Uses for Old Stockings and Hosiery

[Paisley]

Tie climbing roses to their supports.
Strap clear plastic domes onto their seed trays when winter sowing.
Put onions inside them and hang in the basement or cellar for storage.
Emergency fan belt.

Other ideas?

 

[LizzieMaine]

In my radio days, we used them as windscreens/pop filters for studio microphones: a swatch of stocking clamped in an embroidery hoop, and off you go...

 

[Paisley]

When I was a photographer, we had a similar use for panty hose: a piece of stretched hose could be used as a filter to soften the lines on a print. We'd sometimes do that on photos of officers with bad complexions (though we weren't supposed to). I'd forgotten about that.

 

[Snookie]

Stuffing them and making rag dolls.

Stuffing them for your hair rolls.

Using them as stuffing for your duct tape dress form.

 

[Snookie]

When I was a photographer, we had a similar use for panty hose: a piece of stretched hose could be used as a filter to soften the lines on a print. We'd sometimes do that on photos of officers with bad complexions (though we weren't supposed to). I'd forgotten about that.

A friend of mine who knows stuff about moviemaking said they'd do the same thing to soften the closeups of the women. Just stretched it across the lens, and *presto! Instant Glamour.

 

[Joie DeVive]

Here's one from my Girl Scout days; camping soap holder.

Put a bar of soap into the toe, tie the other end to the spigot.
Keeps the soap near the faucet and clean so that 20 girls can wash up for meals...

 

[KittyT]

you can cut a wide cross section from the thigh to use as a headband (great for holding hair back when washing your face or doing makeup), though this only works for stretchy stockings. also, you can cut skinny cross sections to use as hair elastics that won't cause breakage.

 

[fourstarbanner]

Wig cap! Put your head in the top and tie the legs off to hold your hair under a wig. Works wonders!

 

[Adelaidey]

My mum always tied one leg of old pantyhose to cover the end of the tube from the washing machine where all the dirty water gets pumped out into the drain... it collects lint from the water to prevent it from clogging the pipes. When the leg is full, just tie it off and chuck it, then replace with a fresh one.

You could fill them with sand, tie off some sections as a head and body, and use it as a baby in a play... and then have gritty baby residue all over your stage... on second thought, don't. (Oh, the horror stories of sand-babies!)

I'll sometimes use old stretchy ones to cover my pincurled head up before bed in a pinch if I don't have my headwrap with me.

Shoe buffers.

And my favorite: Use old pantyhose to remove deodorant marks on clothes. It really works wonders-- if you get deodorant on your shirt in the morning, bunch up some pantyhose and scrub at those white marks... they come right out!

 

[LolitaHaze]

Robbing a convience store.

 

[artdecodame]

Bwah haha! You crazy girl.

Use old pantyhose to remove deodorant marks on clothes...

Wow, I never thought of that. Great tip!

 

[Miss Sis]

Here's one from my Girl Scout days; camping soap holder.

Put a bar of soap into the toe, tie the other end to the spigot.
Keeps the soap near the faucet and clean so that 20 girls can wash up for meals...

Also to collect all the ends of soap bars together to hang near laundry sink or outside so you can wash hands after gardening. My Nana always did this.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

If you put one over the end of the hoover when going underneath stuff you can use it to pick stuff up, rather than just sucking it through!

Also in my book The 1940s Look it recommends cutting them into little "sockettes" to put inside shoes when stockings were scarce (or in my case when it's too hot for them...I'm just not that authentic! )

 

[Joie DeVive]

If you put one over the end of the hoover when going underneath stuff you can use it to pick stuff up, rather than just sucking it through!

What a great idea. We used to use cheesecloth for that, but a stocking would work much better!! The cheesecloth was hard to keep on and kept shifting.

We also used that to clean dusty stuffed animals. Put them in a clean plastic garbage bag and stick in the "netted" (or stockinged in this case) end of a tank vacuum, or hose attachment. Shake and suck out all the dust without catching loose pieces.

 

[missjo]

Mend and make do!!!!
I use them to repair my stockings that need fixing!
Cut toes, heels and top band to put them on other stockings, cut bits out to cover holes, etc, etc.

Some of my stockings look like patchwork quilts

 

[RaasAlHayya]

I just thought of another use...filters for straining liquids. I am making my first batch of rosewater and I needed something to strain out all the dead aphids, so I raided my stocking drawer.

I wonder if they would work as coffee filters?

--Leslie

 

[Miss Neecerie]

They might....but it still has me pondering coffee that tastes of feet....


*giggles*

 

[RaasAlHayya]

They might....but it still has me pondering coffee that tastes of feet....


*giggles*

lol

Or maybe your feet will taste of coffee!

--Leslie

 

[thebadmamajama]

WOW! Stockings are just as, if not more so, versatile than the magical duct tape! Who knew?!

 

[RaasAlHayya]

I'll bet MacGyver could come up with 1001 more uses!

--Leslie