10 Surprising Things You Can Do With Spare Hangers

I recently went through my closet to get rid of some of the clothes I hadn’t worn in a while, and while my closet looked much better when I was done, one project ended up leading to another, as they often do. I suddenly had a rather large collection of unused hangers on my hands that I wasn’t sure what to do with, so I did some searching to see if I could find some practical uses for them.

I actually found several very smart uses for hangers (besides hanging clothes,) and I’m sharing them with you today! There’s a little bit of everything in this list, from organizing ideas to clothing storage tips and beyond. So if you’ve got a collection of unused hangers like I did, hopefully this list will give you several ways to put them to good use!

10 Surprising Tips And Tricks For Hangers

1. Connect Hangers With A Soda Tab

Use a soda tab to connect your hangers together. Not only is this a great way to save on space in your closet, but it’s also a great way to pair clothes together when you’re planning outfits.

Related: “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” – Part One

2. Hang Your Reading

Hang magazines and newspapers over a hanger to save your spot for later. This is also a great way to store reading material in your bathroom, for those of you who require that particular amenity. (No judgment here!)

3. Add Shower Rings For Accessories

A few cheap plastic shower rings can make your hangers even more useful! Use the rings to hang tank tops, camisoles, hats, scarves, sunglasses, and other small items from a hanger. It’ll fit nicely in your closet, and still be visible enough for you to find what you’re looking for.

Related: 10 Unexpected And Creative Ways To Use Shower Rings

4. Add Hooks To Make A Necklace Rack

I love this idea! Install several screw hooks along the underside of a wooden hanger. Then hang your necklaces and bracelets from the hooks to keep them organized! It’s a simple solution that’s pretty enough to display on your bathroom or bedroom wall.

5. Hang Bananas From A Metal Hanger

Hanging your bananas helps prevent them from getting bruised and going bad quickly. You can use a wire hanger to make a super simple banana stand for your kitchen!

Start by bending the bottom part of a wire hanger toward you to form a diamond shape. Next, take the corner closest to you, and fold it up towards the top of the hanger. Place the side without the hook on the counter, then fold the hook part backwards. And voila, you’ve got a handy place to store bananas!

6. Make A Hanging Paper Towel Dispenser

Cut through the center of a plastic hanger to use it as a super simple paper towel dispenser. Hang it from a tree while you’re camping or having a picnic at the park for easy access to your paper towels!

7. Add Glue To Prevent Slipping

Even if your clothes keep slipping off your hangers, that doesn’t mean you need to go buy new ones! Just give your hangers a quick no-slip treatment with your hot glue gun.

Squeeze a thick line of hot glue along the top edges of the hanger, and let it dry. When dry, the hot glue will be just tacky enough to hang on to your clothes. (Check out the post below for more details, and instructions for two more DIY non-slip hangers!)

Related: No-Slip Hangers – 3 Different Solutions!

8. Fold Sweaters Before Hanging Them

Some sweaters will stretch or develop weird bumps when hung on a standard hanger. Instead of hanging them, fold your sweaters over the hanger (like you would do with a pair of pants). Sweater problems solved!

Related: No More Shoulders Bumps! How To Hang-Fold Your Sweaters

9. Give Them A Washi Tape Makeover

Give your hangers a fresh and fun look with the help of washi tape! Washi tape comes in just about any color or pattern you can imagine, so you have a lot of great options available to you. A bundle of washi-taped hangers would even make a fun gift!

10. Hold A Recipe

Use a hanger with clips to hold open a cookbook to the right page, or to hold a printed recipe. Then hang the hanger from a kitchen cupboard so it’s right at eye level while you’re cooking. (Bonus: this will also protect your recipes and cookbooks from accidental spills and splatters!)

Related: “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” – Part One

What other uses for hangers would you add to this list?