I'm in need to nylon stockings with runs in them as well as used burlap sacks.

September 27, 2011 10:31 AM

RecycleFilter: I'm in need to nylon stockings with runs in them as well as used burlap sacks. Where can I find some?

My mother wants to get back into crafts. A long time ago she use to take her friends' ruined pantyhose and create the most adorable little potato sack decorations you ever did see. She'd stuff the pantyhose with pillow-fill, shape them into little balls and then sew little potato dimples into them. She'd then arrange ones of different sizes and sew them into cut up burlap sacks to look like a bag of overflowing potatoes.

Unfortunately her friends don't wear pantyhose anymore. she wants me to "go to the internet" and find people who have either the ruined nylon stockings or burlap that would send her these items. She said she's happy to reimburse them for shipping.

I've suggested that we just buy nylon and burlap in the craft store, but she said that defeats the whole purpose. That this is a trash to treasures kind of thing.

I have absolutely no idea where to go on the internet to find or ask for these things.

Help me mefites!

posted by royalsong to grab bag (6 answers total)

Give me her address, I will send her lots! No need to reimburse me, though. I promise to wash them first! ; )
posted by Yellow at 10:33 AM on September 27, 2011

Freecycle seems about perfect for this. Some people have issues with that particular organisation because of the founder, but it was pretty much made for this.
posted by kellyblah at 10:40 AM on September 27, 2011

Local Craigslist "wanted" postings or Freecycle ads should yeild folks willing to donate what you are looking for!
posted by labwench at 11:17 AM on September 27, 2011

For burlap find a local coffee company/roaster. They get the green beans in 50 pound burlap sacks. Place I worked for a time would just give them to you if you asked, though did sell some of the more...er decorative ones (some had nice designs printed on them) but even then it was like 5 for a dollar.
posted by Captain_Science at 11:27 AM on September 27, 2011

not sure how they handle it now, I haven't been on there in years, but craftster.org used to have a swap forum, where people would post about what random stuff they had/wanted for crafting. nylons and burlap would not be the oddest thing I ever saw there.
posted by dust.wind.dude at 11:33 AM on September 27, 2011

Yep, local coffee roasters have piles of empty sacks. I went to my favorite roasters and got as many as I could carry away when I was planning a kids's birthday party. Note to readers: proper techniques for sack racing -- or preventing falls -- are no longer included in Rhode Island physical education curricula at the elementary level. Quickly-smothered hilarity ensued.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:32 AM on September 28, 2011