Can't you think of anything other than socks and panties as a gift for February 23rd? You can also give socks, but do it in an unusual way, making a tank out of socks with your own hands. In fact, socks are a useful gift for men; they will be doubly happy to receive such a non-standard tank.
The tank corresponds to the theme of this holiday. It is celebrated even by men who did not serve in the army. And those who served treat February 23 with reverence; it will be very nice to receive a gift related to the holiday, and not a razor and shaving foam. It's better not to buy the cheapest socks, they will be thin. They are inconvenient to work with, the design will be small, and the tank will look ridiculous.
DIY sock tank as a gift for February 23rd
It is unknown who and when first came up with the idea of giving tanks made from socks to their loved ones on Defender of the Fatherland Day, but now this gift idea is very popular. Of course, socks and crafts made from them are unlikely to be suitable as a gift for your boss or colleagues, but your beloved husband, brother or good friend will certainly appreciate such a practical and unusual surprise. The main thing is to choose high-quality socks of the right size for the craft.
Today, craftswomen have come up with several ways to make a tank from socks with their own hands for February 23rd. The most complex methods allow you to build a fairly large craft, which, in addition to socks, will also include bottles of alcohol, candy or souvenirs. But the simplest way to make a beautiful tank will give every woman the opportunity to surprise her man and prepare him an unusual and pleasant gift for Defender of the Fatherland Day on a limited budget.
How to make a tank from socks: step-by-step instructions
This method of constructing a tank from socks is the simplest and most cost-effective, because in order to make a craft, you only need 3 pairs of socks, a ribbon, a ready-made bow and a pen for writing (you can use either a regular ballpoint pen or a souvenir fountain pen).
First you need to cut the labels from all pairs of socks, and then lay out 4 socks one at a time and roll them up, as shown in the photo. Thus, from 2 pairs of socks you will get the wheels and base of the tank.
Now you need to take the third pair, separate it, and put the first 2 pairs of socks rolled into tight rolls on one of the socks. And from the second sock, a tank turret is formed from the third pair (as in the photo).
The rolls need to be tightly wrapped with the sock on which they were laid out, and to prevent the structure from falling apart, the toe of the sock can be tucked inside its own elastic band.
A tower from the second sock of the third pair is installed on top of the finished structure, and a bow is placed on it. If desired, both the tower and the bow can be secured with pins. Next, the sock tank is tied with tape, and a barrel, an ordinary writing pen, is inserted into its turret. If desired, the ballpoint pen can be replaced with a more expensive and sophisticated fountain pen, and then the sock tank will act as an original addition to the main gift - a status writing pen.
Photo of tanks made from socks for men, made by hand
Since making a sock tank for a man with your own hands is very simple, it is not surprising that many women and girls liked this idea. Our compatriots give such a pleasant, cool and inexpensive gift to friends, relatives, and male colleagues with whom they have established friendly relations. Also, some women complement the craft with decorative elements - stars, ribbons and flags cut out of paper.
And to make the craft more beautiful, socks of several colors are chosen for the gift - for example, gray or white for the wheels, and black for the tracks and for the tower. But a tank made from striped and patterned socks will also look beautiful and original.
Examples of sock tanks that women gave to their men
Men who in past years received such an unusual and original gift as a sock tank took a photo of it so that they could later show off such a pleasant present to their virtual friends. Therefore, there are enough photos of sock tanks posted online that you can use as a guide when making a present for February 23rd for your husband or friend. And we posted photos of the most beautiful and successful, in our opinion, crafts here.
Necessary materials
To understand what materials may be needed in the creative process, you need to decide in advance what your desired composition should look like. To take this or that option as a sample, look through various photos of bouquets of socks; this will help you decide on the shape, decoration and color scheme of the created masterpiece.
Making a bouquet at home is quite simple; you don’t need to have any special handicraft experience, the main thing is to be patient and have the necessary materials.
To create a gift set you need to prepare:
- socks – depending on the design, you can choose products of different shades;
- tape or pins;
- wooden sticks, like skewers;
- decorative elements: colored or corrugated paper, tulle, chiffon, satin ribbons, beads, etc.
DIY sock tank with a bottle - step-by-step instructions with photos
A sock tank for February 23 can be supplemented with a bottle of beer or any other drink that a man likes. This bottle will serve as the barrel of the tank, so when making a craft it is important to take care to give it the proper appearance by covering it with colored paper or decorating it. Making a tank from socks with a bottle with your own hands is not so difficult if you follow the step-by-step instructions with photos that we have prepared for all our visitors.
Making a tank from socks with a bottle step by step
To build a tank from socks with a bottle, you will need a 0.33 liter bottle of beer, colored paper in grey, black or green, 5 pairs of socks, 2 elastic bands, staples, a wine cork, glue, scissors, double-sided tape, crochet threads, toothpicks and a beautiful ribbon.
When all the materials are prepared, you can begin making the tank. First you need to lay out all the pairs of socks, as in the photo below, and then roll 6 socks (3 pairs) into tight rolls and connect them together with an elastic band.
Next, you need to make caterpillars from the 4th pair of socks. To do this, “caterpillars” of 6 socks laid out in a row need to be wrapped on one side with one sock, and on the other with another, and connect these socks by inserting the bowls into elastic bands.
The bottle that will be used for the barrel of the tank needs to be covered with gray paper and also wrapped with crochet thread (as in the photo). When the bottle is ready, all that remains is to make a tower from the fifth pair of socks. The elastic of the first sock is put on the bottle, and then the sock is wrapped so that its tip can be partially tucked under the elastic.
Then you need to use the 2nd sock from the fifth pair. It must be wrapped around the bottle, as in the photo, and then secured with staples.
The resulting turret is placed on the tank tracks, and a wine cork is placed under it in front so that the barrel appears slightly raised.
To decorate the resulting tank, you can insert a flag made of a toothpick and colored paper into the tower and tie a bow around the product. You can also cut out the number of the unit in which the man once served from paper, and glue the letters and numbers on the side of the tank.
Floral arrangement of white and blue socks
To make an open bouquet of white and blue socks, you need the following materials and tools:
- socks (3 blue pairs and 5 white pairs);
- light blue satin ribbon;
- glue gun;
- wire and large beads;
- needle and thread in the color of the socks;
- wooden thin sticks.
Before twisting the buds, it is necessary to prepare the “stems”. To do this, each wooden stick must be wrapped in satin ribbon, periodically fixing it with a glue gun. Labels are cut off from all socks. Large, voluminous buds are twisted from three blue pairs. They are secured with threads and stem sticks are inserted into them. White pairs of socks are separated and buds are rolled out of each.
They are also secured with threads and placed on sticks. The bouquet should be assembled in this way: three large blue flowers are placed in the middle, and white flowers are used to frame the blue ones. The composition is fixed with a satin ribbon that matches the color of the bouquet (or a little brighter). Additional decor is made from wire, which is cut into identical small pieces.
One bead is placed on each segment and secured by twisting the ends of the wire along the entire length. Such homemade “invisibility” devices are inserted into the core of each flower. A special feature of the bouquet is its openness (no wrapping paper), which looks very light and delicate.
A tank made of socks and a bottle is an almost universal gift for February 23
Most often, women on Defender of the Fatherland Day, who want to please their loved one with an original gift, make a tank from socks and a 0.33 or 0.5 liter bottle of beer. But in fact, when making a craft, you can use any round bottle, and if you use more than 5 pairs of socks to build the tank, a larger bottle will fit harmoniously into the design.
By the way, socks with a bottle will also be an excellent gift for a boy on Defender of the Fatherland Day. Of course, there is no need to give alcohol to minor future defenders of the Motherland, so for the tower you can use either an empty container or a round glass bottle with lemonade or Pepsi-Cola.
Photo of sock tanks with a bottle
Despite the fact that there is only one way to make a tank from socks with a bottle, it is unlikely that you will be able to find photos of two absolutely identical crafts. And the photos of such tanks posted here confirm this. Therefore, such a gift for a man on February 23 will be not only useful and pleasant, but also unique.
A DIY tank made of socks and beer for February 23rd is an unexpected, useful and pleasant gift
Since most men love beer, the stronger sex will certainly be pleased with a tank made of socks and beer for February 23rd, made by their beloved with their own hands. Such a present will be an excellent gift for your beloved man, because it is at the same time useful, pleasant, and capable of causing surprise. The main thing is to choose high-quality, appropriate-sized socks and good beer for the craft.
But although it’s quite simple to make a tank out of socks and beer with your own hands on February 23, you also need to take care of a suitable gift box. The fact is that you cannot fix different parts of the craft with tape or glue, and in order not to get your socks dirty, there are two options left - either present the gift to the man directly next to the table on which he will place the gift, or in a box. And almost any suitable sized box will be suitable as packaging for the tank, the main thing is to cover it with gift paper or decorate it with decorative elements of a theme suitable for the occasion.
Building a tank from beer and socks: master class
You can see how you can make an original tank with your own hands using socks and a bottle of beer in the video. A very detailed master class on how to make such a craft is shown here, so after watching the video there will be no questions left about exactly how to fold the socks and how to fix the beer so that the tank does not fall apart into its components.
How to arrange a bouquet
There are many options for designing such an original gift. A men's bouquet with socks will look especially stylish if you don't limit yourself only to black wardrobe items. Make, for example, a two-color bouquet.
Each bud can be additionally wrapped in crumpled paper or shiny fabric. Use elastic bands and tapes to secure. This will add volume to a handmade bouquet for a man made from socks.
