Inexpensive and hardworking, the hanger is a handy little beast capable of more than just helping you keep your clothes organized. Here are a few of our favorite ideas, new and old, for putting these hardworking home staples to work...

• 1. If you've been making the design blog rounds long enough, you've probably spotted Jean and Dylan's vintage pant hanger display systembefore, but it's too cool not to highlight again. We're always on the lookout for interesting ideas for rotating artwork displays, and this idea might be our favorite one yet. There seems to be a steady stream of vintage wooden pants hangers available on ebay.
• 2. As the girl with a thousand tangle-prone necklaces, I love this no-nonsense jewelry organizer that I spotted in Real Simple several years ago. I have mine on a hook on the back of my closet door so that everything stays visible and tangle free. Put things without clasps at the opening ends of the hanger to avoid having to unload the whole row for a single piece of jewelry.
• 3. Craft zones are notoriously difficult to keep organized, but this easy idea for corralling renegade spools of ribbon will surely help the cause.
• 4. I spotted this simple drape alternative on emmas blogg and haven't been able to get it out of my head since. It's a sweet, casual way of infusing a window space with a little color, pattern, or whimsy without the fuss of formal drapes.
• 5. This idea is certainly not as glamorous as the rest, but useful nonetheless. For an easy how-to, visit the Instructable's website here.

(Images: 1: Ladies & Gentlemen Home, 2: Real Simple, 3: Kitchen Klique, 4: via emmas blogg, 5: Instructables, 6: O at Home)