Paper clips seem to be everywhere, don’t they? These colorful little clips are perfect for keeping papers and note cards together, but did you know they can be used for so much more? Take a look below at over twenty creative uses for paper clips that you can try. You might be surprised at how practical these colorful little clips can be. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
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Holding paper together
Really? Well, it’s what they are made for, so I had to start there.
DIY planner supplies
Use washi tape or other scrapbooking supplies to DIY your own perfect planner supplies. Make them just the way you want them and don’t settle for anything store-bought.
ANIMAL SHAPED PAPER CLIPS:
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Turn a regular bra into a racerback bra
I love this hack! Pull your bra straps together across your back and paperclip them together. The straps will stay together, so you can wear a cute racerback t-shirt without buying a brand new bra.
Sewing projects
Use in place of stick pins to hold fabric together. This is perfect for quilting or thick fabrics that would be hard to pin with a stick pin. Also try binder clips for the really heavy fabrics.
Tiny stirrer
Pull apart the paper clip for a super tiny stirrer. It might be great to stir old nail polish or something similar.
CAT SHAPE PAPER CLIPS:
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Get organized
Create removable To Do markers for your home office. Use washi tape to cover binder clips and write your common To Do items on them. Would also be good for a meal planning board: Set up one clip for every day of the week and clip your recipe of the day every week.
Barbie purse
I used to love playing with my Barbies and using binder clips as their purses. Ah, memories!
PRINCESS PAPER CLIP:
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Teach patterns
Use colored paper clips to teach patterns and pattern building to kids. They can actually create bracelets and necklaces using the paper clips. Just give them a cup full and let them go to town. They will love linking them up and creating/finishing various patterns. While you are at it, paper clips can be used as manipulatives when figuring out all sorts of math problems!
Train vines in your garden
Do you love gardening? Then use paper clips to help train your vines. If you are growing a climbing plant, use paper clips to gently attach the vines to the trellis or other support system. You can easily move the paper clips as needed once the plant is trained.
CUTE BINDER CLIPS:
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Use for detailed cleaning
Paper clips are perfect for getting into tight spaces. Use them to clean clogged spray bottles, salt shakers, or other small spaces. You can also use the ends to get in tight spaces where dirt and grime is. If worried about scratching, place a tiny piece of tape over the end. It will help take some of the sharpness away and give smoother, safer cleaning options.
Create instant magnets
You can turn anything into a magnet by attaching a paper clip to it. Glue a paper clip to any surface and the item can then stick to a magnet. If you hang a magnetic strip in your child’s room, you can glue paper clips on onto the bottom of small/lightweight toys so they stick to the strip.
FEET PAPER CLIPS:
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Ornament hooks
Never run out of ornament hooks again. Just use a paper clip. In fact, you can use a paper clip as a hook in all sorts of situations. Just unbend it and you have a hook in seconds. This can come in handy when getting organized, camping, or all sorts of other situations.
Color coding
Use colored paper clips to color code bills and all sorts of other items. For example your water bills can be held together by a blue paper clip, and your heating bills with red. Or, you can close up spring seed packets with a yellow clip and fall seeds with orange. Use whichever coding system you like, and use colored paper clips to make it happen.
COLORFUL PAPER CLIPS:
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Unclog paint and glue bottles
Pull the paper clip apart and use one end to poke through any built up glue at the top of your old bottles.
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Art projects
Paper clips can be used to etch with. They can be used to hold art work pieces together or hang it on a clothesline to dry. They can be used in art collages or sculptures, or can even be used for tracing. Get creative with a can of paper clips and see how many art projects they can help you out with.
THUMBS-UP PAPER CLIPS:
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Tiny doll hangers
This is such a cute idea! Use paper clips to make tiny doll clothes hangers. My daughters will LOVE this craft!
Scrapbooking
Make cute scarpbooking clips by gluing buttons, flowers, etc to the top of the paper clip.
Practice counting
Use paper clips to work with your toddlers counting skills. Upgrade this idea by using different color or different style paper clips for them to continue the game.
CARTOON PAPER CLIPS:
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Getting a bracelet on by yourself
This is another awesome mom hack – use a paper clip to get your bracelets on by yourself! Sometimes I can’t wear the bracelets I want because there is no one around to help me get it closed. Now, I just unroll half of the paper clip and use it to close my bracelet like this. http://lifehacker.com/5690114/use-an-paper-clip-to-put-on-bracelets-the-easy-way
Keep wrapping paper rolled
Paper clip the ends of your wrapping paper rolls to keep them rolled up between holidays. Using tape always destroys some of the paper when you try to peel it off. But paper clips won’t hurt your expensive paper when you need to use it again.
HAPPY FACE BINDER CLIPS:
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Did you ever think that paper clips could be so helpful? Give these uses for paper clips a try and see how fun and functional a pack of them can be.
Let me know which set of paperclips is your favorite in the comments.
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Really cute ideas here! I never even though of a paper clip as having other uses 🙂 I love some of those cute ones. They would be great in a planner!
I love cute planner supplies. Can’t get enough of them!
Thinking outside the box is always helpful. I depend on bloggers for creative ideas because sometimes I have burned out mommy brain
That’s why I love Pinterest so much! It’s better than Google sometimes, everything is there. 🙂
These are such fun ideas! It’s amazing how many ways paper clips can be used. In middle school, I used to bend them with needle nose pliers into shapes to create homemade jewelry!
I love that! Great craft idea for tweens.