In her portrayal of Joan Crawford in the 1981 film “Mommie Dearest,” Faye Dunaway famously screams, “No wire hangers!” after seeing her expensive dresses hanging on their flimsy frames.
Crawford had a number of issues illustrated in the tell-all docudrama and memoir about her parentage. While not high on the list, animosity towards wire hangers may have been among them.
Wire hangers may seem cheap and wasteful, but there are many uses for them around the house. Here are 10 new purposes for wire hangers that you have accumulated in your closet or found at the thrift store.
Mini-trellis
Save money on your gardening supplies by making your own mini-trellises for your crawling vines out of old wire coat hangers. Simply stretch and shape the frame, unfurl the hook and stake it in the ground next to your pole beans or peas. This DIY from Homemade by Jade shows you how.
Non-slip wire hangers
One of the most obnoxious design flaws of wire hangers is that clothes always seem to be sliding off their slick frames. Elevate your wire hangers’ original purpose by upcycling into non-slip hangers. Simply wrap pipe cleaners around the top of the frame, from the corners upwards, until you have enough material to keep your clothes in place.
Shoe hanger
Are flip flops crowding the floor of your closet? Consider hanging them — and your other lightweight shoes — instead. These instructions from Hey Wander Blog will show you how to transform your wire clothes hanger into a handy shoe hanger to clean up clutter in your closet.
Magazine rack or book stand
Elongate the frame of a wire hanger into a rectangle and fold the end upwards to create a holder for your magazines or books. Bob Vila, renowned repair and DIY expert and former host of the home improvement television program “This Old House,” shows you how you can use the hangers to proudly display your reading materials on your walls using a nail or two, but you can also hang them on the handles of your door or cabinet in your bathroom for quick reading in a pinch. Home chefs can follow these instructions from Craft Cycle to make a quick book stand to help keep your place in your favorite cookbook or magazine.
Static remover
If the clothing you have on just won’t stop sticking to your legs and chest, run a wire clothes hanger between the garment and your skin. The static electricity that keeps drawing the fabric to your body with be transferred to the metal and will stop your clothes from uncomfortably clinging to you.
Wreath
Whether you are making a Christmas wreath or looking to get a little creative with your seasonal door display, save money on a store bought wreath by making your own using a wire hanger. This step-by-step from DIY Inspired shows you how.
Crafts hanger
As long as you are getting crafty, you might as well keep your crafts closet organized. Cut one end of the bottom of the hanger’s frame and slide rolls of tape or ribbon onto the bottom. Wire hangers also make a great storage rack for sunglasses, and there is no cutting required.
Drain snake
If your shower or sink drain is backed up, head to your closet for a quick fix. Unwind the neck and straighten the frame of the hanger, keeping the hook intact. Remove the drain cover and use your homemade drain snake to it fish out any hair or other nasty material that may be hiding out down there.
Bubble wand
You can use needle nose pliers to manipulate the shape of wire hangers in order to make fanciful bubble wands with unique shapes. This DIY from Sandy Toes and Popsicles illustrates how to craft particularly creative and colorful wands. Once they are ready, dip your wands into store bought bubble solution, or make your own using 6 cups of water, 1 cup of dish soap and 1 tablespoon of glycerin (or, if you do not have that on hand, 1/4 cup of corn syrup).
Drawstring lead
When the string comes out of your favorite sweatpants or hoodie, it can seem like an impossible task to put it back. Don’t panic — unwind a coat hanger, tape one end of the stick to the coat hanger and push the wire with the string attached through the holes at either end of the hood or waistband. Once the string is poking through both holes, remove the tape and wire. If you want to take preventative measures, double knot the ends of the string to prevent them from passing through again.
Do you have any favorite upcycled uses for wire hangers? Share them in the comments below.