Cheap Garters -

Buy a yard of 1" wide elastic tape;

Cut it in half;

Tie one half round the top of your calf (or where the top of your hose will be), a little looser than you would have thought;

Do the same for the other;

Take them off and put to one side;

Acquire some wool in the colour required. You can either buy cheap wool, or go to a charity shop, or ask relatives and friends. You don't want a lot - a quarter ball is too much;

Get a piece of stiff cardboard about 10" wide;

Loop the wool round the cardboard about 20 to 30 times to form a hank (you choose - the more you wrap, the bigger your tassels), cut off;

Remove hank:

Roughly 3" in from each end tie a loose overhand knot in the hank;

Put to one side;

Repeat for second hank;

You should now have two hanks - 3", knot, 4", knot, 3";

Working on them together, even them out so that the knots are in the same place on each;

Cut the loops on all four ends and trim so that they are all equal;

Put your hose on;

Put on one of the elasticated garters (knot to the inwards);

Take one of the hanks, tuck under the garter and fold over;

Fold over top of hose;

Repeat on other leg.

For next to no money you can have dozens and dozens of garters. My favourites are mixed colours. I have a pair of black and gold that I love.

And no one knows that they are not expensive hand made garters - well apart from us, now.

Regards

Chas