Useful things you can make with your own hands from old tights

Nylon is an easily torn material. Even a slight roughness can leave a hook on it, from which an “arrow” will subsequently appear and a hole will form. What to do with old nylon tights? Definitely don't throw it in the trash!

Why can’t you throw away old “kapronkas”?

Nylon and nylon, from which women's tights are made, decompose from 30 to 100 years. At the same time, they are toxic - when decomposed, they release harmful substances. By throwing tights in the trash, people pollute the environment.

An interesting fact: according to USSR standards, each woman is supposed to wear 5 pairs of nylon tights (stockings) per year.

Let's do some simple calculations. At the end of 2019, the female population in the Russian Federation was 78 million. Multiply 78 million by 5, and we get 390 million pairs of tights. The average weight of one pair is 47 g. A total of 18,330 tons of toxic waste.

Second life of old nylon tights

Our grandmothers knew a lot about saving money. They repaired most old and broken things or gave them new life. Thus, the environment suffered much less than today.

Many will remember rugs that were popular in the 90s, knitted from old tights, T-shirts, and robes:

Onions and garlic were stored in old stockings, and nylon ropes were also used to tie tomatoes and grapes.

Nylon is breathable, elastic, soft, and resistant to mold. These advantages allow it to be used in gardening. Vegetables are stored in it much better than in plastic bags and wooden boxes. And when tying, the plant stems are not compressed, as when using plastic twine.

Practical Application

A lot of time has passed since the early 90s. Old methods of using nylon tights have changed. There are also many new life hacks. Today, rugs that imitate sea pebbles are made from nylon:

Whole parts of the tights are stuffed with padding polyester and sewn together. You can weave ropes from cut-up stockings directly on your fingers and twist them into a round rug.

If you choose the colors or dye the nylon yarn in advance, you will get a very nice product.

25 life hacks using nylon tights:

1. Old nylon tights can be used to strain the liquid. Fold the nylon in several layers. Secure to the container with an elastic band or tourniquet.
2. You can sift flour through a clean, washed nylon and hang cottage cheese in a stocking to make cheese.
3. Sew bags from old tights and fill with dry medicinal herbs, coffee beans, and citrus zest. Place them around your home and enjoy the pleasant natural aroma. You can throw such a bag into a hot bath. It will be doubly pleasant to accept it.
4. Cut the stocking and fill it with soil. Place in a flower pot. Now the soil will not be washed away when watering the flower.
5. You can cut the tights into strips of 5–10 cm, tie them together and roll them into balls. Elastic ropes will come in handy around the house. You can tie boxes with them to prevent them from opening. Or apply medicinal compresses to the arms, legs and torso.
   
6. Cut the stockings vertically. Wrap the resulting nylon fabric around the lower parts of tree trunks - in winter rodents will not gnaw them.
7. In the garden, tie a stocking from tights to the tap, putting toilet soap inside in advance. Now it will not slip out of wet hands onto the ground.
8. To prevent debris from getting into an open can of paint, put a nylon stocking on top and drown it. When the paint becomes dirty, change the “filter”.
9. Rags for mirrors and glass. By folding the tights into a square and then stitching them crosswise, you will get an excellent sponge with good abrasive properties.
10. Moth repellent. If you sew pads from tights and fill them with lavender, they will protect things from moths.
11. Fog effect in photography. The pictures will turn out mysterious and unusual if you cover the lens with dark nylon tights.
12. Bag for dyeing eggs. To prevent the appliqués from coming off the Easter eggs when painting, each one should be placed in a nylon stocking and tied tightly.
13. Kapronka, in the absence of padding polyester at hand, can be used for stuffing soft toys.
14. Using old nylon tights, you can collect beads or other small objects from the floor. Just put the stocking on the vacuum cleaner and pick up all the small objects from the floor - they will remain on the surface of the tights.
    
15. You can cover a jar with butterflies and insects with tights. This way they will be able to breathe, but will not fly away.
16. Old nylon tights can be replaced with dowels. Fill the hole in the wall with nylon as tightly as possible.Heat a nail over the fire. Insert it into the wall and melt the nylon. Screw in the screw.
17. Melted nylon can be used to glue porous and fleecy materials. However, it is worth considering that it melts and hardens very quickly.
18. A tourniquet made from old nylon tights can easily save someone's life. Strong stockings can be used to bandage people who have suffered a fracture or injury.
19. Women's nylon tights can temporarily replace a broken generator belt.
20. If the pipe leaks, turn off the water. Wrap the resulting fistula or crack with old tights and coat with cement. Wrap the tights over the top again and put the cement back on. The dressing will harden and the pipe will no longer leak.
21. Make a pool cleaning net out of tights. Twist a circle of wire and stretch the nylon. Attach the handle.
22. A nylon cloth polishes shoes well.
23. Cut off the toe of the nylon stocking. Roll it into a donut shape. The device will help you make a perfectly even “bun” of hair.
24. Use pantyhose nylon to repair a torn mosquito net. Install a patch and insects will not get into the house.
25. Wrap old nylon tights around your hand. Swipe over the sanded surface. The test will help determine how well the job was done.

Creative ideas

Nylon is an excellent material for creativity. It can be used for crafts in kindergarten and school, creating creative home decor. The following are very popular:

• Dolls and baby dolls. Flesh-colored nylon tights in toys create the effect of “natural leather.” Baby dolls and dolls from them turn out to be very realistic, as if they were alive. The cut stocking is stuffed with padding polyester. Arms, legs, head and facial features are formed using a thin flesh-colored thread and a needle.A nylon bag with filling is sewn and pulled together in different places, then the hair is sewn on and the doll is dressed in an outfit.
  
  
  
• Flowers and butterflies. Thin translucent nylon perfectly imitates flower petals and butterfly wings. The technique for creating crafts is very simple - the material is stretched over a wire frame and fixed with adhesive tape or glue. For decoration you can use glitter glue, beads, rhinestones.
  

If you have not yet decided what to make from old nylon tights, we suggest watching a video with 40 ideas:

To make old nylon tights take up less space, cut them into 2-3 cm strips and then roll them into a ball.

How to use children's tights?

In winter, when the weather does not allow long walks, it’s time to make something with your own hands with your child. For example, you can make theater dolls, funny toys, and florists out of old children's tights. Some needlewomen even weave multi-colored rugs. You can also cut rags from unnecessary children’s tights for wiping off dust.

Master class on making florika

Florik is a funny evergreen toy. It fits perfectly into the interior of a children's room. It is very easy to make, for this we will need:

• Children tights;
• scissors;
• threads with a needle;
• beads;
• sawdust;
• soil for indoor plants;
• lawn grass seeds;
• stand or plate.

Cut the stocking 20-25 cm long, fill 1/3 with sawdust. Mix the soil with the seeds and fill the remaining 2/3, sew up. Give the toy the shape of a hedgehog, sew beads for eyes and a nose on the toe part, and water thoroughly. After some time, the seeds will germinate and a green coat will appear on the florist.

Master class on making a very long dachshund

Long, like a sausage, cheerful and funny, children really like this dog. The more colorful tights you can find, the better.

So, in order to make a toy with your own hands, we will need:

• several old children's tights;
• threads with a needle;
• scissors;
• multi-colored rags, beads, buttons;
• padding polyester or nylon tights.

First, cut off the “legs” of the tights (“the feet” must also be separated). Turn the pieces inside out and then carefully sew them together. Sew up one end, stuff the whole body with old nylon tights or padding polyester. Sew up the other end, attach bead eyes and nose. Take 2 “feet” from the tights and sew them in place of the ears. From bright scraps, cut out a collar, four paws, a tail and glue (or sew) them to the “body”.

Questions and answers

How to properly throw away old nylon tights?

To date, the recycling of nylon products in Russia has not been established. However, if you wish, you can find centers that collect and recycle them (check out the list of eco-centers in your city). H&M stores also accept old stockings along with clothes.

Is it possible to paint nylon?

Yes. There are many different methods: boiling in an activated carbon solution, painting with brilliant green, potassium permanganate, tea brewing, fabric dyes. The recipe with corrugated paper deserves special attention. Paper of the desired color is torn into pieces, filled with warm water and simmered over low heat. Soon the water takes on a bright color. After this, the paper is removed and the nylon tights are boiled.

So, you can make many useful and interesting things from old nylon tights. Handmade crafts will have a special good energy.And most importantly, reusing clothes will at least slightly reduce environmental damage.