Binder clips can serve a lot more functions than just holding your paper together. Here’s 5 useful binder clip hacks that you can make use of in any situation.
1. Money Holder
Sure there’s actual money holders that bear a bit of fanciness to them or the even more spacious and protective wallet but what if you need something quick and right now?
Binder clips are the answer. If you’re packing a fat wallet (and by fat I mean stuffed with more business cards, receipts and notes than cash) then offloading some cash or even cards to a binder clip would be extremely useful and make your mobile finances a lot more organized.
2. Cable Manager
Is your workspace covered with cables tucked behind desks and shelves? Taming a mess of cables can be difficult and annoying when you have to fish for that one USB cable that connects to something or another.
While you can’t use a binder clip to completely organize all of your cables, a clip attached to the end of a cable can prevent it from falling in to the crevices of your desk. As shown above, you can slide smaller cables like a Magsafe power connector through the silver handles then clamp the clip to the side of your desk. It is best to fold the silver handles together, slide the cable through then pull it back in place. Even if your desk is too thick for the clip, it can still anchor a cable from sliding down behind your desk.
3. Shelf Builder
Ikea and DIY adventures tend to go together very well like binder clips and boxes. Fortunately you can use both to create an interesting shelving system.
The great thing about Ikea is the flexibility of its products. While you may not impress your girlfriend’s dade with this completely low budget setup, your friends and roommates will applaud your ingenuity. This binder clip hack is simple. Gather any type of box you want from Ikea — preferably the sturdier wooden crates — and use strong binder clips to secure them.
4. iPhone Stand
The iPhone and iPod Touch are great for watching videos but holding the device for a long period of time when trying to enjoy a great movie can be annoying. Luckily for you binder clips can fix that.
A creative thinking iPhone user took a pair of small binder clips and fashioned them in to a small portable stand. While the instructions aren’t complicated, the clips need to be attached in a certain way so the stand doesn’t fall apart and the iPhone tip over. For the quick instructions, head on over to Instructables.
5. Cuff Links
The practicality of this binder clip hack depends on your style. Typically a fancy dress shirt would never be paired with anything cheap looking. However, if you’re trying a make a testament to the usefulness of the binder clip, this hack will work for you.
Say in you’re in a situation where you don’t have cuff links for your dress shirt or you want to stand out, use binder clips can work perfectly. Using a silver binder clip won’t stick out as much as other colors that look like you dipped into your supply drawer in the office to fake a cuff link. All in all it depends on what style you want to portray with your makeshift links but as an emergency measure, binder clips are the cheapest and best alternative.
