How many diferent ways can you use a coat hanger. So far, I've used them for socket holders,cabinet latches, fence ties, mechanic rigging, canning lifts, hot pads and cooking coils over kerosene lamps (combined with a soot diverter). What are some of yours?

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair@yahoo.com), August 15, 2001

Answers

Take a wire hanger, bend the ends up, twist the hanger, hook over the back of the cook stove .... mitten dryer!

-- Nancy Bakke-McGonigle MN. Sunset (dmcgonig@smig.net), August 15, 2001.

Welding rods,gate latches,fence ties and a million other things. Daryll

-- Daryll in NW FLA (twincrk@hotmail.com), August 15, 2001.

exhaust repairs, fence staples, raised a chandelier with a peice once,, kept bumping my head, hang clothes on, (sometimes), cleaning out oil returns on an engine block,, made a beehive scraper out of one,, actually 2,, the first one didnt hold up,, different metal I guess

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), August 15, 2001.

We have a Ford truck..... 'nuff said. I'm worried because I'm nearly out of hangers!

-- David (bookboy@iwon.com), August 15, 2001.

For roasting hot dogs and marshmellows over a campfire.

-- Terry - NW Ohio (aunt_tm@hotmail.com), August 15, 2001.

Handle for when your handle breaks on your cooking pot, or on your coffee can cook pot if you're like me and use that for camping....

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), August 15, 2001.

Coathangers can be used for finding water lines,sewer lines and witching for water.Bettie

-- Bettie Ferguson (jobett@dixie-net.com), August 15, 2001.

Bettie- One of my friends made me a set of dowsing rods out of a coat hanger recently. She claims she used them to find water on their lot for a well. We've been using them to try and pick winning lottery numbers- no luck yet, but we haven't given up!

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), August 15, 2001.

I agree with the ford pick up. Mine has so many it loks like I crashed into a dry cleaners.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair@yahoo.com), August 15, 2001.

Take the bottom of coat hanger [ in middle] pull over hook part and bend sides out and you have a hanger for you mud boots.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), August 15, 2001.

Ditto on the welding rod (in a pinch) also used as a hanger for a bag of saline solution when one of the animals need sub cu fluids.

-- TAB (burnash@gisco.net), August 15, 2001.

Oh, come on now... I'm the ONLY ONE to use one to get into a vehicle because I locked my keys inside???

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), August 15, 2001.

Of course you're not, Gary. You are just the only one willing to admit it on a public forum. Ha ha!

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), August 15, 2001.

coat hangers, yep! I've used them for making a quick calf-bottle holder when mom rejected baby calf. Have used em for antenna extenders, gate latches, butterfly and minnow net rim, potted plant hangers, plant supports, etc.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 15, 2001.

great thread!
• sieve hanger in cabinet
• pot lid hanger, in same cabinet
• pan guide, on same cabinet's door to keep the frying pan swing while closing.
• 'antennea' for jacobs ladder [high voltage buzzing thingy in old sci.fi films]
• holder for tp in bathroom cabinet. Bend to form upside down 'T' and use another to hold the top part of loop. The bottom part needs to extend out and then up.
• 'very dangerous' don't try this at home folks! - jumper cables. in rental car.
• various hooks and hangers for stuff that needed to be hung - always fold up the sharp ends.
• shelf joining straps.
• wire pullers while working in walls.
• art figurines

-- (perry@ofuzzy1.com), August 15, 2001.

We use a coat hanger as the grill for our homemade toaster. Cut a coffee can down to about 5 inches high and punch holes around the top and thread 4 short pieces of coat hanger through the holes in a criss- cross fashion. Then put it over your stove burner and in a bit you have toast. Doug

-- Doug in KY (toadshutes@yahoo.com), August 16, 2001.

I make a small hook on the end of a cut piece of coat hanger and use it to clean out the birdhouses in the spring. Also cut them to make pins to hold down landscape cloth and soaker hoses.

-- Duffy (hazelm@tenforward.com), August 16, 2001.

What coathangers? Just call me Mommie Dearest. Don't allow wire coathangers in the closet. Almost never take anything to the drycleaners so almost never have any wire hangers to figure out what to do with. Once in a while a guest will leave a hanger or two. It goes immidately to the shop. They help replace the rare baleing wire. Usually to tie a gate shut or tie a fence up.

-- Belle (gardenbelle@terraworld.net), August 16, 2001.

put a hole on each side of a coffee can, cut the hanger in the middle on the bottom end and insert one end in each hole and twist up to secure and you have a berry picking bucket that will hang on a cherry tree etc.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), August 16, 2001.

I clipped one end away, made a hook in the clipped end and hang it on the clothes line pole to drip dry paint rollers. Also used several to make a frame for the head portion of an alien Hallowen costume. Covered it with aluminum foil.

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), August 16, 2001.

Stakes for house plants and bird feeder holders!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), August 17, 2001.

I hung a coat hanger on a hook near the ceiling and continued to expand sidewise until the hangers reached my waist. I have a radio antenna Dawoo would kill for. I considered talking to the space station crew, but what the heck! Those guys don't know anything about homesteading!

-- Gordon Crump (hermit@duo-county.com), August 17, 2001.

Elizabeth-Hope you won that big lottery with those dowsing rods!

-- Bettie Ferguson (jobett@dixie-net.com), August 18, 2001.

Great thread. Am thinking of saving myself a few bucks and making one of those holder thingees that hold up your canning lids when sterilizing them so that you can pick them up and put on your jars when canning.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), August 20, 2001.