Most of us have a forgotten stash of safety pins tucked away in a drawer somewhere. These humble metal fasteners might seem like one-trick items, but they’re actually some of the most versatile tools in your home. From organizing messy spaces to fixing everyday problems, safety pins can be surprisingly useful beyond their original purpose. If you’ve ever wondered what to do with that collection gathering dust, you’re about to discover numerous practical ways to put them to work throughout your house.
Keep paired items together during laundry day
Losing a sock in the laundry is a universal frustration that can easily be solved with safety pins. Before tossing socks, gloves, or other paired items into the wash, pin them together with a safety pin. The pin will keep them connected throughout the washing and drying process, eliminating the mystery of disappearing socks. For delicate items like baby socks or expensive hosiery, use smaller pins to avoid creating holes. This method works particularly well for children’s tiny socks and mittens that seem to vanish into the laundry void without a trace.
The same technique works wonderfully for other easily lost items too. Pin scarves to their matching gloves when storing them away for the season. For families with multiple members who wear similar-looking socks, assign each person a different colored safety pin to mark their items. You can also use pins to keep sheet sets together in your linen closet by pinning the fitted sheet, flat sheet, and pillowcases together when not in use. This simple organizational hack saves time sorting through piles of mismatched bedding and prevents the frustration of hunting for that missing pillowcase when making the bed.
Create custom jewelry with decorative pins
Safety pins can transform into stylish accessories with just a few simple additions. Start with quality, sturdy pins in various sizes and add beads, charms, or small pendants to create unique pieces. For a simple bracelet, string several decorated safety pins together using jump rings or thin wire. Earrings can be made by attaching small beads to the pins and adding earring hooks. The possibilities are endless, from delicate minimalist designs to bold statement pieces. The beauty of safety pin jewelry is that each piece is completely customizable to your personal style and can be made with materials you likely already have around the house.
For a more advanced project, try creating a safety pin charm bracelet using beading supplies and multiple pins. Arrange pins of varying sizes side by side, connecting them at the top and bottom with jump rings. Add decorative beads to each pin for a pop of color. This technique can also be used to make necklaces, anklets, or even decorative bag charms. Children especially enjoy making these easy crafts, and they make thoughtful handmade gifts. The best part about safety pin jewelry is that it requires minimal crafting skills but results in impressively unique accessories that no one else will have.
Use as impromptu wall hangers for light items
When you need to hang lightweight decorative items but don’t want to make permanent holes in your walls, safety pins can come to the rescue. Large safety pins can be carefully pushed into drywall or softwood to create temporary hangers for items like small picture frames, lightweight plates, or decorative wall art. The closed pin creates a small hook that can hold items weighing up to a few ounces. This method is particularly useful in rental properties where you want to avoid nail holes, or in situations where you’re frequently changing your decor arrangement and need flexibility in hanging options.
For hanging slightly heavier items, try using multiple pins spaced evenly to distribute the weight. You can also enhance the stability by partially opening the pin to create a wider base against the wall. When removing the pins, wiggle them gently side to side rather than pulling straight out to minimize wall damage. This technique works especially well for fabric wall hangings that don’t require robust support. In children’s rooms, use colorful safety pins to display artwork, creating an easily changeable gallery wall that grows with their creative output. Just be sure to place these pins high enough to be out of reach of young children.
Organize cords and cables to prevent tangles
Cable management becomes significantly easier with safety pins at your disposal. Use them to keep headphone wires, charging cables, and other cords organized and tangle-free. Simply coil the cord neatly and secure it with a safety pin to maintain its shape. This works particularly well for earbuds and USB cables that tend to become knotted in drawers or bags. For longer cords like extension cables or holiday light strands, use multiple pins spaced evenly along the coiled cable. This method keeps cords compact during storage and prevents the frustration of untangling a mess of wires when you need them.
Safety pins can also help identify which cord belongs to which device in areas with multiple electronics. Attach different colored safety pins or beads to each cord near the plug end to create a simple coding system. This is especially useful for households with multiple similar chargers or in office settings where various devices share power strips. For travel, pin charging cables to the inside of your luggage or carry-on bag to keep them accessible and prevent them from becoming buried under your belongings. You can also use colored safety pins to organize cables by category – perhaps blue for audio cables, red for power cords, and green for data transfer cables.
Combat static cling on clothing
Static cling can make clothing stick uncomfortably to your body and attract unwanted lint and pet hair. A simple solution lies in your safety pin collection. Attach a safety pin to the inside seam or hem of garments prone to static, like skirts, dresses, and pants. The metal pin helps discharge the static electricity that builds up in the fabric, preventing it from clinging to your body or other garments. This trick works particularly well during dry winter months when static electricity is more prevalent, or with synthetic fabrics that generate more static than natural materials.
For maximum effectiveness, place the pin in an inconspicuous location where it touches your skin or undergarments. The connection between the metal pin and your body helps ground the static charge. For delicate fabrics where a safety pin might cause damage, try pinning it to the inside of your slip or undergarments instead. This method is especially useful for static-prone fabrics like polyester and nylon. Unlike anti-static sprays that need to be reapplied, a safety pin provides continuous protection throughout the day. It’s a chemical-free, cost-effective solution that takes advantage of basic physics principles to solve an everyday annoyance.
Fix broken zippers temporarily
When a zipper pull breaks off unexpectedly, a safety pin can save the day. Thread a safety pin through the remaining zipper mechanism to create a temporary replacement pull. This quick fix works on jackets, bags, pants, and other items with broken zippers. Choose a pin size appropriate for the zipper – smaller pins for delicate clothing zippers and larger ones for heavy-duty zippers on bags or boots. The closed loop of the safety pin provides an easy grip for pulling the zipper up and down, restoring functionality to your item until you can replace the zipper permanently.
Beyond just replacing broken pulls, safety pins can help with stubborn zippers that keep sliding down. If you have a pair of pants with a zipper that won’t stay up, thread a safety pin through the zipper pull and loop it around the button or belt loop before fastening it. This secures the zipper in the closed position throughout the day. For bags with multiple compartments, use different colored safety pins as zipper pulls to easily identify which section is which. This trick is particularly helpful for travelers using bags with many similar-looking compartments, as the distinct pulls make it easier to find specific items quickly without having to open multiple sections.
Keep curtains closed completely
Even with curtain rods and proper hanging techniques, many curtains still leave small gaps where the panels meet in the middle, allowing light to peek through. Safety pins offer a simple solution to this common problem. Pin the edges of your curtain panels together where they overlap in the center to eliminate these gaps completely. This creates a perfect light-blocking seal, ideal for bedrooms where you want total darkness for sleeping. The pins remain hidden between the folds of fabric but provide secure fastening that won’t come undone with gentle movement or air circulation from heating vents or fans.
Safety pins can also help secure curtains during windy days when windows are open, preventing them from blowing around and potentially knocking items over. For sheer or lightweight curtains that tend to billow with even the slightest breeze, place pins at strategic points along the bottom hem to add slight weight and keep them hanging straight. During cold weather, use pins to close any gaps between thermal curtains to improve their insulating properties and prevent heat loss. This simple hack improves the functionality of your window treatments without any visible alteration or permanent modification, making it perfect for rental properties where drilling additional hardware isn’t permitted.
Clean hard-to-reach spots and crevices
The pointed end of a safety pin makes it an excellent tool for cleaning tiny spaces that brushes and cloths can’t reach. Use it to remove lint from the corners of pockets, clean out the holes in salt and pepper shakers, or dislodge debris from the small openings in shower heads. The pin can reach into the seams of appliances where crumbs and dirt accumulate, such as the rubber gaskets on refrigerator doors or the edges of stovetops. For electronic devices, a safety pin can help extract dust and lint from headphone jacks, charging ports, and keyboard crevices where buildup can interfere with functionality.
When cleaning jewelry, safety pins excel at reaching the intricate details and settings where tarnish and dirt collect. Use the pointed end to gently scrape away buildup from the underside of rings or the backs of earrings. For household fixtures with mineral deposits, like faucet aerators or shower head nozzles, a safety pin can help break up and remove the buildup that restricts water flow. Just be careful not to scratch delicate surfaces or use excessive force that might damage the item you’re cleaning. Always test in an inconspicuous area first, especially on finished or coated surfaces where scratches would be visible. This method works best as a gentle cleaning technique rather than aggressive scraping.
Safety pins truly are the unrecognized heroes of household problem-solving. Their simple design belies their incredible versatility and usefulness throughout the home. From organizing laundry to creating custom accessories, fixing broken items to improving home comfort, these modest metal fasteners deserve a prominent place in your toolkit. Next time you encounter a small household dilemma, consider reaching for a safety pin before purchasing a specialized solution – you might be surprised by how effectively this basic item solves complex problems.
