In this house we have a whole bag full of lost socks hoping to be reunited with their partner. The idea was that if all the lost socks went in the bag, when we went through the bag it would be bound to contain all the pairs.
Somehow this doesn't ever work out.
And since it's been filling for a few years, it's definitely time for the sock bag to get a bit emptier- pairs or no.
So this post is for any other households with a lost sock problem- or just with socks that are a bit worn out and not really fixable for wearing any more.
You'll need:
One sock with a heel and one sock with a toe that aren't worn through, or at least that are repairable.
Lots of socks (or other fabric) that can be as threadbare as you like- these will make the stuffing.
Needle and thread.
Some pins if possible- you can use tape or just hold parts in place but pins make things easier.
You might like:
Oats if you'd like to make a microwaveable oatmeal teddy
Sand if you'd like to make a paperweight/doorstop teddy
Buttons if you'd like button eyes/nose/any other decoration
You definitely don't need:
A sewing machine- you can use one for a few seams, it's just not necessary and quite a few bits need hand stitching anyway.
Any amazing sewing skills- the bear in the middle of the picture was made by someone with no sewing experience at all, who only just turned 7- they needed a little bit of help with the knots and getting the head on (that's the tricky bit) but otherwise did it all themselves!
We based our bears around this tutorial, which we first used a few years ago (the rabbit in the right of the picture is quite old now and much loved). There are loads of other sock creatures around, from owls to dragons to this Socktopus we invented, which just appeared on my keyboard:
To make a bear, use the cutting outline shown in the this tutorial to end up with head, body and leg and arm pieces.
If using scrap fabric as stuffing, cut the fabric as small as you can be bothered- the smaller the pieces, the softer the toy will be. Big pieces make lumpy corners when used as stuffing!
Stuff the legs, then if you want to make an oat bag or paper weight teddy, fill the rest of the body with oats or sand (make sure any sand is dry- either dry it in a cool oven or leave it out in a very shallow tray on a sunny windowsill- you don't want a mouldy bear).
Our bears are oat bags- perfect for warming you up in winter or when you're feeling under the weather.
You can make a bear jumper using the top section of a sock- just cut a couple of armholes below the cuff section:
If you're planning to put your bear in the microwave, make sure any buttons or decorations you use are NON-METALLIC- and otherwise, enjoy yourselves creating some lovely cuddly almost completely recycled toys!