Its OK though, as I'm all about the up cycling. My odd slipper socks have now become dusters (as the fluffiness works wonders), and now i have a way to use up Agent M's odd little socks ... By making fresheners. 

Since we think of Harry Potter when we talk about the socks i decided to keep with the theme ...That's why O is for Odd Sock Owl Fresheners.

I love these as you can pop these in your drawers to keep your clothes fresh or inside shoes if they are particularly smelly ... and they look really cute.

You'll need

Odd socks - The size of the Owl will depend on the size of the sock 

A bag of Rice (plain long grain is fine - Dried, not instant)

Fabric freshener beads - I used the Lenor but Comfort would work too)

Needle and Thread (You can use a sewing machine too if you have one)

Buttons for the eyes

To make

First you need to turn the sock inside out and cut a triangle out of the toes and remove the heal. If you are using an adult sock you will need to cut the heal section closer to the toes otherwise your owl will be huge. The yellow lines below are a rough guide were to cut.

While still inside out, you need to sew the toe area shut. You can do this by hand or use your sewing machine. If using a machine you might need to pin the two sides together to make sure they are even. This will be the Owl's beak. If sewing by hand, a simple slip stitch will be fine. 

The yellow dashes show the area you need to sew. Once you have sewn the toes, you need to turn the sock right way round, making sure to push the toe area into a point and sew down the sock as shown by the pink dashes. When sewing the opening, remember to leave a big enough space so that you can add the filling.

Next you will need to mix some rice with the fabric beads. Now, obviously the rice isn't going to be edible when mixed with the beads so rather than have waste, pour a little of each into a small bowl and scoop from there. I used a rough 2 part rice to 1 part bead ratio (the Lenor ones are very strong scented) but you can add more if you want them to be really strong scented - Especially if you are going to use them in shoes. Using a spoon, scoop some of the mix into the hole and fill the owl up. If you tap it on a hard surface the mix will fill in the corners and you can pack it in tight.

You will now need to close up the opening. Its much easier to stitch it shut by hand. Using a machine, you run the risk of spilling the filling everywhere and to hold it shut you will need to get your fingers close to the needle - NOT RECOMMENDED!

Once sewn shut, you can then sew the beak by folding the point down onto what would be the body of the owl. I just put a little stitch at the point attaching it to the body. Its all you need.

Last but not least, you need to give your owl eyes. I used coloured buttons from my stash but you can use any ones that you have. You could also use googly eyes and fabric glue but if the owls are going in any kids shoes or drawers, you are probably safer using buttons, making sure you sew them on extra tight. 

It goes without saying that these aren't toys and shouldn't be given to little kids ... The beads are toxic when ingested remember!

There is no limit to the number of owls you can make ... One for each drawer if you like and the smell will last ages.