Twenty-Five Creative and Useful Uses for Twist Ties

What do you do with the twist ties that come in your packages of trash bags? At best you might use some of the to tie up the trash, but packages usually include many more than anyone will ever use for tying up the trash. The twist tie is really a useful little tool. It’s really a little metal wire covered with paper or more recently, plastic to make them studier. I think MacGuyver must have devoted a whole show to the infinite uses of the twist tie. Speaking of MacGuyver, just as a segway, I’ll get back on topic) does anybody watch that mid 1980’s show with Richard Dean Anderson? Macguyver was more plebeian version of James Bond; he got himself out of all sorts of predicaments using simple little home-made tools from stuff like chewing gum and twist ties. It was a cute show.

But back to twist ties. My grandparents good Dutch people that they were saved all the twist ties that come with packaging. I don’t know what they did with all of them, but here are a few good uses that the ties were put to. I’ve also added a few of my own and my husband’s ideas as well as those we’ve picked up along the way.

Replace buttons: Feed one end of the twist tie through each hole of the button. Feed it through the two original hole in the garment where the button was. Twist it and bend it back.

Use like a brad or paper fastener: Fold the twist tie in half. Twist the top several times to make a head. Push both ends through the paper and fold the edges back.

Repair a shoelace. If the plastic end comes off, poke a twist tie though the cloth part. Bring the ends together and twist. The child can feed this end through the eye-hole of the shoe.

Suspend things from the ceiling. For a drop ceiling wedge the twist tie under the ceiling tile. For a screwed in ceiling, twist the tie around the screw.

Pick locks: Twist ties make the perfect lock picking tools because they are small easy to use for tripping the lock spring or mechanism.

Give them to restless children in the store to make rings with.

Make more creative rings by stringing beads.

Connect the twist ties to make bracelets. Add charms or decorations by twisting the ties into loops

Repair necklaces by twisting through both ends where the loop is missing.

Repair eyeglasses where the corner screw has fallen out. Feed the twist tie through the bracket where the screw was lost. Make a loop and twist the ends together. Trim off excess or fold back.

Repair or replace lost zipper pulls.

Reset buttons on electronics or watches. Some devices require you to reset a tiny button by inserting a pencil nib. Use a twist tie.

Loosen jammed drawers by using the twist tie to wedge the jammed part.

Remove small parts that are jammed or stuck. Pencil sharpeners, staplers, electric razors, and all sorts of other small appliances can get pieces stuck in. Use the twist tie to remove the jammed part. Twist the tie into a hook. Make sure appliance is unplugged.

Unclog a drain. If the drain or garbage disposal is clogged because something has wedged inside remove it with a twist tie. Make sure power is off.

In an emergency, remove a splinter. Sanitize with twist tie with alcohol.

Use to hang Christmas tree ornaments instead of the hooks they come with.

Use to close open bags of food.

Repair a wire mesh basket.

Make temporary window curtain or shower curtain hooks.

Twist a tie around appliance and telephone cords to keep the neat.

Use to hold computer wound up cables and keep them neat and in place.

Make a temporary replacement an appliance button or knob that has fallen off. It needs to be the kind that was attached through a metal hole or loop.

Clean between the blades of a shaver or razor.

Fix the dog or cat’s collar or license.

Attach keys together.

How’s this list for a complete repair kit made all from twist ties?