Mommy, so 80s right?

Upon cleaning out the "girls' room" closet at my parent's beach house, my sister discovered her high school tube socks. Thick, scrunchy pink socks with rhinestones all over them. You know what I'm talking about, and you must admit you wore them, too. Needless to say, my daughter and niece were mesmerized. Each wanted her own sparkly socks, and who could really blame them? So this project was born. If someone could stick rhinestones to socks using puff paint 25 years ago, then so could I! And so I did.
Materials

• socks, bright colors are best
• puff paint in a contrasting color
• flat-backed rhinestones in assorted colors. I used 4mm and 3mm sizes. The socks with a few of each size look the cutest. I got the paint and rhinestones at Michael's craft store.
  

Directions

1. Slip a scrap of cardboard into each sock. Lay socks flat on a table.
2. Squeeze small dots of paint onto the socks, scattering dots as desired. I recommend not going too low, as the bumps might irritate the wearer's ankles.
3. Place one rhinestone on each paint dot. Press into paint until paint oozes up around the edges of the rhinestone. This is important so the sparkles don't fall off. I used a toothpick for this step. A damp toothpick tip easily picks up the rhinestones, places them neatly on the paint, and is perfect for pressing the sparkle down without messing up your paint dots.
4. Let dry for a few hours, flip socks over, and repeat with other side.
   

I initially made two pair- one green and one purple. My daughter, in classic form, insisted on wearing one of each. I made them two days ago, and she wore the opposite pair on the second day. This morning she was pretty sad that the "sparkly socks like Auntie Rachie's" were all in need of laundering.
Yesterday I made four more pair to send as gifts to the kids of people I was friends with in the 80s. Clearly, I need to make more. And while I'm at it, I might just make myself a pair. The 80s are back, right?