Amazing Uses for Odd Socks

Where one sock in a pair goes to is an eternal mystery. If every household in the land ends up with two odd socks a year, think of the landfill site that they would fill. In the interests of environmental sensitivity, it makes sense to recycle those remaining socks instead of just tossing them in the bin. Of course, it can be a golden opportunity to take s(t)ock. Perhaps this pair was ready for the trash anyway - but according to sod's law, it often seems to be perfectly good socks without holes in the toes and grubby soles that go walkabout. Believe it or not, there are uses for them.

Socks made of natural fibres like cotton and wool can easily be recycled, since they will decay. Cut them up into small pieces and put them in the compost where they'll do some good. They're wasted in a landfill site.

Stuff two odd socks with small soap bars in a fragrance of your choice and stuff them into the toes of boots and shoes over the summer as shape retainers. It'll eliminate odour and soap kept lasts longer when you use it. Plus if the other sock turns up you can still reunite them.

Stretchy socks, and socks with elasticated tops, can be very handy. Cut across in widths of about a centimetre (or more, depending on the intended use), they suit the tasks you might normally use rubber bands for - fastening rolls of paper or bunches of - almost anything really. Rubber bands are after all made from fossil fuels...

By cutting the odd sock in two just above the heel, discarding the foot part and sewing up the top half (turn inside out and stitch) you have the basics of a small multipurpose bag. It takes about three minutes. Fill it with lavender, tie the top with a ribbon and put it in your sock drawer (where it may also warn other socks of the mutilation that socks may face if their partners desert them). Fill it with catnip and you have a quick cat toy.

Socks that are still respectable can be turned into sock puppets with a bit of embellishment. Another useful item for kids is the good old-fashioned bean bag. If you cut off the ankle section of the sock and trim both ends into curves, you can make a bean ball. Medium-sized beans are best. Sew both ends securely to avoid a messy disaster. Make a face on a piece of cardboard (or bit of material) with a hole for a mouth and smaller holes for the eyes. The object is simply to get points by throwing the bean bag or ball through the holes. A generation or so ago this game was played as a version of the fairground 'Aunt Sally' game. Think of it as a version of the indoor basketball hoop.

Long socks can be used as anti-slam devices for doors. Stuff with other stray socks, tie both ends, add a loop and hook it round the handles on each side of a door to stop it slamming in the wind.

With global warming and financial constraints, it's not only vital that we recycle but that we teach the next generation to be creative with the materials at hand. A friend of mine grew herbs in not-very-attractive cut-off plastic bottles. Each one got a bright, stripy little odd sock jacket that made a colourful and cheerful window ledge display. The limits for reusing apparently useless items are only the limits of imagination, so look with new eyes at the potential of odd socks and other discards - even if only as an exercise in creative frugality and eco-friendliness.