Neckties go quickly in and out of style. For that reason and because ties are popular gifts, most men have a lot of old neckties hanging in the closet. Resist tossing them into the nearest trash bin and recycle them instead. There are many things you can do with a necktie, from transforming one into a wild animal to donating them to a good cause.

Turn your old neckties into snakes. First, stuff the tie with cotton batting, then stitch it closed. Glue some eyes on the "head" (the wide part) of the snake, along with a red felt tongue. Give them as gifts to your nieces and nephews, or sell them at a local craft fair to raise money for your favorite charity. You could even donate the ties and materials to a local classroom, so the teacher can do this craft with the students.

Donate your old ties to charity. This could be as simple as dropping them off at a local thrift store, or as elaborate as taking the time to call local schools and churches to see if anyone has a need for neckties. Often, boys' groups such as a band or a choir have a need for neckties to go with their concert uniforms.

Tuck those neckties into a box and wait for the next Halloween or school spirit week. Chances are your son or daughter will be begging you for the tackiest tie in your collection to wear to a costume party or school spirit week "1980s clothing" day. Store a necktie in your first-aid kit to be used as a tourniquet.

Sew your old neckties into something entirely new. For example, you can sew a bunch of neckties together to make a fabulous skirt. You can also sew them into a school bag (see the link in the Resource section below). A tie makes a great dog collar; simply attach a buckle or clasp. If you open up the ties, you might even have enough material to make a throw pillow cover, or if you have a lot of ties, you could make a silk quilt out of them.