I swear I only wear a pair of panty hose one time since I evidently ruin them. Instead of throwing them out, I decided to take a new approach. Why not re-purpose? Panty hose have an elastic quality which lends itself to a multitude of re-uses.
What Parts of the Hose Can I Re-purpose?
So, if we were in a biology class and dissecting the panty hose to find out what parts can be reused, I would determine the following:
- The feet which could hold something.
- Elastic legs could tie something.
- Finally, the elastic waist band is just a large rubber band in my opinion.
Deer Deterrent
Deer out number people in New Jersey. (Not really but it seems that way. ) So, why not fill the legs with human hair to deter the deer from nibbling on my plants? I know it works since I used a small bag filled with human hair around a lilac bush, which the deer thought was delicious. Next spring, lo and behold the deer stayed away from the bush. Now, would they get use to the smell of the hair and eat it next year? Who knows?
Lucky me. I had an abundance of boy hair from four growing boys. Also, unlucky me, I had lots of bushes that deer liked.
Happily, I started to stuff the hose feet and made two hair booties. I am currently using one in the front yard around the wild geraniums and another one near a lilac bush. The deer stayed away.
But There are More Panty Hose Reuse Ideas.
So in case you are not garden obsessed like me, here are some other ways to reuse your old hose:
- Cut the legs into small bands to hold back your hair such as pony tails holders or scrunchies.
- Use the small bands to hold flowers in a vase.
- Use the hose bands to hold together anything that you would use a rubber band. (Maps, wall paper rolls, etc.)
- Fill the feet with herbs to make satchels or potpourri.
- Tie vegetables or flowers to cages, trellis, or fences. I am going to make a slings to tie my winter squash to a trellis I bought from Gardeners Supply so the squash grows up the trellis.
- Use the hose as a strainer.
- Use the feet booties to hold small games such as marbles or Jacks. Does anyone play that game anymore?
- Use the toe booties as jewelry bags.
For more ideas, check out the following posts:
- 20 ways to re-use your panty hose. My favorite is putting part of the hose over a vacuum cleaner when you are trying to find something small you lost. The lost item will stick to your hose rather than be sucked up into the vacuum cleaner. There are some great ideas in this article.
- Top 10 Ways to Reuse Panty Hose. I like the idea of using the panty hose as a skimmer for your pool.
Join the Conversation:
So, how have your re-used your panty hose?
Jennifer Taggart, TheSmartMama says
Although I hardly ever wear them any longer, I use old panty hose stretched over a hangar as a net to scoop up leaves and stray toys from our 2 small ponds.
Also, and I learned this from another blogger. I use bits of bar soap in the foot of an old pantyhose outside tied to the faucet to clean hands as needed . . .
.-= Jennifer Taggart, TheSmartMama´s last blog ..Correction: Cargo’s PlantLove Botanical Lipstick Is Paraben Free =-.
Green Talk says
Jennifer, I love those “panty hose” ideas especially the bar soap one. Anna
Condo Blues says
In Girl Scouts they made hand wash stations out of a milk jug with holes poked in the top near the cap and soap in an old leg of panty hose tied to the handle of the milk jug that was tied to a low hanging tree branch.. To wash your hands you wet your hands by tipping the milk jug forward so the water came out of the holes near the top of the jug, then used the soap in a nylon to lather up, and then rinsed your hands.
.-= Condo Blues´s last blog ..How to Break Up Concrete or, Sometimes Gardening Requires a Jackhammer =-.
Green Talk says
Condo Blues, I love this idea. Sometimes the most simpliest ideas are the best. A jackhammer? What are you doing? I am going to have to head over to your website…Anna
M. Jones says
I slide old pantyhose over rolls of wrapping paper. They hold it in place and I don’t have marks from taping or tears from rubber bands. 🙂
Green Talk says
M Jones, I love this idea! Anna
bobc1 says
I am a member of Greenpeace and have been promoting recycling hosiery since about the time it was re-started in 1994-5. I collected and gave them to a lady friend, but lost contact when she moved (to another country.) Then, last October, I came across a legwear blog that announced that a hosiery company was collecting it. It’s one we all know– ‘NoNonsense.com’. If you run out of uses for them, you can always send it there.
Anna@Green Talk says
I am now using them for my apples, pumpkins, etc to keep the critters from eating them. I will have to check out where they are collecting. I could use footies!! Thanks so much for commenting.