Life is full of nagging little problems that just don’t seem to have solutions. Your headphone wires get tangled in your pocket; wine glasses are accidentally swapped at parties; flip-flops fall apart. Don’t you wish there was a cheap and easy way to solve those annoying issues?
Most of the time when we run into these pesky situations, we’re not even aware that the perfect solution is actually hiding right under our noses! And while there are plenty of handy DIY fixes that employ everyday household belongings, there’s only one that deserves special attention for its versatility. You’d never guess that bread tags—those plastic tabs that keep your packages of bread closed—do much more than prevent your favorite loaf from going stale. Here are 17 brilliant uses for bread tags that you never knew about!
If you’re like most people, you have a ton of bread tags lying around. They accumulate quickly in drawers and on kitchen countertops, and they’re one of the most common fasteners used on packages of bread and baked goods. But did you know you can get more use from them than you thought?
1. Here’s one neat bread tag hack that’s a lifesaver for anyone who’s ever broken the thong or strap on their flip-flops at the beach or pool. After enough use, those straps seem to weasel their way out of the sole, making them nearly impossible to wear comfortably. But these plastic tags ensure a snug fit!
2. Punch different-sized holes into the tags and thread all sorts of rings and chains through them to create an intricate and unique necklace. Now, you can make all kinds of fashionable jewelry with ease!
3. It can be annoying whenever you’re looking for that extra special something to add to gift bags. You don’t want anything too fancy; just a creative addition to the bag. With bread tags, you can make decorative fasteners like these blushing snowmen faces. The recipient will surely be impressed!
4. Losing track of your wine glass at a party is so frustrating! Whether you stepped away to use the restroom or you became so caught up in your conversation with other guests, it’s easy to mix up glasses by accident. With these tags as impromptu charms, you’ll never mix up your drinks again!
5. For some reason, we seem to accumulate more keys as life goes on. We may not even use most of them anymore, but that doesn’t mean it’s not headache-inducing trying to comb through a whole chain of them! Easily label keys for different uses and avoid the frustration altogether.
6. Placing stickers on windows and other flat surfaces may look cool at first, but trying to remove them can leave unsightly residue. Use a plastic tag to scrape off the entire sticker without leaving a mess behind.
7. Anyone who owns electronic equipment of any sort knows what a struggle it can be to keep the cords organized. Placing a plastic label on each cord will eliminate wasted minutes spent trying to figure out which cord corresponds to which electronic device!
8. Whenever we need to use rubber bands, it always seems like we can’t locate enough of them—even though we know they’re somewhere in our house. Use tags to stop them from migrating all over the home and instead keep them together in one drawer for easy access!
9. Although a roll of tape can be small, it can cause heaps of frustration. We’ve all spent time trying to find the end of the tape, and without fail, it becomes impossibly stuck to the rest of the roll. Luckily, maintaining the edge is super simple with a plastic tag.
10. Keeping your phone charged is of the utmost importance nowadays. When it dies, you feel lost! After all, what are you supposed to do now that all of your apps and phone contacts are inaccessible? No worries: keep your phone cord at the ready by attaching a tag to your desk so you’ll always remember to charge it!
11. It’s safe to say that everyone loves listening to music, but tangled headphones can be a huge speed bump between you and your funky tunes. Use a plastic tag to stop headphone cords from tangling in your pocket or purse—and get straight to that rhythm!
12. You may not realize it, but knitting can be an expensive hobby; if you’re looking for proper tools and long-lasting yarn, you’d better be ready to pay top dollar. There is one trick to save you a little money, though: using a plastic tag can replace expensive knitting markers without sacrificing your quality of work!
13. How often do you find yourself missing socks? Probably every single day. It’s so annoying when you can’t find a pair that go together and you have to settle on two different colors. Keeping both of them pinned with a bread tag will save you time every morning!
noricum / Flickr
14. A great book is always worthwhile, but when you don’t have a bookmark handy to save your spot, you’re forced to crease the corner of the page. This can be damaging and sloppy-looking! Using a bread tag as a makeshift bookmark will help preserve the quality of your literature.
Nate Burgos / Flickr
15. Whenever you’re dealing with yarn or thread, it can be very difficult to prevent it from getting tangled. And once that happens, you’ll be wasting a lot of time trying to untie all those knots! That’s time that could be spent on your DIY project, too. Organize all your threading needs using a simple plastic tag, and you’ll be able to finish your crafts faster and with ease.
16. When it comes time to decorate your Christmas tree, you want to be sure everything hanging on it is secure. This not only includes ornaments, but your string of lights as well. A plastic tag is a great way to attach them to the branches without spending any money!
nifty / buzzfeed
17. Here is something that most people don’t know: the color of the bread tag actually tells you what day of the week the bread was baked! If you’re looking for the freshest loaf, pay mind to which color tag you’re adding to your shopping cart.
18. You know those cool, color block posters of famous faces people hang on their walls? Well, now you can make your own by collecting similarly colored tags and mashing them together to form a personalized form of art… check this one out!
19. Lost that guitar pic again? No worries, a bread tag will do just the trick – you’ll be back to playing the music you love again in no time.
20. Last but not least, these colorful pieces of forgotten plastic can also act as a hair tie if you’re running low, or in a rush!
Who knew you could do all this with just a little piece of plastic? These things are a miracle!