving loom.

16. Mug cozy

You can use the ribbed part of a tube sock, cut a small slit on one side, and sew on some buttons for an inviting mug cozy.

17. Headband

My absolute favorite way to repurpose old socks is to turn them into something else I can wear. By cutting a small slit just beneath the cuff and sewing a button on the other end, you can wear it as an ear warmer headband, or you can switch it up and use it as a neck warmer when a full scarf is just too much.

18. Armband

You can even take a piece of the other sock, sew on another button, and make a matching armband.

19. Arm warmers

Socks with holes on the heel are perfect for making stylish arm warmers.

20. Boot toppers

Another way to repurpose socks with holes is to just cut off the ribbed part, sew on some buttons and wear them as boot toppers for a little accent to your outfit.

What to do with old socks

There are tons of sock repurposing options I did not even begin to mention, but hopefully, this gave you some ideas to get started. Which ones are your favorite? Do you have any other suggestions on how to reuse old socks? Be sure to leave a comment to let me know!