Childproofing
Can’t keep the kids out of the cabinets? Zip ties are a cheap and easy fix! Secure a zip tie between two adjacent knobs or handles to keep the kids out of a cupboard.
Bathroom Boon
Keep a handful of zip ties in the bathroom to address a variety of issues, most notably clogged drains. The next time you need to clear a drain, use a wire cutter to snip diagonal slots into the sides of a long, wide zip tie or several shorter ones linked together. Cut about halfway through the strip, angling toward the bottom, and then bend the slits out to create a series of barbs. Remove the drain stopper, and carefully feed the zip ties down into the drain as far as they will go. Pull up slowly—the hair and other gunk will get stuck on the barbs, and then all you have to do is throw it away!
Packing Pal
With most airlines charging extra for luggage these days, you probably want to pack as tightly as possible. Use zip ties to corral items compactly so they’ll take up less space. Organize your wardrobe for the trip by snugly rolling together sets of clothes (shirt, pants, socks, and underwear) and securing with zip ties.
Everyday Organizer
While their actual intended purpose is to put an end to cord chaos, zip ties are great organizational solutions for almost any room in the house, including the kitchen and workshop. Keep bags of bread or snacks fresh by twisting their wrappers and securing them with removable zip ties. Or, thread zip ties through wrench handles to ensure that you’ll never have to scramble to find loose tools again.
Garden Support
Use zip ties in the garden to give your plants some steady support. Small trees, tomatoes, cucumbers, roses, bougainvillea, and other “floppy” flowers can be gently secured to garden stakes or trellises with zip ties to maximize their growth.
Workstation Wonder
Thread heavy-duty zip ties through a sheet of pegboard to hold containers that you can use to store tools, office supplies, or other DIY essentials. This customized organizational solution lets you keep all your must-haves off the floor but close at hand
Safety First
Keep curious little children away from dangerous materials, such as cleaning supplies, medicines, or knives, by putting the hazardous items in a cabinet and securing the cabinet doors together with zip ties. The reusable ties are great for this purpose, because they allow you to access the necessary items and then easily “lock” the cabinet doors when children are present.
Quick Zip Fix
Zip ties make convenient and effective solutions for a variety of apparel malfunctions. Strategically deployed zip ties can replace a missing zipper pull, temporarily hold a loose button in place, or serve as substitutes for broken straps on backpacks and book bags
Camping Companion
Zip ties can be extremely handy on a camping trip. For example, you can “lock” your tent by threading a zip tie through the zipper, a precaution that should be enough to stymie unwanted forest friends like raccoons or snakes. You can also use zip ties to hang food packs or other necessities in trees to keep them away from bears, and to attach extra items to your backpack for transport. Secure zip ties around the bottoms of your pants legs to hold them closed, protecting against ticks, mosquitoes, and snakebites.
Floral Fastener
Zip ties can help you create professional-looking floral arrangements with ease. To make a bouquet for a vase, simply stand up all the flowers and loosely loop a couple of ties around the stems. Once you have the blossoms arranged in a pleasing manner, tighten the zip ties to keep them in place. (Be sure not to over-tighten. You don’t want the ties to cut into the stems.) Then just place the arrangement in a vase for the decorative finish.
Holiday Helper
Zip ties can be invaluable when it’s time to deck the halls for the holidays. Attach ties at regular intervals to hold decorations in place along a banister, roofline, or window frame, or even in trees or bushes. At the end of the season, arrange your lights in neat bundles and secure with zip ties so you don’t have a mess of unruly wires to untangle next year. And if you need a hook for your favorite tree ornament, use a zip tie as a makeshift hanger to display the bauble in just the right spot!
Move Clothes Masterfully
When it comes time to move, this tip is especially useful for packing — and unpacking — your closet! There’s no need to take your clothes off of hangers, fold them and stack them in boxes. Just grab a handful of your hanging clothes and wrap the tops of the hangers together using bendable electrical wire or a zip tie. Drape a garbage bag over the clothes, pulling the tops of the hangers through a hole in the bottom of the bag. Then cinch up the garbage bag handles and tie them together.
Your clothes will stay organized and clean while moving them to your new place. To unpack, just remove the bag, untwist the wire and hang your clothes in the closet.
Control Your Climbing Plants with Zip Ties
Getting your vines to run up just how you want can be tricky. To direct the vines, fasten zip ties around the stalks, strapping them to anything stable. Don’t strap the vines too tightly. They need to be able to move and grow.
Store Zip Ties on a Pegboard
Faithful reader Raymond Hudon sent us a tool storage technique for all those slender tools and shop accessories. Cut short lengths of PVC pipe (1-1/2- and 2-in.-diameter pipes work well for most items) and slide them over pegboard hooks. Then load them up with files, hacksaw blades, zip ties, pencils, stir sticks . . . you get the skinny.
Recycling Zip Ties
Whenever you buy something that’s wrapped with zip ties, don’t cut them off and toss them. Instead, remove the ties by inserting the tip of a pocket knife under the ratcheting mechanism of the ties and pulling the end out. You can reuse the ties and never worry about over-tightening one because you can reposition it.
Drain Snaker
You know how your shower drain only gets clogged on Monday mornings when you’re already running late for a meeting and didn’t shower all weekend? Chances are, you’re more likely to have zip ties on hand than a drain snake in this scenario. To turn a (preferably long) zip tie into a drain snake, simply cut a series of diagonal slits along each side. Stick the zip tie as far down your drain as you can and pull up to reveal the huge hair monster of your nightmares.
Key Ring
You can use a small zip tie as a key ring in a pinch. This can be especially helpful if you’re giving a few spare keys to a house- or pet-sitter when you go out of town. Just zip tie your spare house key, mailbox key, and any other important keys together so your sitter can easily keep track of them.
Binder Rings
Use a couple of small zip ties to “bind” papers and documents together. Just punch a couple of holes along the edge and slip small zip ties through the holes. This is a simple and fun way to create a book of your child’s writing or artwork. They’ll love flipping through it!
