Hang it up: New uses for clothes hangers

Wire clothes hangers are pretty useful for just about everything but hanging your clothes. Who hasn't pulled a garment off a wire hanger only to see that it's stretched those weird fabric nipples into the shoulders? Ugh. But still, you can untwist it and use it as a makeshift TV antenna, use it to jimmy open a car lock (whether you're locked out of your own car or are "acquiring" a new one), or use it to beat your poor adopted daughter while screaming that she should never, ever use them.

Wire hangers are a useful tool for a small-space dweller. Not only are they super cheap and easy to find, but they can make great organizational space-savers with a few twists or clips with some wire cutters. Let's take a look at some of the most imaginative...

This one is as elegant as an Alexander Calder mobile, with an added dose of "Why didn't I think of that?" Claudia at SuperZiper (via Craftzine) twisted a clothes hanger to serve as a rack for books; she mounted it by her front door to collect the books she needs to return to the library, ensuring she won't forget them on her way out the door.

While I think it's true that you can never have too many shoes, it's a sad reality that you can certainly run out of space for them. Instead of having them litter your closet floor in a heap, why not hang them up? Jen at Epbot has a tutorial on how to clip, twist, and be-ribbon your hangers into really cute shoe hangers that can be used either on regular shoes or flip-flops.

Joy over at Oh Joy is probably one of the cutest people on earth (although her new daughter is giving her a run for her money!). Here, she shows off her cuteness in film form, clipping a mini-gallery of photo booth pictures into a trouser hanger. The hanger makes it easy to hang on the wall, and just as easy to take down when you swap out your photos for new ones.

If you're a crafty type, or just really, really like wrapping presents (I know you're out there. I'm looking at you, Megan.), you might want to corral your collection of ribbon and thread onto one great big hanging spool. (Via RealSimple.)

It's kind of a bummer that you can only wear one pair of glasses at a time, especially if you have an enviable collection of sunglasses. But at least if you hang them up, you can admire your own good taste, while keeping your lenses from getting scratched. (Via Tumblr.)

Remember the really cool scarf hanger I showed you a few months back? I actually went and bought myself one, and yes, it's everything I dreamed of. My scarves aren't shoved into a basket on a shelf anymore, but neatly hanging up in my closet. However, you don't need to spend the money on a pre-made one. Instead, follow the lead of Sarah of From The Desk and make your own! All it takes is a sturdy hanger and a few shower curtain rings, and you're in business. (Via Be Different, Act Normal.)

All right, I know these aren't really clothes hangers. They're paper clips that LOOK like clothes hangers. But they're so widdle and so cute, not to mention so cwevver -- uh, clever. Similar to Joy's photo hanger above, these clips are designed to hold a photo, note, or other small memento without punching a hole in it like a thumbtack would. From Arango Design, via Like Cool.

… There's also the added bonus that those tiny hangers probably won't hurt as much if Mommie gets mad at you again.