Clothespin Hacks! Who Knew?

The Clothespin:  something that costs as little as about $0.05 each, is a very useful and versatile tool to have around the house!

You might remember your mother or grandmother using these little beauties to hang clothes outside on a line to dry.  But, times have changed and people don’t do that very much anymore. 

Clothespin Hacks!  Who Knew?

However, it doesn’t mean that clothespins have become obsolete!  Not by a long shot!  There are many new uses we can find for them now.   They are handy and cheap little things that make life easier.

Here are some ways in which you can use them to help make your daily life easier!

Chip Clip

You don’t need fancy clips to keep your chip bags closed, or your cereal bags closed, or frozen veggie bags in the freezer. Just grab a clothespin!  You can even have them hanging nearby in your pantry so you an easily grab one when you need it.

Don’t Disturb Baby

Sometimes you need to keep the sun and wind from disturbing a sleeping baby in a stroller.  Keep clothespins handy to hold down the blankets where you need them.

Baby Dirty Clothes Bag

When you change the baby’s clothes, you don’t want to put the dirty clothes in with the clean.  Just attach a bag to the diaper bag with clothespins to keep them separate.

Coupon Organizer

They make a great way to keep your coupons organized on a trip to multiple stores!  Just write the name of the store on the clothespin and then clip the coupons you’re going to use at that store with the clothespin with that store’s name. 

It’s super simple to keep them organized, also paperclips may be smaller and less bulky, but they are also easier to lose and you can’t write on them ;).

If you are a couponer you might like your own free printable Monthly Budget Worksheet.  <— click here

Reminders

Pop one on your bag as you head out the door and it will be there to remind you to pick up the dry cleaning or whatever else you might want to make sure you don’t forget.

Bookmark

Clip it in your book so you don’t forget where you left off.

Card Display

This is a cute way to display cards.  Just grab some cute Christmas ribbon and hang it up wherever you’d like to display your cards and use the clothespins to add them as they come in. 

You can even choose to decorate them, too!

Garden Plant Tags

Write the plant name on the clothespin then attach it to a wooden dowel or stick.  I HATE not remembering what I planted where.  Those flimsy little plastic cards that come with the plants are easily blown away.  This makes it much easier to know what you planted where.

Craft Helper

They make great holders when you need something held together until the glue dries.

Grocery List Holder

Grab a clothespin and glue a sturdy magnet on the back, hang it on the fridge and pin your shopping list on it.  This makes it easy to add items on the fly, and for family members to add items they need.  (Just a side note – I LOVE our Amazon Echo for this reason, too. 

I just say:  “Alexa add milk to the shopping list”.  She replies and tells me it’s been added.  Everyone in the house has the same list on heir mobile device and can add it from their device or they can tell Alexa to add it, too.  Then whoever is at the store can pull the list up and get the contents… just FYI :))

Display Artwork

Hang twine or string and use the clothespins to hang art in a designated area.  Display it proudly for everyone to see.

Keep Mittens & Gloves Together

It can often get hard to keep up with mittens and gloves.  One might go in the jacket pocket and the other on the kitchen table :/ – then the search ensues the next time you have 3 minutes to find them before you leave!  Clothespins are a great way to keep them together.

Hammering In A Nail

Tired of banging your fingers when hammering in a nail?  Just use a clothespin to hold the nail.

Cord Holder

When traveling, packing your laptop bag, or even keeping your house less cluttered by charging wires can be much easier with clothespins. 

You can even label the clothespin, so when you are traveling you are sure you have each cord you came with as they all have their own labeled clothespin.

Secure Outdoor Tablecloth

We live in Texas and it’s windy pretty much all the time.  Keeping any tablecloth on a table outside is pretty much impossible, but, a clothespin makes it work!

Necklace Holder

Glue several clothespins on a board or decorative piece of wood and hang it up for a necklace holder.  Just hang the necklace over the clip or use the clips to hold them.

Light Candles

How many times have you burned your finger or come super close while trying to light a candle that has burned deep in its holder?  Well, use a clothes pin to keep your fingers safe!

Key/Mail Holder

Glue several clothespins on a board or decorative piece of wood and hang it by the door to hang your keys on as you come in so they are easy to find on the way out.  You can also attach incoming or outgoing mail.

Recipe Card/Book Holder

Clip 2 clothespins to the bottom of a recipe card and then stand it on the counter.  Or if you’re using a recipe book, use a clothespin to hold the book open to the page you need….. Now, if I can just find something similar to keep the recipe open on my phone so I don’t have to keep unlocking it every time it goes back to sleep while I am cooking!

Label Cords

Hate the power strip cord guessing game?  Guess no more!  Label each cord with it’s own clothespin!  No more unplugging the wrong device to find the right one!

What about you? What other ways can you think of that a clothespin comes in handy at your house? (other than hanging clothes of course.) 😉

Many of these great ideas came from my friend Maura of Happy Deal – Happy Day.

Frugal crafts, recipes and money saving tips are regularly shared on Maura’s blog. She also loves to share about her shopping trips to Wegmans, and helps to find you be the best deals on Amazon!