Given some spare time and a few neglected items in the office supply closet, anyone can make their workspace more functional, create a cool tools for their home and office, and even rescue seemingly ruined stuff. Today we'll take a look at some unexpected ways to use objects you probably have readily available. Get organized and save some money with 10 low-cost office supply hacks you can do during your lunch break.
10. Clip chips with binder clips.
Most store-bought (especially dollar-store-bought) "chip clips" kind of suck. They're often awkward to fasten, the springs or plastic break much sooner than you'd hope, and, hey, a better solution is close at hand. The common binder clip's taut pinch is enough to ensure that rolled-up munchies don't come unfurled, and they're sturdy as all get out. They'll also do the same job
with toothpaste.
Photo by upsidedownsphere [via
Cranking Widgets].
9. Pin documents with an old-school stapler.
If you need to temporarily keep documents together but don't want to subject them to yank-and-tear staple removal, give the bottom plate of your old-school stapler a 180-degree turn, and you're now "pinning." Some people have known about this trick since grade school, but others might find it a seriously useful expansion of their most straight-forward desktop tool. (
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8. Rein in hanging folders with binder clips.
If you're a literalist when it comes to your 43 folders organization system, the ubiquitous binder clip works great for dividing hanging folders. Use it as a backstop or a divider between months and days, or for keeping over-stuffed folders together. (
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7. Replace a zipper pull with a paper clip.
They're often the first thing to go on even the most well-constructed jackets and coats, but that's no reason to pay a ransom to have a zipper pull replaced by a cleaner. Thread a paper clip in as a replacement—using a colored clip if necessary—and your fingers can rest easy. Check out these
five other handy uses for the little bent-metal wonders. (
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6. Make re-labeling easy with clear tape.
Discarding folders just because their labels are impossible to remove, or came off messily, feels pretty wasteful. Next time you're labeling, lay a strip of clear tape onto the folder tab before you apply your label. Next time you're re-organizing, re-using the folder will be as simple as pulling the label off the tape. The tape protector works on just about anything you'd potentially re-use, so keep a roll of the clear stuff handy.
Photo by lylamerle. (
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5. Turn a letter tray into a network rack.
Even if you've got a simple DSL connection at home, you likely have a high-speed modem, a router, and a power strip taking up space—not to mention external drives, CD/DVD-Rs, and other gadgetry. Buy some cheap, stacking letter trays, and you've got the makings of a DIY network rack, kind of like what IT guys use to keep their hard-working devices, and their multiple cables, together. If you've only got one or two networked devices, consider using the extra space for cell phones or other recharge-needing gadgets. Scope
reader Rick's Flickr stream for notes and detailed shots. (
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4. Erase permanent marker with a dry erase marker.
Left-over notes and oops-that-was-permanent stains are a near-ubiquitous feature of seasoned dry-erase boards. Wipe them back to whiteness with a dry-erase marker, simply by writing over the accidental marks and then swiping the whole thing clean. While you've got the cap off, check out a
few more clever uses of the magic markers. (
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3. Catch cables with binder clips.
If you're noticing that binder clips are making repeat appearances in this top 10, well, there's a good reason for it. The little buggers can help you
keep cables under control simply by running the ones that always hang limply on (or off) your desk through a clamp and fastening it to something immovable. For full instructions, check out
lihab's Flickr set. (
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2. Make a standing recipe book from a break-back binder.
A recipe book that stands on its own, can take a splash of hot oil, and that's easy to add or pull recipes from—it's the Holy Grail of cooking accessories, and it's available with some inexpensive office gear. Get a break-back easel binder, a few Post-its and sheet protectors, and you've got a hardy, stand-up, extensible place for all your recipes and kitchen secrets. (
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1. Turn a stack of index cards into a Hipster PDA.
We wrote about this back when Lifehacker was barely a month old, and
the Hipster PDA is still one of the best combinations of "genius" and "Oh, duh" around. Combine a small (you guessed it) binder clip and some index cards—different-colored, ruled or unruled, your choice—with a pocket-sized pen, and you've got a scaling, cross-platform, GTD-friendly thought-catcher that won't go out of date, no matter how nifty the next wireless whatever that comes along. (
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For more office DIY fun, check out our previous top 10 DIY office projects.
What's your favorite clever reuse of your office's under-utilized goodies? Let us know in the comments.
