33 Unusual Uses for Pantyhose (page 3 of 4)

In the Garden

Stake delicate plants
Give your young plants and trees the support they need. Use strips of pantyhose to attach them to your garden stakes. The nylon's flexibility will stretch as your seedlings or saplings fill out and mature -- unlike string or twine, which can actually damage plant stalks if you tie it too tightly.

Store flower bulbs in winter
Pantyhose legs make terrific sacks for storing your flower bulbs over winter, since they let air freely circulate around the bulbs to prevent mold and rot. Simply cut a leg off a pair of pantyhose and place your bulbs inside, knot off the end, and place ID tags on each sack using a strip of masking tape. Hang them up in a cool, dry space, and they'll be ready for planting in the spring.

Prevent soil erosion in houseplants
When moving a houseplant to a larger or better accommodation, put a piece of pantyhose at the bottom of the new pot. It will act as a liner that lets the excess water flow out without draining the soil along with it.

Support melons
Keep small melons such as cantaloupe and muskmelons off the ground -- and free of pests and disease -- by making protective sleeves for them from your old pantyhose. Cut the legs off the pantyhose. As your young melons start to develop, slide each one into the foot section, and tie the leg to a stake to suspend the melon above the ground. The nylon holders will stretch as the melons mature, while keeping them from touching the damp soil, where they would be susceptible to rot or invasion by hungry insects and other garden pests.

Keep deer out of your garden
If you've been catching Bambi and her friends nibbling on your crops, put up a "No Trespassing" sign they will easily understand. Simply fill the foot sections of some old pantyhose with human hair clippings collected from hairbrushes or your local barbershop -- or, even better, use Rover's fur after a good brushing. Tie up the ends, and hang up the nylon satchels where the deer tend to snack. They won't be back for seconds. The hair or fur will lose its scent after a while, so replace every four or five days as needed.

Clean up after gardening
Here are two recycling tips in one: Save up your leftover slivers of soap, and place them in the foot section of an old nylon stocking. Knot it off, and hang it next to your outdoor faucet. Use the soap-filled stocking to quickly wash off your hands after gardening and other outdoor work without worrying about getting dirt on door handles or bathroom fixtures inside your house.

Cover a kids' bug jar
What child doesn't like to catch fireflies -- and hopefully release them -- on a warm summer night? When making a bug jar for your youngster, don't bother using a hammer and nail to punch holes in the jar's metal lid (in fact, save the lids for other projects). It's much easier to just cut a 5- or 6-inch (15-centimeter) square from an old pair of pantyhose and affix it to the jar with a rubber band. The nylon cover lets plenty of air enter the jar, and makes it easier to get the bugs in and out.

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