Pickled Butts

A couple of the more odd uses for your spent pantyhose are Pickled Butts and Pickled Grannies.

Yes, you read it correctly...

Before you think I am totally strange, I want to let you know that when my children were in elementary school and there was a fair, our pickled goodies always sold out long before anything else did. An old friend of mine showed me this 'recipe' many years ago and I know you will love it as much as we did. Mum and I spent many hours manufacturing butts and grannies for charity craft stands, and teaching some elderly residents at the local nursing home to make them was a huge laugh for all of us.

Pickled Butts:

Begin with a 2 pairs of pantyhose. Cut into small pieces about 3 inches by 3 inches. The pieces need not be exact. Using cotton balls as filler, roughly stitch into a ball shape.

Take a jar, the kind you would use for preserves. You will only need small jars. Into the jars put some clean straw to keep your butts where you put them. You will only be lining the outer walls of the jar so you don't need many for each jar, and the straw will help to hold them in place.

With a needle and thread, and I suggest some tan or pink cotton, stitch a line to represent the crack of a bottom. You may like to use pink cotton or even a fine tipped marker pen to place dimples on your bottoms.

Using just your fingers(sorry) begin pushing your butts into the jars. The butts all need to obviously face outward and should stay nicely in place although you may need to add a little more straw. Replace the lid, and label "Pickled Butts" You may also like to add a special touch with a piece of fabric over the lid.

Pickled Grannies:

Pickled Grannies are made in much the same way. Simply stitch a couple of dots for eyes, or draw them if this is easier for you. Make sure you choose a fine marker pen to avoid the color from running. You will need to stitch the mouth though, a simple line does the job of creating a gummy smile,and some fine copper wire from the hardware store can be twitched into a smart pair of spectacles in just a minute or two. Some fabric can be roughly fashioned into a little scarf or bonnet for a few of them and attached with a stitch or a dot of glue. Pack your grannies into the jars, again using the same method as above.

When selling these little pickled wonders, you can offer them in packs of 6 jars and increase your sales greatly. You could use a 6 pack carton which you would buy beer in, just get the kids to decorate it with crayons or glue on some fabric. Since most people have never bought pickled butts or grannies before, they are sure to want some to share with friends!