Clothespins are simple devices but they do more than just keep laundry on a clothesline. Kids love making clothespin crafts, and with a little imagination you’ll find dozens of more practical ways to use clothespins when camping and RVing.
How to Use Clothespins When Camping and RVing
Here are ten ways to re-purpose clothespins that you might not have imagined.
1. Use clothespins as RV rain gutter extensions
Perhaps the best way to use clothespins when camping and RVing is to re-purpose them as rain gutter extensions.
Camping supply stores sell pre-made RV rain gutter extensions but over time the plastic material becomes brittle and falls apart. Of course there’s going to be a time when you get too close to a tree and knock them off. Why spend the money when you can make your own rain gutter extensions with clothespins?
Keep water off the side of your RV.
These cheap devices cost next to nothing and you can leave them on your RV’s rain gutters as you travel. They’ll fall off occasionally but it won’t cost you more than a few cents to replace them.
2. Keep food bags fresh
Using clothespins to keep food bags closed seems like a no-brainer. But if so, then why can you buy cheap Chinese-made plastic chip-clips by the dozen? Be good to the planet: skip this landfill trash and use a clothespin to keep your Doritos from going stale.
3. Clip your toothpaste tube closed
Clamping down that unweildy tube of toothpaste is another great way to use clothespins when camping and RVing.
4. Organize paper and to-do lists
Nobody is 100% paperless. Keeping receipts and to-do lists neat is challenging in RVs, which have little room for office filing fixtures. Make your own indoor clothes pin organizer by mounting two adhesive-backed wall hooks to a convenient place.
Tame the paper monster with clothespins.
Hang a sturdy line from each hook, then place clothespins on the string. This lets you keep memos, receipts and other reminders where you can see them.
5. Keep clothes from falling off hangers
Do your clothes fall of hangers when your RV goes down the road? Snap clothespins on each end of your hangers to keep clothing in place.
6. Secure a table cloth
Don’t fall for those table cloth hooks you see in camping supply stores. Clothespins will do just as good a job at keeping your camping table cloth in place.
7. Make clothespin cabinet hooks
Use hot glue or double-sided tape to mount clothespins to the inside of your kitchen cabinets. Hang potholders and dishtowels there to keep combustibles away from your stove top.
8. Clip party lights to your RV awning
Got a string of party lights but no way to hang them from your RV awning? Don’t go out and buy RV awning party lights, just use clothespins to hang those Christmas lights. Karen from KarenInTheWoods uses double-sided clips for hanging her lights from an awning.
9. Keep electronics’ cables organized
This is a boring but necessary way to use clothespins when camping and RVing. Clothespins will keep you from going insane over twisted, knotted up cables.
Who says we live in a wireless world?
10. Remind yourself to put the TV antenna down
Hang a clothespin on the interior crank as a reminder to put it down before you move.
Don’t be that guy driving with the TV antenna up.
Do you have other ways you like to use clothespins when camping and RVing? Share your tips below!
