The Amazing Versatility of a Binder Clip

One of these unique tools fits easily inside the palm of your hand but manages to have hundreds of uses beyond its intended purpose. Ashley of The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking set out to find all of the many ways to put binder clips to work. Here are a few of the things she found:

1. Keep packages closed—including in the freezer. Does an open chip or cereal bag get on your nerves or make you worry about attracting insects? A binder clip is a great tool for sealing open packages, and is often sturdier and much easier to store than a standard chip clip.

This extends to the freezer, too. Only used half a bag of French fries or a cup of frozen corn? Seal the bags back up with binder clips for a secure seal.

2. Pin garbage bags to the sides of garbage cans. You’re probably familiar with the moment: you reach down to pull out a trash bag only to discover that it has somehow receded into the trash can. In order to get it out, you’re going to have to dig into the trash, and that’s something no one looks forward to doing!

Use a binder clip to pin the edges of the garbage bag to the lip of the can. Maybe you can even convince your children to gather the trash with this trick.

3. Hold your recipes out of the way—and out of the mess. If you’ve ever accidentally set a recipe card in oil or water on the counter while you were cooking or baking, you know it can be frustrating. It soaks in, smears the writing, and makes the paper look greasy or warped.

Avoid this by pinning a binder clip to the fridge or the vent hood above the stove. Suddenly you have a hands free recipe card holder that doesn’t end up splattered with ingredients!