15 Smart New Uses for Hair Clips

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There are many types of hair clips out there, including jaw clips, barrettes, snap clips, and banana clips. But aside from keeping your locks looking lovely, do they have other uses? As it turns out, yes, they have other uses. Here are 15 ways you can repurpose those hair clips to make life a little easier. (See also: 15 Surprisingly Valuable Uses for a Penny)

1. Keep Your Sunglasses Clipped to Your Visor

Many cars these days come with a sunglasses holder between the two visors. But, they're only good for one pair. By using a jaw clip, you can attach your sunglasses to the visor and easily retrieve them. You can have several pairs up there, too. Just use a jaw clip for each pair of sunglasses.

2. Organize Your Cords and Wires

We all have a bunch of cords, wires, and cables hanging around at the home entertainment center or computer desk. You can use jaw clips or large barrettes to keep them looking much more neat and tidy. Use several small clips along the length of the wires, or if you have them, a couple of the much bigger clips. As they come in a wide variety of colors, you can even use clips that coordinate with the color of the wires, including white, black, yellow, or blue.

3. Keep That Toothpaste Tube in Order

You may be one of those people, like me, who likes to squeeze from the bottom of the tube. As you get at least half way along, you can roll the used portion of the tube up and secure it with a hair clip. It's an easy way to stop the toothpaste from escaping back into the used section of the tube.

4. Prevent Tangled Necklaces

My niece has a lot of necklaces, and she told me about this neat little trick. Banana clips come in many varieties, but the ones with teeth spaced apart widely are great for hanging necklaces over. Hang one over each tooth, then close and fasten the banana clip, and place it in a drawer. No more tangles, knots, and other necklace annoyances.

5. A Handy Bookmark

When you're reading a book, and want to stop, don't create the dreaded dog-ear. Instead, grab a snap clip and place it over the top of the page. It will mark your place without creating that large crease, and it's easy to slide on and off. Felt hair clips are also great for this, and come in a wide variety of cute styles.

6. Keep Dish Sponges Out of the Sink

You know how they can get soggy, and smelly, if left in the sink itself. It's gross. Take a piece of string, tie it to the jaw clip, and attach it somewhere close by — even over the faucet. Clip your sponge there when you're done with it, and it will drip-dry and stay fresh longer.

7. Turn a Hair Clip Into a Chip Clip

By far one of the most popular uses for hair clips in my household is for keeping large bags of chips closed. Hair clips are just as good as chip clips for this job, and when the chip bag is empty, you still have the hair clip available for its original use, should you need it.

8. Stop a Door From Closing

Do you have a door in your house that needs to be kept ajar a little? Perhaps the room containing the cat's litter box? Or maybe you don't want small fingers to get trapped in the door. You can buy finger-pinch guards, but large jaw clips with string springs can also do this job. Place it at the top of the door, out of reach of the kids. The jaw clip will hold itself in place, and will stop the door from being closed all the way. (You'll need to run a few tests first. If the jaw clip isn't strong enough, it will fly off on the first try.)

9. No Stapler? Use a Snap Clip

If you're looking to keep a bunch of papers together and don't have any binder clips or a stapler handy, a snap clip will do the job. It can comfortably hold around 10 sheets of paper together, and if you're handing in a school paper, it can be a fun way to jazz up the presentation.

10. Secure Your Towel

Ladies, if you're in the locker room at the gym and want a way to keep your towel from falling down, secure it with a small jaw clip, like this. It's a quick, easy solution, and it works with a wide variety of jaw clips.

11. Create a Gift-Card Clip

Looking for a unique way to attach a gift card to a present? Use a brightly colored snap clip, and simply snap it onto the gift card and the ribbon. Guaranteed, no one else will secure his or her gift card in this way, and it can also be an added gift if it's particularly creative or interesting.

12. Create a Makeshift Clipboard

Don't have a clipboard handy, or one of those binder clips? Well, you can make a clipboard using a jaw clip and something like a thin, hardcover book, or even some sturdy cardboard. Lay the paper down, attach the jaw clip, and slide the pen inside. Simple.

13. Use a Snap Clip as a Screwdriver

If you're really in a pinch and need to unscrew something quickly, a snap clip can work. It will only be effective in a slot screw, and it will take longer than using a regular screwdriver, but it's definitely a MacGyver solution to a problem. They even make snap clips with screwdriver heads now!

14. Dress Up a Pair of Pumps or Flats

If you have a pair of plain shoes that could use a little flair, use hair clips. They can snap onto the front quite easily, and whether it's a sparkly hair clip, or one that features a button, it can create a new look that no one else will have.

15. Keep Socks Together

Socks. They have a habit of losing their partners, and you end up with a bunch of odd ones. Well, snap clips are a great way to stop this from happening. Simply place the snap over the top edges of the sock where the two pieces of fabric meet. This can even keep them together in the washing machine, if the snap clip is strong enough and water-resistant.

Any other clever uses for hair clips? Share with us in the comments!