Roy Creates A Sock Butterfly

Earlier this week, the tingle factor item was a sock darner, and we learned all about why socks were, in the past, far too valuable to simply throw out when they developed a hole. Today though, socks are a much more disposable item, and people tend to throw them out. Yet Roy thinks this is a real waste. After all, there are some fun things which can be done with a sock. One of his favourite things to do with old, worn out socks, is to give them a new life as a toy or a sock puppet. He thought his online friends would know how to make a simple sock puppet, so decided to show you how to make his sock butterfly instead.

You Will Need:

An old sock
Needle and thread
A worn out pair of stockings
Pipecleaners
Rubber bands
Wool
Googly eyes. You could also use buttons which are always easy to get, or even just embroider eyes.
Scissors
Sequins, beads, paint, glitter, to decorate the butterfly's wings
Doll and bear stuffing
A paintbrush
Glue

Method:

First, make the antennae for your butterfly. Push one of your pipecleaners through the sock itself, just behind the 'toe' and then weave it back through the material of the sock. Ensure that the pipecleaner is well anchored.

Now, start making the sections of the butterfly's body. Take a big handfull of stuffing and push it into the butterfly's 'head'. When you have the size you want for the butterfly's head, use a rubberband to hold the stuffing in place and mark out the first section.

Keep on filling sections until you have only a little bit of sock left. You will want each section to become slightly smaller so your butterfly has a shaped body.

Put a little wadding into the last empty part of the sock and sew the opening shut. First, simply sew the opening across, and then take the corners of the sewn section and pull them up towards the top of the butterfly's body and sew the points together. This makes a 'tail' for your butterfly. If you like, you can leave your toy at this stage, just adding legs and a face, and use your sock as a caterpillar.

Next, make your wings. Take a full pipecleaner and shape it into the general shape you want your wing to be. Twist the ends of the pipecleaners together to hold the wings shape.

Now, cut a length of stocking, including the toe, which will easily cover the wing area. Slide the pipecleaner 'wing' inside and use a piece of cotton to tie it in place where the pipecleaner is twisted together. Repeat these steps to make a second wing.

Slide the ends of the wing pipecleaners through the rubberband just behind the head and use a little bit of cotton to sew the wings firmly into position.

Take 3 half pipecleaners and slide them through the rubberbands on three sections of the body. Fold these into legs and feet for your butterfly, as Roy has done.