How can I reuse or recycle old tights/stockings?
I used to wear skirts quite a lot so, given I live in the chilly north of England, I bulk bought tights (or stockings, but mostly tights) whenever I had a bargainacious opportunity. Still, with the help of nail varnish for emergency repairs, I managed to keep them going until they were grey, shapeless, snagged nylon sacks. Attractive imagery, I know.
Now those many, many sexy garments are taking up valuable space in my underwear drawer but I can’t bring myself to throw them away, no matter how unlikely it is that I’ll ever wear them again. I’m sure there are hundreds of things to do with them but am really at a loss to think exactly what. So, any suggestions?
Best Suggestions
- Reuse – Practical: Use them as a supportive-but-gentle way to tie plants and flowers to supports – or similarly, to make hair ties that won’t snag or pull. Alternately, put the annoying ends of soap in the foot of a stocking and tie it around your outdoor tap for when your hands are muddy.
- Reuse – Creative: Nylons can be used as filler or a filling liner for toys/draught excluders, and can also be used for crocheting/rag rug making in their own right. For an easy peasy dog toy, plait a few pairs together into a short but stretchy tug toy.
- See the comments below for more suggestions and ideas
I once made some juggling balls from old tights filled with rice.
A quick Google later:
Bunny ears
Assorted uses
I’m learning to juggle again at the moment (a summer project) so now I can make different sized balls to practise with AND wear bunny ears while I’m doing so.
Thanks Steve – awesome suggestions : )
-louisa
I make grow bags out of the missus’ old tights
Also, if you collect rain water from your gutter, stick one over the end of your drain pipe to filter out leaves and other debris
An even better idea for the soap-in-a-sock idea that someone mentioned earlier – a bar ofsoap in the foot (or probably a couple of feet layered over one another), then tied to an outdoor tap for cleaning up with after gardening.
And you could use the tops (ie the bits that go around your bottom) to line hanging baskets.
My garden is filling up with loads of ex-rubbish now!
I use old tights for polishing taps, getting rid of water droplets and water stains after cleaning. I find the fine nylon moves around the tap much better than a thick cloth.
I use old tights to store spring bulbs after they’ve been lifted from the garden. Then hang the tights in the shed – the air circulation stops the bulbs going mouldy.
I plait together six legs of tights/stockings, knot at both ends and use as pull toy for my dog – he loves it!
Ho all good ideas here!
Mine really alittle dull in comparison but.. tights mke good stuffing for ssoft toys or ones whose stuffing has shifted or even in old cushions that have gone flat. best to cut them up first!
Rosie:)
Do you have loads of odd socks? Fill the tights with the odd socks, tie at the end an a toy for your pet!
ive got loads of old odd socks .does anyone want them
i USE MY 16yr old Grandaughters school tights…60 Denier Black Opaques ..i cut them up into ties for my plants or for tying old newspapers in a bundle. As she wears them for school uniform..im never short of Tights!!
Put a used tennis ball in them and swing them around. Then let go of them, and they will fly pretty far.
Yes, we used to use old tights and a tennis ball and stand up against a wall bouncing it off in different directions – there was a rhyme that went with this playground game, but I can’t remember it.
I saw a clever lady on TV once who use them to crochet. She made lovely floor rugs with all the different shades.
any girls have tights stockings knee highs please e-mail me must be free or affordable price thanx. e-mail: mohammedsaleem_uk@hotmail.co.uk
my granny uses old tights cut into small ribbons for tying up plants in the garden. and in fact for tying up anything that requires tying up.
by the way, mo, i think you’re probably not going to get any replies to your requests for phone numbers and used stockings…just a hunch!
Katy your granny uses old tights..are they yours or her own ..?and does she use Black Opaques for tying plants..like i do as they are much more durable.
Katy wrote:
does she use her own or are they all yours..? has she tried thick Black opaques as they are much more durable for tying plants etc
I think you are correct regarding Mo’s request however it is a shame if someone has a genuin use for them when they would otherwise be binned. I see some people sell bunches of old tights on ebay for use in crafts!
If you are into music/sound recording, strech them over an old coathanger, and hang them up in front of a microphone to create a pop sheild!
I use them to store my xmas wrap and to filter my recycled wax.
My mom attaches stockings to the end of the exit pipe from the washing machine to filter out the soap suds and lint. When the stocking fills up, just replace with another stocking. This prevents the lint from clocking the drain.
Old tights can be cut up to make hair tie-backs – they have just the right amount of elasticity and your hair won’t get tangled in them. (Probably wouldn’t want to wear them out any where fancy mind.)
If you have an old jar and an elastic band you can make a seed sprouter by covering the mouth of the jar with material cut from your old tights.
Here’s some instructions on sprouting seeds.
http://weblife.org/sprouting.html
my father in law stores his onions in my sister-in-laws used tights – with a knot in between each onion. she’s retired, so doesn’t wear tights anymore – don’t know what he’ll do now!
I often use tights to clean out fish tank rocks. If you put the rocks in the foot section and start rinsing them out, they can get so clean.
I’ve used sections cut from the top of clean,old panty hose as coffee filters- I drape the rectangle where the filter goes, put the coffee in, carefully close the section, and it works well. Later, I rinse it out and reuse them. It works pretty well, and I use the same section for a long time.
I tried plaiting them and using them as a handle for a shoulder bag. This was fine as long as there was nothing very heavy in the bag, as they did tend to stretch.
My other use was rag rugs. Plait them together, again, and then sew them together either in a circle or in strips. Be careful not to pull too tight when sewing in a circle, or you end up with a bag rather than a flat rug!
You can also use them as the weft on a peg loom to make rugs.
I use them to rob banks
yes you could send them to pervs on the internet ;-P
Make a quilt. To make a quilt, two 6″ squares are sewn together and stuffed with one pair of hose, then stitched close. Each block is then zigzagged together, making long strips. The strips are then zigzagged together. These quilts are warmed-up by tossing them in the clothes dryer (low heat) before using.
If you cut the feet off of old tights and cut a small hole in the inline (crotch) area of the tights, they turn into a sweater or “extra support” for under clothes, and they acutaly add a great amount of warmth! Hope this helps! -Abby
I cut the end off my wifes old opaque tights and wear them as longjohns,they are just as warm and far less bulky.
dave wrote:
I used tights for an above ground pool vacuume bag. worked like a charm
I used old tights and nylons for breast enhancement! while cross dressing at home!
Before even hearing anything about bodystockings,some years ago I sewed to tights or pantyhoses together, one upside down and its crochet piece cut enough as neck and it covered me from neck to toes and wrists. That was because I love the dress some acrobats used to wear. You can also add zips to some thick materials and with care, there would be no runs or ladders at all. A home-made bodystocking!
Of all suggestions, I found Mozafar’s the best: turning the tights and pantihoses into bodystockings. I myself made one after reading about it and it’s good enough.
The idea of robbing banks by wearing them was the funniest and made me gilling for a while.
donate them to the chimps at the zoo
the tights in the picture still look pretty well. u should keep wearing them
If you spend a lot of time in the sea, swimming or surfing without a wetsuit, then you need some protection from stinging creatures like JellyFiah.
Wear an old pair of low denier tights (or even a new pair!) and this will protect you from the stings entering the skin.
hey!
we need as many old pairs as possible to make popper stoppers for when recording vocals in studios, placing the nylon over a circular wire infront of microphones stops popping sounds when recording vocals ( especially words that begin with ‘ P ‘ if you have any spare pairs, please e-mail and i will give address. cheers.
waste not want not!
hi
me and my friend make gloves from them
I heard a good suggestion about using them to string up french beans and tomato plants, but after reading some of the ruder comments I don’t think I’ll bother in case my friends think I am a bit peculiar.
2 suggestions:
If someone has some that they’ve grown out of, you could cut the feet off and have leggings.
A great way to use nylons is to put in some uncooked, regular oatmeal and tie a knot. Then throw in the bath. This sounds a bit weird, but it’s really soothing. I do this all the time, but it was a real life-saver when I had chicken-pox.
I had some old cable (thick) tights that I cut the legs off of. I use the panty part as a panty! It is especially helpful when I’m on my period to hold the sanitary pad in place while I’m sleeping. (I make my own pads too, from rags.) The legs work as either socks or you can cut the feet off and use them as leg warmers.
i have been reusing tights for a long time turning them into all sorts of things from objects of abstract art to simple garden basket liners. one small problem though is i no longer have anyone to supply me with any.
CAN ANYONE HELP PLEASE email me-
id4life2002@artlover.com
I work with a great group of ladies. We make quilts for those that are less fortunate. We are always in need of materials to use for stuffing and other parts of the quilts. We use lots of old tights/pantyhose. There are also lots of other things we are always in need of. If you would like more information about what we can use or where to send your unwanted items please feel free to email me at
Quilts4homeless@yahoo.com
Thank You and God Bless,
Jennifer
Do what my dad did with all our old tights, Use them to strain old paint. When you haven’t used paint for a while it goes lumpy and sometimes get rust in it, sieve it using tights.
Secure piece over end of hoover nozzle to stop little things disappearing up the tube or to search for earrings/backs
Please just keep them and look after them, all these ideas are mean and evil, you should all look after them, they all have alife aswell you know!
cut the leg of the tights and the foot and pull over the arm or leg to keep bandage,s clean or make a round frame from coat hangers to catch fish when cleaning out a pond or tank the softness of the nylon wonte hurt the fishes scales or put straw in the legs and float them in the pond this filters the alge on to the straw or oil sliks.
I like to beat myself off while wearing old tights, please send me your old ones and maybe a pciture ;)
How about this – recycling for charity: http://www.tightsplease.co.uk/index.php?page%5Bcat%5D%5B%5D=126
Stressed out??
Want to take your stress out on something but don’t know what??
Cut the foot or leg of a pair of old tights or pop sox and fill them with flour of sand or both and tie a knot in the end, fill it with as much flour/sand as possible.
You could even stick googly eyes and wool for hair onto it.
Now everytime you get stressed out squeese it or whack it on the floor or on a table.
You will be stress free forever!!!
I remember my Mum used to fill an old pair of tights with other old bits of rags/clothes/newspaper and other old tights, stuffing it full and stretching the leg to its full length, then tying end off and using it as a draught excluder, then when she wore another pair out she simply pulled ot over the draught excluder thereby making it thicker and warmer!!
The thin ones we used to cut a bit and stuff it with cotton wool to make little fat faced people broaches. Coloured ones can be used with wire to make flowers. Cut up and use as stuffing for soft toys. Grassheads http://brysoncgeducation.org/teachers/RecycledCrafts.pdf scroll down till found.
Use thicker ones for draught excluders / toy snake.
Mine are very thick though, since I put my nails through them very easily, even the thickest. Would like a non dodgy idea for re-use.