Who says that old socks are useless?

I'm nearly positive that just about everyone has that one pair of socks sitting in the back of a drawer, or in the corner of the closet that is just about to fall apart, or maybe already has a giant hole in the bottom, but for whatever reason, it's semi impossible to toss them out.  

I know I did!  My favorite pair of socks were these hand-me-downs from my aunt, who wore them once and decided that they were too thick for her.  I loved the colors and varied textures, but the soles were getting pretty darn worn out to the point where I could feel the chilly floor through them.  They found a home at the bottom of my sock pile where, despite wanting to live minimally, I simply could not bear to part with them.  

... and then a friend posted a video about 5-minute sewing crafts on Facebook and I discovered that there is a super easy way to turn socks into trousers for babies.  This truly was a 5-minute project, and while mine didn't turn out perfectly, they still fit the baby and I learned what I'll need to to for the next pair that I make, because yes, there will definitely be a next pair.  

Here is what you need to make this old sock transformation happen: 

: a pair of old socks

: scissors

: a sewing machine or a needle and thread 

Here is how to do it: 

Step 1: Lay out your socks

Step 2: Snip off the toes

Step 3: Cut off the bottoms.  This is where mine got a bit wonky because I cut off a bit too much.  If you happen to cut off too much, the waist of your trousers will be tiny.  Luckily, Stellan is skinny, so these worked out, but if your kiddo is a little chunk, you'll need to trim the bottom of your socks pretty sparingly. 

Step 4: Put one sock into the other one with right sides together.  Pin them where you cut off the bottoms.  Then, hand sew or machine sew this bit.  It will become the inseam of your trousers. 

Step 5: I chose to run a quick hem through the unfinished edge (from where the toes got cut off).  If your socks look like they will fray a bit, I'd highly recommend putting this hem in, but if they just curl a bit and don't fray, you can totally skip this step. 

Step 6: Get baby dressed up and marvel at what an up-cycling genius you are!  Oh, and don't forget to love on the baby!