Filed Under: Crafts, Essential Skills, Know-How, Crafts & Celebrations
Whether plastic or wood, these old laundry standbys have loads of household potential beyond the clothesline.
I can remember being a child at my grandmother's house and helping her hang the laundry from a line that stretched the length of the backyard. She would hoist a sheet up to the line and I would hand her a clothespin from the pin bag as we worked side by side.
Photos: (left) Kodamakitty, Flickr; (right) Craftapalooza, Flickr
Then when we were finished I would grab of few of those clothespins and get crafting. With a little creativity, you can transform the clothespins into whimsical works of art. On a rainy day, dig out your craft supplies and let your imagination run wild. These household helpers can be turned into little people, , or giant snapping bugs running after my little sister.
Household Uses for Clothespins
Now that I am grown I can appreciate those little clothespins even more for all of the help they can give around the house.
If your vacuum cord keeps retracting on its own. Clip a clothespin onto the cord up near the vacuum. The clip will keep the cord extended out instead of all twisted and knotted together.
Speaking of cords, label the side of some clothespins and use them to identify cords on your electronic equipment, you won't have to crawl under your desk or behind the TV cabinet pulling on cords to figure out which connects to which device. Plus, the clothespins won't damage the cords because they have a channel near the top that's the perfect size for those cords to slip through.
Photo: mrsfixit.com
Photo: mrsfixit.com
Looking for a cute way to display your children's artwork? Thumbtack a line of string or yarn across one wall and use clothespins to attach their works in faux-clothesline fashion.
Photo: www.mrsfixit.com
OTHER IDEAS:
Use a clothespin to hold a tiny nail so you can easily drive it into place.
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Reader comments (Page 1 of 6)
I used wooden clothespins as small clamps to hold different craft items I am gluing together. They also work great for holding/positioning fabric if you are trying to hem an item.
ReplyIf your child's fine motor skills aren't so hot you can put them on their clothing.
ReplyIn the garden, putting round chicken wire around the plants & then secureing the bottom with 3 or 4 close pins so the wind does not blow them away.
ReplyIf your child's fine motor skills aren't so hot you can put them on
Replytheir clothing to pull off.
buy magnetic tape put on back of clothespin attach to refrig or anything metal holds shopping coupons,recipes,to do notes. Clothes pins can be painted by you or children simple and easy
ReplyUse them to close bread bag. Use clothes pins to secure a small tarp on a portable X pen for our 2 schnauzers to give them shade. When we travel in the RV and stopping for a few days.
Replyalso A book marker to save your page.
For motor skills help, I let my kids drop clothes pins into a jar while kneeling on a chair. It is an old game...but it is helpful...esp with eye hand co-ordination.
ReplyI use clothespins to hold outdoor table cloth so wind does not blow it. Just use then on edges
ReplyPut a clothes pin on spots on your dirty clothes to mark where to treat it when you wash.
ReplyI love the tips, most especially the tip about putting the clothespins on dirty clothes to mark areas that need stain treatment!!
I use them for bass fishing. an alka-seltser is a great item to anger a bass into hitting-NOTE check local laws to make sure it is legal where you fish
ReplyI have 2 parrots. Parrots LOVE to chew on wood and LOVE foot toys. So, I go to the hardware store and buy the SOLID WOOD PUSH clothespins (the ones without the metal spring) and give them to the parrots to play with. They love putting them in their feet, and holding their toy while they chew them up.
ReplyI keep a couple of clothespins in my overnight bag just in case the curtain in a hotel room doesn't close all the way. Works great.
ReplyWonderful idea, thanks so much.
Believe it or not I use clothespins in my freezer!! (The wooden ones). They keep my frozen vegetable bag or ice bag closed and it doesn't seem to hurt the clothespin at all!!
ReplyI love this idea better than the pampered chef clips you can buy, because they seem to break easily. And their cheaper.
I use them to hang things when decorating.. look at how I hung decorated sunhats on garland for my daugther's bridal shower.. http://www.celebrationideasonline.com/hat-decorating.html I get the colored ones in plastic and you can't even see them. I do the same when decorating for the holidays.. for the rest of year I use some in my laundry room for delicates that need to be airdryed!
ReplyI hook my out going mail with them on my mail box
ReplyWe always keep one in the mailbox for holding the change on the letter when we don't have a stamp.
Years ago we used to put wooden clothespins on metal fuel lines to keep a car from vapour-locking. Always worked for me. I still do it on my Studebaker Champions and my Kaiser.
Reply