Brilliant Hacks for Reusing Old Hair Accessories

COVID-19 hairstyles are trending longer, so if you are dipping back into your hair accessories like I have, you may be noticing some really outdated stuff that you can't give away but don't want to throw away. Here are some great hacks to make the best use of them!

Snap or Spring Clips ​
​

1. Bag clips

I really don't like buying cheap plastic anything. This is especially true for something that doesn't last and there are a million alternatives for, including bag clips. Hair clips are one great way to re-use stuff you have laying around to do the job, and they are free from your stash. You can also use lots of other items to keep bags and boxes secure. Rubber bands and office binder clips are two of my favorites.

2. Keep Your Washer from Stealing Socks

​Just clip them together at the top with a strong clip and then wash. Keep them in a pouch on your hamper to keep socks together from the beginning. It's a great way to use a little cloth bag you might have - just tie it to the top and put a few clips in it. Replace them when your socks have successfully made it out of the wash together.
Be careful - some can get rusty over time, but at least they'll have had a second, and very useful, life.

3. Organize as you work  ​

If you sew, knit, or are working with twine, or even while wrapping gifts, clips can hold strands together for you to keep them from getting knotted up.

4. Hold it together

Snap barrettes are really handy when you have a small stack of cards, papers, or any paper items that you want to hold together, especially if you don't want to staple them. 

5. Good Toothpaste Tube Hygiene 

Just like putting toilet paper on the 'right' way, keeping toothpaste tubes neat can be a worthwhile relationship aid. There are quite a few devices that are created for the purpose, many of which I've tried and not loved. This is an easy, DIY, free, reuse friendly way to keep everyone a little bit happier.

6. 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.
Especially if it is a hair-related gift or gift card.
​You could even decorate it in matching colors or theme.

​Claw Clips
​

7. Keep Wet Stuff from Getting Gross in the Kitchen

Dish cloths, Sponges, even reused plastic bags, and beeswax wraps can be tough to dry. Take a clip that is the right size for the job and you can either clip it or hang it from something nearby.

8. Keep Wet Stuff from Getting Gross in the Bathroom

Same idea - use large clips over your shower rod to give you extra space to dry towels, swimwear, pet toys you've just cleaned, or anything else you want to drip dry quickly.

9. Hands-Free Towel

10.  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.

10. Tame Tangles

Clips are a cheap and easy way to organize anything long and thin, from cords and cables to necklaces. Use larger clips. 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.

11. DIY Doorstop

For doors that you need to make sure stay open, rather than buy something new, you can use this
​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.

​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.
Or if you need to keep papers from blowing away.
Or outdoor party tablecloths

13. Clip Glasses to Your Visor

If you have an older car without a compartment for glasses, or you need more than one, this is a handy hack. You can a couple of different ways. You can use a claw clip to clip the glasses anywhere along the edge, or use two binders around the visor. You can use one, but two keep your glasses more secure. You can use fluffy or bright ones for a little fun flair, or keep it simple.

Bobby Pins
​

14. Bookmarks that Don't Mark

You like to have crisp pages, or maybe you are borrowing a book, you don't want to dog-ear it. Just keep a few bobby pins handy in your nightstand or near you favorite reading nook. Bobby pins take up almost no room and keep the pages looking new when you don't have your favorite bookmark nearby.

Banana Clips

Have you cut your hair lately? If so, do you have those big butterfly clips left over with no where to go? Turn them upside down and clip recipes in them, mail to go out, messages for family members, bills, family photos, or recycled note pads.

Banana Clips
​

15. Prevent Tangled Necklaces

If you have a lot of necklaces, this is a handy hack. 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.

Combs

Bands

Replacing hair ties

Finally, when you need to replace hair ties, here are some creative zero waste ideas.