Seeing a hole in your favorite t-shirt, sweater, or pair of socks is never a pleasant experience. The quality of clothing today is such that little holes seem to pop up regularly.
If you don’t enjoy sewing (or don’t know how to), then today could be your lucky day. You’re about to find out how to fix a hole in a sock without touching a needle and thread.
Fixing a hole in a sock is really easy. It does not require amazing skills or specialized equipment. Your sock will look almost as good as new in a few minutes.
Why Repair Your Socks?
You’re probably thinking that socks are pretty cheap and I can change them whenever I like! Of course, you can just dispose of the socks with holes and get a fresh pair. But it’s so easy to fix a hole or tear and can give an otherwise perfectly good pair of socks a second life.
Some socks are probably not worth saving. I don’t recommend fixing your moth-eaten socks, worn out, permanently smelly, and have lost any elasticity.
However, fixing a small hole or wear mark is still a good idea. By taking care of your possessions, you not only save some money, but you also feel like a real live pioneer, which is pretty cool.
What if you don’t want to take your shoes off at your friend’s house? Because your store-bought pair of socks are on their way to get a hole. You might have quit some pairs, but you don’t want to throw them away because they have a small wannabe hole.
In addition, thinking about throwing them away would mean shopping for new ones, and perhaps you don’t like shopping for clothes. So why don’t you look for a way to fix them.
Traditionally, repairing socks, also known as darning, was a simple task that most homemakers did. It wasn’t special or weird. It was just a part of clothing maintenance. With a darning egg or a darning spool, they would patch up little holes and wear. It is possible to darn them, as our ancestors did with woolen socks. But if store-bought socks get darned, you can either see it from the outside or you will feel it from the inside.
It’s not necessary to darn a sock repeatedly until it has more of your work than the original sock. It is all about making small repairs when needed to maintain your clothes rather than throwing them away.
4 Ways to Fix a Hole in Your Socks
Here are 4 easy ways to fix a hole in your socks:
1. Use A Patch To Repair A Hole In Your Socks
(Caution – There are different ways to apply patches. In this video the patches they use are thick, but you can also find very thin flexible patches to patch your socks as well. See Amazon.com)
What you may need:
- Hot iron
- Scissors
- Cutter plotter
- Pair of socks
- Parchment paper
- Flex foil (heat transfer) of your choice
Directions:
- You need to check the size of the hole in your sock.
- Choose the type of design that you want to have on your feet.
- Create patterns using scissors or x-act knives or just cut out dots.
- Depending on your foil brand, heat your iron to the right temperature.
- Make sure your socks are flat and even by ironing them.
- To prevent the foil from sticking to the backside of your sock, put some parchment paper beyond the hole.
- Cover the hole with the patch and place as many around it as possible to hide the fact that you have ONE hole to fix.
- Then wrap another piece of parchment paper around the sock so to protect it from the hot iron.
- Using your body and arm, press the iron on the sock. Do not slide the iron; just press it and then lift it.
- Heat press again after removing the transfer foil.
And there you have it! Ironing a patch is one of the easiest methods for hole repair and add uniqueness to your socks.
2. Use A Fusing Web To Repair A Hole In Your Socks
What you need:
- Fusing web
- Iron
Directions:
- Turn the pair of socks in question inside-out.
- Using the fusing web, cut a small piece just big enough to cover the hole you want to patch.
- Carefully gather the fabric around the hole so that you cannot see the hole anymore.
- Put the fusing web over the hole you just cut. Make sure your iron is set to “wool” setting.
- Put a piece of wax paper around the hole and fusing the web to prevent the iron from sticking.
- Hold the iron over the hole and fusing the web for 10 seconds.
That’s it! Another easy method. There’s no need to dig through your sewing kit to fix small holes when you can easily patch them with this technique.
3. Use Clothing Glue To Repair A Hole In Your Socks
What you need:
- Clothing Glue
Directions:
- Take the holey sock that you want to fix and the clothing glue.
- Carefully push the fabric around the hole together as closely as possible to hide the hole before applying the glue.
- Put a thin layer of glue over the hidden hole and take your time while doing so.
- Make sure you take time and apply a thin layer, as thin as possible. You can always add more.
- Let it dry for 24 hours, and see the results.
The result will vary with glue. It can be a difficult technique depending on the hole. although, if you have patience and take your time you might just find this an effective method. Your socks might look like they never had a hole.
4. Use a Hot Glue Gun to Repair a Hole in Your Socks
What you need:
- Glue gun
- iron
Directions:
- Take a small piece of cloth equivalent to the size of the hole and put some glue on the cloth from the glue gun.
- Then wait a minute for the glue to dry.
- Place this piece of cloth under the hole.
- Then press the area with a heated iron.
- Let it dry for two minutes.
And that’s it! You are done! This could be more comfortable than a patch depending on how much glue you put on. You could also try this method with the fabric glue and probably get good results.
Is Darning/Sewing A Hole In A Sock Worth It?
Of course, Darning/Sewing a hole in a sock is totally worth it! Do you have a hole in the socks that you love? Darning was once considered an old-fashioned notion. But it is more in style today to display your handiwork and express yourself creatively.
With the right backing support, chunky and warm socks make great slippers. Don’t forget to darn areas prone to tear (such as the tip and ball of the foot) with thick, vibrant yarn to make them more durable – and stylish too. Make sure they are of similar thicknesses and materials, so the overall result will feel uniformly fuzzy or smooth.
Since knitting takes a lot of time, wouldn’t it make sense to know how to fix your knitwear when it gets holes? Making minor repairs to socks at home is simpler than you might think, and your socks will last longer as well.
You can also add a hint of personality to those worn-in shoes. No degree is necessary to rejuvenate sweaters, scarves, or socks in a beautiful way. If there are any blanks, simply fill them in with a tight grid of over and under stitches.
‘Visible mending’ is making a comeback, and you might enjoy repairing those holes in your clothes or socks with decorative stitches and patches, adding more life to them. After repairing your socks, you may feel the urge to deliberately make new holes in them just to add more vibrant colors to your socks.
Final Thoughts
Fixing your sock hole in the above-mentioned ways:
- Effectively closes sock holes
- Still makes them comfortable to wear
- Adds life to your socks and make them durable
- And (as a bonus) makes your knitted footwear stand out
You can repair your socks without darning and without thick parts that may blister your feet. And you can also customize your socks however you like Prominent or plain, whatever you like. It is also a nice way to spice up socks even if they do not have holes. Don’t toss your store-bought socks too quickly to give them a chance to live a new creative life.