17 FUN AND HELPFUL WAYS TO USE A PAPERCLIP
17 Fun and Helpful Ways to Use a Paperclip – While I’m sure many inventors see the possibilities of their inventions, when it comes to the paperclip, did any of them ever imagine all the ways this bit of bent wire would be put to use? The original patent recognized two uses for the paperclip – fastening tickets to fabric and holding papers together. And yet today, we use this simple invention for so many other purposes. Now, many of us have made paperclip chains, but have you considered any of these 17 possibilities?
1. Hulling Fruit
Paperclips come in handy in the kitchen in a variety of ways. The most useful, though, may just be the removal of cherry pits and strawberry hulls. While there are a variety of handy tools on the market that can fill our kitchen drawers for days, the paperclip takes care of this task quickly and easily.
2. Reset Electronics
It may be a modern and digital world, but this invention from the 19th century is what we use to reset phones, smartwatches, and any number of other digital devices.
3. Ornament Hooks
When it comes to hanging ornaments on Christmas trees or decorations for birthdays and other holidays, the paperclip comes in quite handy. One twist turns the wire into a hook that allows us to hang decorations from all sorts of places. Whether we’re stringing them around an outdoor entertainment space or decorating a wedding venue, this simple invention makes celebrating easier than ever.
4. Bookmarks
On their own or with a little decorative flair, paperclips keep us from losing our spot in a favorite book or the latest bestseller. Mark recipes in cookbooks or even a special passage you want to return to later. Use stickers or your own miniature artwork by gluing it to the end of the paperclip. You can also use colorful ribbon or fun fibers to tie to the end of the paperclip.
5. Rattlesnake Eggs
Are you a prankster? Here’s a fun way to use a paperclip to get a laugh or two. With a paperclip and just a few other items, you can entertain yourself and friends with this harmless practical joke.
6. Compass
You’ve probably heard about using a needle to create a compass if you’re lost. You can do the same with a paperclip. You’ll need a leaf, a metal striker, and some water to float it in, but then you’ll be able to find true north.
7. Lottery Ticket Scratcher
Once you find your way back home, buy some lottery tickets! Luck is with you. And then use your paperclip for scratching off those tickets.
8. Flathead Screwdriver
There are multiple ways the paperclip can be used as a screwdriver. First, just as it is, the paperclip may fit many flathead screws and loosen or tighten one in a pinch. Paperclips might also function as a precision flathead screwdriver. Unfold one end of the paperclip. You may have to flatten the tip a bit with a hammer or pliers, but then you can use it to tighten a tiny screw on a pair of glasses or gaming devices.
9. Intricate Carving
Use either the pointed tip or the curved end of a paperclip to design elegant carvings in a pumpkin or etchings on scratch art. The paperclip offers the opportunity for more delicate designs and more precision, too.
10. Secure Tape Rolls
Never lose the end of the tape roll again. Tuck a paperclip under the end of the tape, so the next time you use it, it’s easy to find. This trick works for any kind of tape. From duct tape to masking tape, the paperclip keeps us from frustration.
11. Fasten Wrapping Paper
Where rolls of tape won’t come undone, wrapping paper does nothing but. Keep those rolls of paper in order by using a paperclip to hold the end tight to the tube. With one simple solution, no more unraveled wrapping paper rolling around in the closet.
12. Clean Your Keyboard
And while you’ve got the tape out, clean your keyboard. Wrap a bit of tape backward around a paperclip and slide it along your keys. It will help you get all the crumbs and gunk that fall down there.
13. Floral Wire
It’s nice when we receive fresh flowers. Keep them looking beautiful longer by using a paperclip as floral wire to perk up the buds and heavy blossoms. Poke one end into the stem and the other into the base of the bud. It will keep your blooms standing tall longer.
14. Picture Holder
Do you have pictures you want to display but no frames? You can hang them from a paperclip hanging from a pushpin on a bulletin board. Another way to hang them is along a cord. Change them out as new favorites come along.
15. Unclog Things
From squeeze bottles to spray nozzles, the paperclip can clean up a variety of clogged bottles. Hairspray, glue, or paint cans, you name it, the paperclip is that all-purpose tool.
16. Make a Hook
In a pinch, a paperclip or even two can be made into a fishing hook. With some bending and adjusting, you can sharpen the hook and tie it to your line. Add bait, and you’re ready to go.
17. Make some Applause
This fun craft project turns a paperclip into a crank for an applause machine. You can make your own cheering section or create some applause for the paperclip and all its many uses.
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