Never Give up Sports Bag - tank top upcycle

This week I made a start on the tank tops in my pile of clothes to be upcycled.

I love my Lorna Jane tank tops and wear them over and over until they are stretched and saggy but I still can't bear to get rid of them!

So - yesterday I cut up the first pink tank top and made a sports bag using the quote from the front as the front pocket of the bag and fabric and zips from my stash.

I used my own duffel bag tutorial which gives measurements for 4 different sizes to make.

This one however, is a different size again - the same as another sports bag I made for myself three years ago - also with a worn and stretched Lorna Jane top!

I put just one zipped pocket on the inside of this new one - always useful to have.

And the main bag zip has two zip pulls on it - this was a reclaimed zip from an old backpack of my daughters.

This bag has gone to my younger daughter who I know will get good use out of it!

Here's a selection of some of the duffel bags I've made using this pattern.

I use my Sports Duffel Bag every week, and my daughters use theirs for swimming each week too.

 I hope my daughter gets as much use out of her new bag too!

Do come back next week to see what I make using the remaining three tank tops!

For lots more clothes upcycling ideas, why not visit the Clothes Upcycling Linky. There are over 600 ideas linked up!

Socks Upcycling

Ever been left with a single sock after washing? What do you do with those lone socks?  There are endless possibilities for reusing and upcycling old socks - from tying them together to make a skipping rope, to putting your hand inside them to use as a car cleaning cloth!

Wiki How has a great list of 31 uses for old socks.

But what about something a little cuter to make from an old pair of socks?  I have found so many cute cuddly creatures that can be made from socks - here are a few.

Have you heard of sock monkeys? They are probably the best known animal to be made out of an old pair of socks.  

I checked up on their history to find where they originated. As with most clothes upcycles, their origins can be found back when people made the most of the resources they had, reusing and upcycling rather than buying new when they needed something - largely due to financial necessity, but it was a way of life then. 

Soft toys were probably made from whatever materials were at hand, old worn clothing included.

The first 'Sock Monkey' is believed to have appeared during the Great Depression in the early 1900s America with old worn out socks being given a new lease of life as Sock Monkey toys for kids.  Why a monkey? One theory is that exotic African animals were popular at that time, and a monkey was a suitable choice as a child's toy as monkeys were 'safe animals' that wouldn't be the kind that would 'eat' children!

There were also a brand of socks produced at that time by Nelson Knitting Mills that had a distinctive red heel (the red heel becoming the monkey's mouth).  Finding that their socks were being used to make sock monkeys with, this company began including Sock Monkey making instructions with each pair of red heeled socks sold!

 I love this idea - companies encouraging upcycling and providing instructions for how to do so when your clothes become worn!

The sock monkey tutorial I have used several times and find very clear is this one from Craft Passion. Here are the monkeys I've made - including a sock lion made using this pattern also from Craftpassion.

I also made a pair of Incredible Hulk Sock Monkeys using the same tutorial.

Then I tried a Sock Kitten,

and a Sock Elephant.

And finally I produced my own tutorial for these cute Sock Dogs.

I also found a tutorial for Sock Skeletons - perfect for Halloween which is just around the corner!

For other ideas to upcycle old socks...

Here's a nice simple refashion..

Toe socks to arm warmers from The Shiny Bubble.

Or how about this cup cosy made from an old sock by Free Styl Creating by Villy.

For LOTS more cool sock upcycling ideas, you can go to my 

Socks Upcycling Pinterest Board 

(I have a board for each clothing item). 

Have you ever upcycled a pair of old socks? What have you made them into? I'd love to here any more suggestions and see pictures too!

For over 600 clothes upcycling projects and ideas to upcycle everything from socks to t-shirts and sweaters, head over to the Clothes Upcycling Projects Page, 

get some upcycling inspiration, and even add your own projects too!

Sock Dog Upcycle Tutorial - from a single sock

I'm down to the last pair of socks in my stash of clothes to be upcycled so I thought it was time to move on from using other people's tutorials and create one of my own.

One thing I've found through making sock animals is that most tutorials require a pair of socks. But I thought that making these little cute cuddly animals from socks is the perfect solution for what to do with odd socks - so I decided to create a tutorial that uses just a single sock!

So here's how to make a sock dog from a single sock.

First of all turn your sock inside out and flatten down. Then you need to mark and stitch the pieces on the sock like this. The head piece is just the toe section cut, all other pieces require stitching.  I just went ahead and stitched the lines, but you may prefer to mark them with chalk first, then stitch.

Cut these pieces out and turn right sides out.

Then each piece needs to be stuffed and stitched.

All that I had left over from my sock was these small scraps.

Which I put inside the main body part with the stuffing. So no waste at all from this sock!

First stuff the body part, then using a needle and thread, run a line of large running stitches around the top of the opening and pull tight to close, then stitch to secure.

Now take the tail, stuff and stitch the open end closed. Then attach to the centre of the back straight edge of the body.

Take one leg, stuff and stitch the open end closed then line up and attach to the body where you want the leg to be. 

Repeat with the other 3 legs.

Now take the head. Stuff and stitch the open end closed.

Take one ear, stuff and stitch the open end closed, then attach to the top at one side of the flat end of the head you just stitched.

Repeat with the other ear. When you attach the second ear, use a long piece of thread, then when the ear is secure, push the needle through to where you want one of the eyes to be, and then attach both button eyes, stitching securely in place.

Now all that remains is to attach the head to the body.

And there you have a cute little sock doggie!

I made two as I had a pair of old socks!

For the free downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

So that's all my socks upcycled. I made a kitten, an elephant, two Hulk monkeys and these two doggies!  I've had a lot of fun and learnt lots with these upcycles.  What will I upcycle next week?

If you liked this tutorial, I have lots more

free upcycle sewing tutorials here.

And for over 100 free sewing tutorials for all levels of sewing ability, take a look at My Free Sewing Tutorials Page.

The Incredible Hulk Sock Monkeys

Continuing to use up my stash of clothes to be upcycled, I made a start on Christmas presents!

I'd bought a twin pack of socks as a birthday present for a friend last year only to find that they were several sizes too small.  I've kept them ever since, not yet finding someone else to gift them too.

So, I decided to make them into something different and gift them to a couple of kids who I know will appreciate these Incredible Hulk Sock Monkeys!

I used this tutorial for making sock monkeys, that is nice and clear and I've used previously.

Making sock monkeys is very simple.

You stitch out the lines on the inside out socks for the legs, arms, tail and ears, and cut off one of the sock toes for the monkey's mouth.

Then cut out the pieces,

Turn them right sides out, 

Then all that remains is to stuff the pieces, stitch them together and add a little white felt and black buttons for eyes.

And there he is - the first Incredible Hulk Sock Monkey all finished!

And I made his friend the same way with the other pair of Hulk socks.

His legs actually say 'The Incredible Hulk' if you put them together!

They make a cute pair don't you think?

And hopefully they will be loved by their recipients when given as gifts at Christmas time!

I only have one more pair of socks in my stash to use up.

Do come back tomorrow to see what I make with them!

For lots more ideas and inspiration for upcycling clothes, take a look at the long term linky that has over 600 projects linked up. 

600+ Clothes Upcycling Projects.