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Lifehacker's Top 10 Office Supply Hacks

lifehacker.com — Given some spare time and a few neglected items in the office supply closet, anyone can make their workspace more functional, create a cool tools for their home and office, and even rescue seemingly ruined stuff. Today we'll take a look at some unexpected ways to use objects you probably have readily available.

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  • jdorough, on 06/04/2008, -5/+2Neat ideas here. I already use the binder clips for my chips and use the "hipster PDA" for blog ideas, but the rest of the hacks were new to me.
  • cl0123, on 06/04/2008, -6/+3Knew of most other tips but PINNING wins!
  • crazyjake, on 06/05/2008, -5/+34we need to linit the definition of the work "Hack". Next up, Hack a cap onto the top of a bottle!!
    • webkami, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6*Lifehacker's Top 10 Office Supply Tips*

      ..there... fixed it for you
    • JMSantos, on 06/05/2008, -5/+1Who cares?
      • arobar, on 06/05/2008, -1/+5Probably people who like clarity instead of poorly worded titles that lead them to a site they otherwise wouldn't read, and therefore wastes their time.
    • kenvsryu, on 06/05/2008, -3/+3you don't enjoy lifespammer articles?
    • therusher, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2If you push the cap down hard enough you don't have to twist! HACKS!
    • jpnadia, on 06/14/2008, -0/+1Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought it referred more to ingenuous off-label uses of existing [insert noun)*]. The article may not seem ingenuous to you, but at the very least it creates accessible content on the internet, and this content was interesting and/or informative to at least 759 people at the time of posting this content.

      Now, while it may not meet your particular strict definition of hack**, your stringent protests suggest that you, sir, are taking the Internet a bit too seriously, and while there are many things that one can say for the preventing of the degradation of languag, "you can do it successfuly" is not one of them.

      ----
      *In the case of the article, "binder clips".
      *Another one: http://catb.org/esr/jargon/html/meaning-of-hack.ht ...
  • jiqiren, on 06/05/2008, -6/+17Tape and paperclips are now "hacks"? You have to be kidding me. Buried Inaccurate.
    • DirtyRoboto, on 06/05/2008, -0/+12nd the bury.

      These tips are a waste of HTML!
    • ZachSka87, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1WHAT!? You mean manipulating computer software to my own maniacal purposes is considered a hack!? Well damn, when I was your age hacking was when we went on a hike through thick brush and had to bring a machete. Damn kids these days....
  • Dabaum, on 06/05/2008, -2/+5 "While you've got the cap off, check out a few more clever uses of the magic markers, such as inhaling passionately while running the 'Flurry' screensaver."

    Well, maybe I added a little extra
  • Sillywombat, on 06/05/2008, -2/+6hep, this is by far, no help at all. Turn the stapler the other way, isnt really a hack, its part of what a stapler does!
  • FUR10N, on 06/05/2008, -4/+11these are all pretty useless.
  • RyanW2050, on 06/05/2008, -2/+7surprisingly lame :(
  • DanThe1Man, on 06/05/2008, -5/+2What, no paperclip necklaces? My ex-girlfriends loved them right before leaving me.
  • masculatron, on 06/05/2008, -1/+5There are not enough ideas involving things that can be clipped using binder clips!
  • superjamie, on 06/05/2008, -3/+6God I can't stand 99.999% of the articles on Lifehacker.
    Up next, how to hack your shower time by drying with both sides of the towel!!!
  • seizium, on 06/05/2008, -3/+3The only hack here is Lifehacker. When did the word 'hack' become a synonym for 'tip'? Burried as lame.

    Edit: just realised that all of my points were mentioned earlier. Guess that's what I get for RTFA but not the comments.
  • wesk702, on 06/05/2008, -5/+1I always hated these lists. Some digg hungry douche always lists it in his comments for the easy count like so...ooops.

    "Top 10 Office Supply Hacks
    Given some spare time and a few neglected items in the office supply closet, anyone can make their workspace more functional, create a cool tools for their home and office, and even rescue seemingly ruined stuff. Today we'll take a look at some unexpected ways to use objects you probably have readily available. Get organized and save some money with 10 low-cost office supply hacks you can do during your lunch break.

    10. Clip chips with binder clips.

    Most store-bought (especially dollar-store-bought) "chip clips" kind of suck. They're often awkward to fasten, the springs or plastic break much sooner than you'd hope, and, hey, a better solution is close at hand. The common binder clip's taut pinch is enough to ensure that rolled-up munchies don't come unfurled, and they're sturdy as all get out. They'll also do the same job with toothpaste. Photo by upsidedownsphere [via Cranking Widgets].

    9. Pin documents with an old-school stapler.

    If you need to temporarily keep documents together but don't want to subject them to yank-and-tear staple removal, give the bottom plate of your old-school stapler a 180-degree turn, and you're now "pinning." Some people have known about this trick since grade school, but others might find it a seriously useful expansion of their most straight-forward desktop tool. (Original post)

    8. Duct tape to remove hard to reach pubes.

    If you're a handyman when it comes to hard to reach perineal pubes. Just lay a strip of office duct tape on your chair and sit on it at the start of your morning. At lunch time take a swift pull and instant smoothness. Duct tape is also useful for picking up dead bugs around the office desk when the "environmental technician" keeps skipping your office.

    7. Replace a zipper pull with a paper clip.

    They're often the first thing to go on even the most well-constructed jackets and coats, but that's no reason to pay a ransom to have a zipper pull replaced by a cleaner. Thread a paper clip in as a replacement—using a colored clip if necessary—and your fingers can rest easy. Check out these five other handy uses for the little bent-metal wonders. (Original post)

    6. Make re-labeling easy with clear tape.

    Discarding folders just because their labels are impossible to remove, or came off messily, feels pretty wasteful. Next time you're labeling, lay a strip of clear tape onto the folder tab before you apply your label. Next time you're re-organizing, re-using the folder will be as simple as pulling the label off the tape. The tape protector works on just about anything you'd potentially re-use, so keep a roll of the clear stuff handy. Photo by lylamerle. (Original post)

    5. Turn a letter tray into a network rack.

    Even if you've got a simple DSL connection at home, you likely have a high-speed modem, a router, and a power strip taking up space—not to mention external drives, CD/DVD-Rs, and other gadgetry. Buy some cheap, stacking letter trays, and you've got the makings of a DIY network rack, kind of like what IT guys use to keep their hard-working devices, and their multiple cables, together. If you've only got one or two networked devices, consider using the extra space for cell phones or other recharge-needing gadgets. Scope reader Rick's Flickr stream for notes and detailed shots. (Original post)

    4. Erase permanent marker with a dry erase marker.

    Left-over notes and oops-that-was-permanent stains are a near-ubiquitous feature of seasoned dry-erase boards. Wipe them back to whiteness with a dry-erase marker, simply by writing over the accidental marks and then swiping the whole thing clean. While you've got the cap off, check out a few more clever uses of the magic markers. (Original post)

    3. Catch cables with binder clips.

    If you're noticing that binder clips are making repeat appearances in this top 10, well, there's a good reason for it. The little buggers can help you keep cables under control simply by running the ones that always hang limply on (or off) your desk through a clamp and fastening it to something immovable. For full instructions, check out lihab's Flickr set. (Original post)

    2. Make a standing recipe book from a break-back binder.

    A recipe book that stands on its own, can take a splash of hot oil, and that's easy to add or pull recipes from—it's the Holy Grail of cooking accessories, and it's available with some inexpensive office gear. Get a break-back easel binder, a few Post-its and sheet protectors, and you've got a hardy, stand-up, extensible place for all your recipes and kitchen secrets. (Original post)

    1. Turn a stack of index cards into a Hipster PDA.

    We wrote about this back when Lifehacker was barely a month old, and the Hipster PDA is still one of the best combinations of "genius" and "Oh, duh" around. Combine a small (you guessed it) binder clip and some index cards—different-colored, ruled or unruled, your choice—with a pocket-sized pen, and you've got a scaling, cross-platform, GTD-friendly thought-catcher that won't go out of date, no matter h
  • Vertabreaker, on 06/05/2008, -3/+8Should be titled "Hot to make your office look ghetto rigged"
  • disher91, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1Haven't seen much lifehacker on the main page recently...
  • JohnnyXmas, on 06/05/2008, -2/+1Its lifehacker. They've been on the decline for years now. I still give them credit for sticking it out and really scraping the bottom of the barrel, though.
  • mhender, on 06/05/2008, -2/+2Yeah, having a paperclip as your zipper on your jacket is sure to show everyone how intelligent and classy you are.
    Next hack: Wearing socks with sandals!
    Thanks lifehacker! This is almost as good as that kid who 'hacked' his electric guitar. Oh wait, he was just picking the strings instead of strumming. But I guess thats a hack!
  • halonumber14, on 06/05/2008, -1/+1these indeed are pretty worthless. one that i like though is using a butterfly clip (mine came from a box named "ideal clamps") as a money clip for credit cards, receipts, or whatever else. i like it a lot better than a bulky wallet.
  • SpeedStix, on 06/05/2008, -1/+2I find those binder clips very useful for USB cables. I always thread a cable through the loop and attach the clip to a desk or something, that way I always have a USB cable handy and not on the ground.
  • YodaJones, on 06/05/2008, -1/+2Lifehacker is always full of cool and fun ideas. Thanks.
  • sweetholymosiah, on 06/05/2008, -2/+2Scraping the bottom of the barrel on this one
  • kaosethema, on 06/06/2008, -1/+2ok, i haven't seen a paperclip, a tape dispenser. i've seen like 2 staplers during the past year. in a paperless office, how does this help?

    buried, antiquated/obsolete
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