Creative Ways to Use Clothes Hangers

Reuse

One of the simplest ways to reuse wire clothes hangers is to donate them to organizations that can put them to good use: thrift stores, crisis shelters, group homes, and nursing homes are often in need of hangers. Many dry cleaners will accept hangers for reuse, and some might offer you a discount for returning them.

Recycle

Check with your local recycling plant to see if they accept wire hangers. Most hangers are made from a low carbon steel. Gather wire hangers from your neighborhood, church or school and take them in bulk for recycling. You can even donate the money to a worthy cause.

Make Padded Hangers

If you still need the hangers in your closet and you're handy with a knitting needle or a crochet hook, you can turn your extra thin wire hangers into lovely padded and decorative ones.

These are great to give as housewarming gifts or for bridal showers. Every new mother-to-be will appreciate some small ones for the baby's closet. There are many crocheted covered clothes hanger patterns available and free to download.

Create Hanging Shoe Storage

Using just a wire coat hanger, wire cutters, needle-nose pliers and a bit of decorative ribbon, create both a useful and attractive shoe storage solution.

Just follow along with easy step-by-step instructions to make these hangers. They work great for flip-flops and some flat shoes. Add a low hanging rod in your closet to take advantage of every bit of space and get rid of that pile of shoes.

Hanging Show Storage from EPBOT

Remove Static Cling

One way to reduce static cling when you are already wearing a garment is to run a wire clothes hanger between the garment and your skin. Even running the hanger over the outside of the garment will help. The static electricity is transferred to the metal. And, no, you won't shock yourself.

Create Ribbon, Thread, or Tape Storage

Most of us need to be a bit more organized so we can actually find things when it's time to use them. Here's a great way to recycle a wire clothes hanger into efficient storage for anything on a spool: ribbon, thread, or tape.

Simply snip open the bottom edge of the hanger with wire cutters and then slip on the spools. Tape the cut edges back together with a bit of duct tape (easy to reopen to switch out spools) and hang to use. 

Not only have you recycled a hanger, but you also freed up some drawer space!

Create a Frame for a Disposable Strainer

When you don't want to use your good kitchen strainers for a messy garage job, create a disposable strainer with a clothes hanger and a nylon stocking, cheesecloth, or mesh.

Pull the wire hanger into a roughly round shape leaving the hook to use as a handle. Cover it by stretching the leg of a pair of pantyhose or single stocking over the frame. Then use it to strain paint or anything messy. You can just toss away the nylon hose and keep the frame to use another day.

If you use cheesecloth or mesh as the straining material, attach it securely to the wireframe with duct tape.

Additional tip: A mesh onion bag attached to the clothes hanger frame makes a lightweight net to catch fish or wayward small critters.

Control Vines and Tender Plants

Wire hangers can be used to form cheesecloth or become support for lightweight vines and plants. Bend or cut the hangers into the shape you need using wire cutters.

If you want a taller trellis, hangers can be taped or wired together and hung from a fence post or nail so the vines can trail upward.

You can also create an indoor topiary form for a small plant. Shape the wire into the desired shape of a heart, circle, or square and straighten the hook. Push the hook into the pot's soil and allow the vine to trail up to cover the wire. Use floral wire to secure the vine to the wire as it grows.

Create a Wreath

A wire hanger is a perfect base for an inexpensive holiday or special occasion wreath. Fresh greenery or silk flowers can easily be attached to the frame using floral wire. Just bend the hanger into a circle and leave the hook for hanging.

Depending on the decorations you choose, the wreath can be used inside or out. You can even recycle some used dryer sheets to create wire clothes hanger-based wreath for your laundry room!

Make a Giant Bubble Wand

Bend the body of the clothes hanger into a circle, and you have the perfect giant bubble wand. Mix one part dishwashing detergent and one part water to make the bubble solution or use a commercial solution.

Grow Fairy Wings or a Halo

Keep a couple of hangers around to make accessories for costumes. Hangers make great fairy or butterfly wings when covered with fabric or paper. You can also bend them into halos, horns, or anything that needs a frame. Decorate with glitter, paint, feathers, or anything you can imagine.

How to Make Fairy Wings from Kidspot

Be Even More Crafty

There are dozens of wire hanger craft projects for mobiles, Christmas decorations, dream catchers, and more. Pinterest is a great resource for projects that everyone in the family can help create. Anytime you need some stiff wire, think of clothes hangers.