Make Your Own Custom Socks!

For this post, I had this great 4 way stretch fabric that I loved the print of. It had so many different designs on one yard of fabric. I thought it would be interesting to see if I could make three different pairs of socks for my boys. In the pictures below you will see that they all look different but coordinate well. 

The pattern I use in this post is the 90’s socks from Made For Mermaids. I have since found a free pattern I like better. It’s the Sew it Forward sock pattern from Ellie and Mac. The socks are assembled the same way for both patterns. My family just prefers the fit of the Ellie and Mac socks more. The Made for Mermaids pattern has a right and left foot and we all agreed we didn’t like having to figure out which sock went on which foot.

Here are the pattern pieces. There are 3 lengths; ankle, crew and knee. My family likes the crew length so that is what I made. I let my boys pick out what design on the fabric they wanted for the different parts of their socks. This is how it looked all laid out before I cut them out. And because it’s a 4-way stretch knit, they could do just about anything they wanted. 

There is a sock bottom piece that goes across the sole of the foot, a back piece that goes from the heel up to whatever length you choose, and a top piece that covers from the top of the toes up to your chosen length as well. There is a band that goes around the top of the sock to keep it up. My kids all chose crew length. Above you can see how they were assembled.

It took about 20 min per pair of socks and I sewed them entirely with my serger. If you don’t have a serger you can use a regular machine with a Zig Zag stitch as well. 

My boys loved them so much! This sock making has been a total game changer for me and my boys. They actually go to the fabric store with me now with the sole purpose of picking out sock fabric. Pictured below are some Flamingo socks I made from fabric they found at Joann's.

I have since made them all numerous pairs for various events. I even made some for my oldest son to match his tie for winter formal. They are so easy to make that my boys can make them too. They even plan on making fun ones for their friends as Christmas presents this year. I love it! 

This is silly project is so easy and completely fun! When I need a good palette cleansing project I often sew up a few pairs of socks. My boys are happy to have a new pair of fun socks and I get some nervous energy out as well. It’s also a great way to use up your knit fabric scraps. If you haven’t tried making socks yet I highly recommend you do. 

Here’s the link to your free digital sock pattern if you want to give sock making a try.

Have fun and Happy Sewing!

Koe