Top 10: Binder clips

Craft & Design Technology
Top 10: Binder clips

While searching for related content for this morning’s clever plastic bottle top hack post, I noticed that we have lots of binder-clip related tips, tricks, and hacks. Here are the most trafficked.

#10

iPad Home Button Child Lock


#9

Binder clip device dock


#8

Smartphone binder clip tripod mount


#7

How-to: Simple coin cell battery holder


#6

Ultra-minimalist laser microscope


#5

No-Holes Poster/Quilt Hanger


#4

Shrinky-dink gaming minis


#3

Math Monday: Binder clip constructions


#2

DIY light tent using plain paper and binder clips


#1

Binder clips as cable organizers

Did I miss a good one? Let me know, below!

50 thoughts on “Top 10: Binder clips

  1. George Hadley says:

    I had not seen the DIY light tent before. That’s really clever :-)

  2. Megan Brown says:

    I use the medium-sized binder clips as hair clips all the time.  They work the very same way, and I like them because they are super cheap (you can get a small box of 24 for the same price as a few of those cheap plastic clips they sell), and they never break!  I realize they may not be the most fashion conscious, but who cares? 

  3. Anonymous says:

    Binder clips help bike in a skirt! Take a binder clip and clip the front of your dress to the back to make make-shift pants… I explain it more in this blog post but its pretty straight forward! :)

    http://hotchallah.tumblr.com/post/6758470888/are-you-aware-of-it-how-to-bike-properly-in-a-dress

  4. Anonymous says:

    Binder clips help bike in a skirt! Take a binder clip and clip the front of your dress to the back to make make-shift pants… I explain it more in this blog post but its pretty straight forward! :)

    http://hotchallah.tumblr.com/post/6758470888/are-you-aware-of-it-how-to-bike-properly-in-a-dress

  5. Anonymous says:

    Binder clips help bike in a skirt! Take a binder clip and clip the front of your dress to the back to make make-shift pants… I explain it more in this blog post but its pretty straight forward! :)

    http://hotchallah.tumblr.com/post/6758470888/are-you-aware-of-it-how-to-bike-properly-in-a-dress

  6. Kiyoshi McComb says:

    Calming a cat is a great use. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0q4jFu8cDg.

  7. Claudio Ibarra says:

    I used a binder clip as a car vent-grill smartphone holder for a while. I accidentally left it in a rental car recently and haven’t rebuilt it yet, though.

    When the metal tangs are in the folded back position (not touching one another), bend the metal at the ends so the tips face inward a little (that will be the lip against which the phone rests).

    Cover the metal with something that won’t scratch your phone (I used yarn) and use a rubber band to make sure the metal tangs are always pulling inward (to hold the phone)

    Clip the binder clip onto one of the a/c vents in your car and voila!

    In the car, it works to hold the phone in the landscape position. On a table, it works well in portrait.

    1. Kathy Bormann says:

      I’m interested in your idea but I’m not sure what you mean- do you bend the metal loop part? And just one one side or both? Thanks!

  8. Anonymous says:

    Here’s a great use for binder clips. “How to Deactivate a Cat” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9TmmF79Rw0

  9. Anonymous says:

    Here’s a great use for binder clips. “How to Deactivate a Cat” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9TmmF79Rw0

  10. Nic Bishop says:

    I use binder clips when painting miniatures (warmachine) they have a handy tab on the bottom to grab onto.

    I take the wire part off of the clip and then it becomes a handy drying stand.

  11. johndavidfelt says:

    You did miss one! The one I use every day.
    Binder Clip Wallet
    http://bit.ly/nyPaPw

  12. johndavidfelt says:

    Make did a story on the Ten Uses of Binder Clips. But they missed one- the one I use every day – the Binder clip Wallet. http://bit.ly/nyPaPw

  13. johndavidfelt says:

    Make did a story on the Ten Uses of Binder Clips. But they missed one- the one I use every day – the Binder clip Wallet. http://bit.ly/nyPaPw

  14. Nonesuchplace says:

    I loaned a binder clip to a friend (I use them as money clips, one for bus fares, the other for spening money,) to hold her dress over her bra strap.  I have also seen them used to secure zippers that have failed at inopportune moments.

  15. Teresa D. Lee says:

    Oh, I was expecting to see the binder clip fridge bottle stacker.  http://lifehacker.com/5641007/binder-clips-keep-beverages-stacked-in-your-fridge

    1. Patrick Burns says:

      OK that’s BRILLIANT! God I love these things! Who knew that such a simple device could have so many different uses???

  16. tonyvr says:

    The handles from large binder clips fit perfectly into the vertical slots between my cubicle panels (used to hang shelves).  I use them as cubicle coat hooks.

  17. Shoplet says:

    ooh i love all these! Especially the iPad Home Lock, that is really smart.

  18. Anonymous says:

    You missed my personal favorite, binder clip as a car vent-luver smartphone holder.

  19. Anonymous says:

    You missed my personal favorite, binder clip as a car vent-luver smartphone holder.

  20. Anonymous says:

    Binder clips are awesome.  I use one to hold my ham radio mic in my truck (I didn’t want to attach the clip that came with it, as I don’t want adhesive or screw holes in the dash).

    http://www.ac8jo.us/equipment/a-binder-clip-mic-holder

  21. daniel free says:

    I use it to seal bags / boxes in the kitchen and pantry.

    just fold the top of the box / bag / packet over and clamp it with a binder clip. works a treat.

    i also have some screwed on my monitor stand to hold notes / mail

  22. Patrick Burns says:

    Super clue a small rare earth magnet onto one side, and they make fantastically strong memo / photo holders to stick on the fridge.

    Fairly obvious – I use them all the time for industrial strength clips to reseal food and snack bags.

    And my wife says she used to use binder clips as fashionable purses for her Barbie dolls as a child. LOL!

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I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

View more articles by Sean Michael Ragan

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