My summer clean-out has really turned up a lot of old socks, and for a third week we’re doing another project for the kids using socks; and this week we’re making a classic favourite of kids… the sock monkey. Here is how to do it.

You will need:

o Two clean socks of different colours

o Two buttons (for the eyes)

o Ruler

o Pens

o Scissors

o Stuffing

o Pins

o Needle and thread

You will then:

o Use one sock for the head, body, and legs of the monkey and the other sock will be the arms, tail, mouth and ears

o Turn socks inside out

o Lay one sock with the heel flat facing down

o Mark the centre line of the foot from the toe to approximately one inch from the heel

o With the sock still folded flat, sew up one side of your marked line and back down the other side, leaving approximately a quarter-inch space between the line and your seam. (The width of your sewing machine presser foot usually works well)

o Cut the legs up the middle, between your two seams

o Turn and stuff the entire sock

o Decide where the “neck” will be and, using sturdy thread such as embroidery floss, stitch around the neck with quarter-inch stitches

o Pull the stitches snugly until you get the size neck you want and knot the ends

o Stuff head area to desired shape and size

o Stitch the top opening of the sock closed

Note:

If your sock opening is the same colour as the body of the sock, just make a nice rounded head and stitch it shut. If it is a contrasting colour, you will need to decide if you want to cut it off (makes a shorter body for the monkey) or use it as a “hat” by not stuffing the last inch or two and cinching the opening into a cone shape to simulate the crown of the “hat” as follows:

Gather the tip with large stitches and cinch them closed

o Fold the raw edges to the centre and tuck inside

o Fold raw/open edge to the inside

o Stitch the opening closed

Pattern to cut and sew.

o Cut the second sock as shown in pattern

o Stuff and turn second sock

o Attach tail to bum

o Attach the arms to either side of the body

o Make the mouth/nose from the heel of the second sock. Cut it out, stuff it, and sew it onto the “face” of the first sock

o Sew the bottom edge to the monkey’s chin. Right sides together, so that when you fold the nose up, the outside edge will be a fold (not raw)

o Add stuffing to make the nose puff out

o Fold the raw edge under and stitch the top edge to the face

o Turn the raw edges of the ears to the inside and stitch them closed

o Stitch the completed ears to each side of the head

o Add button eyes and there’s your monkey!