Everyone usually has clothespins in the house…even if you don’t use them to hang up clothes on the line to dry. They are cheap, easy to store and can easily be used in some nontraditional ways.
1. Make A Coupon Holder or Picture Hanger For The Fridge –
Glue a magnet to a clothespin and hang it on the fridge door. As you clip coupons, stick them in the clothespin, and you’ll always have them in one place. A fun project for the kids to do (maybe for Christmas presents for grandma or grandpa) would be to let them decorate the clothespin and then you can attach a picture of them to hang on the fridge. *I bought a package of 50 small round magnets at Hobby Lobby for $7.99.
2. Clip Your Book Where You Left Off –
I have a ton of bookmarks but a lot of times they fall out of the book. I also have some that are shaped like paper clips but sometimes they are hard for my fingers to manipulate (I have arthritis that flares up sometimes.) Using a clothespin instead of a bookmark is easy for me and stays clipped on the page.
3. Keep Your Skirt On Its Hanger –
Pant and skirt hangers are expensive! This is an old idea that’s been around but it works and it’s cheap! And you can use the inexpensive wire hangers when you use clothespins because you won’t get a crease from the wire….I can actually hang two skirts per hanger this way, which helps save room in the closet.
4. Clip Mittens Or Scarves –
Attach mittens to your kid’s coats so they don’t go missing. I also clip my scarves on a hanger with clothespins, which makes it easy to find which one I want to wear before heading out the door.
5. Close A Bag Of Dog Or Cat Food –
We buy big bags of cat food (we have four cats that like to eat a lot!) and I have used the plastic food storage clips in the past but they break quite often. The clothespins work perfect for this and again, they are super cheap.
6. And Of Course…Close A Snack Or Food Bag –
Of course they make food clips and sealers for this purpose but again, the clothespins are cheaper and work just as well.
7. Get Your Shoe Closet In Shape –
Before you toss your shoes in the closet, clip them together with a clothespin. This will speed up getting ready in the morning when you don’t have to search for your favorite shoe mate. This is a great way to keep the kid’s closets neat too.
8. Build A Better Bib –
A lot of baby bibs are super cute but also small. Kids learning to eat often need something a lot bigger. With messy foods, you can help keep their clothes clean by wrapping a dish towel around them and clipping it at the back of the neck with a clothespin. This is a great idea if you have guests over who have small children (and they forget a bib) and you don’t happen to have one in the house….If you don’t have young children yourself, you’re probably not going to have bibs.
9. Clip A Tarp –
Help keep tarps in place on outdoor furniture by anchoring them with clothespins.
10. Keep A Cookbook Open –
Clip open the page, and the book won’t shut while you’re cooking…..I’ve been using this trick and it really works.
11. Clip Your Keys To Your Purse –
This might sound “corny” but it works and it’s easy. Just attach the clothespin to the O-ring of your keys and clip to an inside pocket in your purse. You’ll never rummage for your keys again.
12. Save Your Thumb –
Trying to fit a nail into a hard-to-reach place or at a funny angle? Grip the nail with a clothespin, and that way you can hammer the nail and not your finger.
13. Pin Up Christmas Lights –
Clothespins are tough enough to survive the winds of winter. Yu can clip them to gutters, trees, or anywhere you want to hang lights.
14. Make A Car Seat Protector –
Before you put your dog in the backseat, clip an old sheet in place by attaching it to side-hung seat belts. This will help protect the interior from pet hair and dirt.
15. Hang Photos –
I actually saw a similar idea at a store we were at and I thought, “how cool” for hanging photos or your child’s artwork. (Of course they wanted a lot of money for it.) I wish I had thought of this when my own son was younger. You can hang a wire (or even ribbon or string) along a wall. (Only requires two small holes.) Then just attach any photos or artwork to the wire with clothespins. Saves the walls and it’s easy to change out whatever you’re displaying.
I got a lot of these ideas from Reader’s Digest 99 Cent Solutions….