Turn a pair of dollar store socks into a stylish, updated version of the traditional sock monkey. These toys are adorable and are not cheap in kiddie boutiques, but I will show you how easy it is to make one quickly and inexpensively!

I would say this is a beginner project that you can complete in about two hours.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

I got this 3 pack of socks for $2.50 and had some stuffing left from another project. The polka dots were really talking to me. The cats & fishbones...not so much.

I also used some embroidery floss (but regular thread would work too) and you'll need scissors, a couple of buttons or pieces of felt for eyes & nose and a knitting needle or some other long pokey thing for stuffing the limbs. I used a sewing machine as well, but you could definitely do this by hand and it wouldn't take too outrageously long.

Step 2: Start the Body

Turn one sock inside out, lay flat with heel facing you and cut to within one inch of the heel.

On your sewing machine (or by hand) starting at one corner of the foot, sew across the bottom of the foot and up the inside of the leg, stopping about an inch from the crotch. Repeat on the other side, leaving the crotch open.

Turn right side out.

Step 3: Cut Out Your Other Body Parts

With your second sock laying flat, cut out the following pieces:

two arms
two ears
a tail
(in my picture, I've marked the heel to be cut out as the mouth, but the sock toe ended up being perfect, so I didn't need it. Your sock may vary, so as needed, cut out the heel for the mouth.)

Step 4: Sew Arms & Ears

Turn arms/legs inside out and starting at outer edge of 'hand' end, sew across hand and up to 'shoulder', leaving it open. Turn right side out.

With ears inside out, sew all the way around triangle, leaving a small space an inch or so for turning right side out. With scissors, trim the excess off the points so they aren't so bulky when you turn them back right side out. Now turn them right side out, poke out the points with your knitting needle and with a needle and thread, put a couple of stitches in to sew the hole shut.

Step 5: Stuff the Head and Body

Stuff the head with your foam/stuffing. I tied off the neck so there would be more definition between body parts. This is completely up to you, if you want yours to have a neck or not.

Use your knitting needle to shove stuffing down into the bottom of the feet and hands. You can poke it around to make it less lumpy. After it's all stuffed and sewn shut, you can mash it around a bit then too.

Fill the arms right up to the edge, then kind of fold over the raw edges a bit in preparation of sewing them onto the body.

Step 6: Position the Arms & Sew On

With the arm seams facing down, stick a pin in the shoulder of each arm and place where you'd like them. With needle and thread, stitch around the arm, keeping careful to fold under the raw edge.

After you've gone around the arm, make a knot and bury the knot in the stuffing. So make your knot about 3/4 of an inch out from the arm, then just plunge your needle into the arm and out the other side. Pull a bit, cut your thread and the knot will be inside somewhere and the tail of the thread will sink back into the arm. I do this with most hand-sewing...it's tidy with no knots showing.

Step 7: Sew the Crotch Shut

Starting on the inside of one leg, hand-sew the crotch shut. You can add or remove stuffing as needed at this point, if you are having difficulties cramming all the stuffing in or if there are loose gaps.

Step 8: Sew on Your Ears & Tail

Just like what you did with the arms, do so with the ears. Poke a pin in each ear and affix to the head to see where you'd like them best. Try them out a few different ways. Thread your needle and stitch them on by hand, burying the knot like you did after sewing on the arms.

With the heel scrap from the second sock, fold it into a narrow, pointy V shape and sew, leaving the wide end of the V open. Trim a smidge off the point of the V, then turn right side out and stuff. Position where you'd like it on the dog and sew on by hand.

Step 9: Give Your Pup Some Personality!

Get out your button jar and/or felt bits and put together a cute face! Position buttons with a pin until you get them just where you'd like them, then sew on.

Rather than knotting in between each button and nose, I've passed the needle across the face under the sock fabric to reach the other button. Quick and skips a fussy step!

I used embroidery floss for this step, but only because I had some on hand. If you don't have it, regular thread will work.

I've done a blanket stitch around the nose.

Step 10: Is He Finished...just About!

He is done, but I thought he'd look dapper with a tie. I just used a long, skinny scrap of fabric, folded inside out and sewn on the machine. Taper one end and leave it open, and on the wide end, finish off with a diagonal stitch. Once turned right-side out, this will be the pointy V of your tie.

Get your knitting needle again and poke into the V or bottom of the tie (the end that's sewn shut). Turn it right side out by poking it out the end that's not sewn shut, then use the tip of the knitting needle to poke out the points of the V and press.

Now, do what I did and Google how to tie a tie.;)

Step 11: Love Him to Bits or Give As a Gift!

How cute is this guy!? I just love him, but he's going to a 3 1/2 year old who will love him even more. Be sure if you are giving to a little kid that you've done a stellar job sewing on the buttons!

(I positioned the ears folded over with a pin, but decided this pup's ears would stand straight up. That's always an option though, and totally changes the look of the beastie!)