Five For...Recycling Your Socks for Christmas
photo courtesy of familyfun.go.com
I know it's not even Halloween yet, but I like to plan ahead. (I try, anyway!) I originally came across this wonderful idea on the Family Fun website. The idea is to take various colourful socks that your kids have and string them up as an Advent Countdown calendar. I thought that was great, but I've put an even better twist on it and best of all, in today's credit-crunch society, it's THRIFTY.
How about using all of those stray socks you have? You know, the ones the dryer ate, or have somehow magically disappeared? You could do just about anything you like to decorate them. You could dye them to make them colourful like the picture above, you could embroider them, decorate them with ribbons and buttons, or even paint them. Let your imagination run wild! You don't have to have kids to do this, it's a great idea for the 'big kids' out there too!
Here's what you need:
- 25 socks
- A marker or paint
- 25 mini clothespins (available at craft supply stores, but if you want, you could use (recycle) regular clothespins too)
- Stocking hangers, painter's tape, or pushpins
- 6-foot length of cord, string, or ribbon
- Use the marker or paint to number the clothespins with 1 through 25.
- Use stocking hangers, painter's tape, or pushpins to temporarily hang a 6-foot length of cord, string, or ribbon.
- Clip the treat-filled socks to the cord in numerical order, then each day have kids remove one to discover their surprises.
- Get Out of Chores Free" or "Pick a Movie Rental" cards -- each good for one use!
- A puzzle distributed in pieces among the socks; kids can put it together over the course of the month.
- Trading or sports cards
- Special coins such as foreign currency or a silver dollar -- chocolate coins are always a hit too!
- Music or other gift cards
- Jokes or riddle
- A game (a Mad Libs or Sudoku a day)
- Art supplies, such as a mini paint kit and pad
- A special ornament to add to the tree
- Write or print out an encouraging thought for each day or a Christmas fact to focus on what Christmas is really about.
24 October 2009 at 15:42
What a great idea! I don't have any odd socks on hand-- since I literally cleaned out my sock drawer at the beginning of the school year. :( I think I'll put a basket by the dryer to catch them throughout this year, and see what happens. I don't have kids, as you know, but I am certainly a kid at heart-- and I wear a LOT of fun socks. Don't know for sure that I'll follow through, but at the moment, it has my attention!