9 Ways to Stay Organized With Carabiners

The shortened form of the German phrase “Karabinerhaken,” which means “spring hook,” carabiners are commonly used in outdoor rope activities like caving, camping, rock climbing, and sailing.

But rock climbers and avid campers aren’t the only people with a good use for carabiners—anyone who wants to get a little more organized should keep a couple of these sturdy clasps at home.

Here are 9 creative ways you can put carabiners to use in your space:

Hang a carabiner on a tension rod or hook in your closet, and you’ve got an instant solution for all those rogue belts and scarves! Not only will they take up less space; they’ll also be easier to parse through since you can see all your options in one organized spot!

Pushing a stroller on your way home from the store? Make sure to bring a carabiner. If you can’t fit all your bags in the storage space beneath the seat, attach a carabiner to a sturdy part of the stroller and hang your bags.

If you bring your own grocery bags to the store but don’t want them trapped under your food when it’s time to check out, simply attach a carabiner to the side of your cart. Just hang one of the bags on the carabiner, and stuff the rest of the bags inside of it.

The most annoying thing about storing paper gift bags: How easily they can bend and crumble if you aren’t careful. Keep yours in like-new condition by hanging them from a carabiner on a wire shelf or tension rod in your storage area.

Don’t have endless hooks in your closet? No worries. Attach several carabiners to your closet rod or a wire shelf, and hang individual handbags on each one. Now, they’re easy to see and just as easy to grab! Plus, you’re making use of vertical space to save room elsewhere.

Most humans with hair know that the only time you can’t find a hair tie is when you’re actually looking for one. Nip that problem in the bud by corralling all your elastic hair ties (or scrunchies, or even just regular rubber bands!) in one place: a carabiner. You may be surprised by how many you can fit.

For anything you need to bring with you when you head out but don’t want to leave at home—keys, your phone charger, hand sanitizer, whatever—hang a carabiner on a hook by your front door.

Have a bunch of small tools you want to corral in a toolbox, cabinet, or drawer? Carabiner to the rescue. This works especially well for organizing sets with multiple sizes of the same tool.

It’s safe to say we all need a little extra support in the cord-organization department. To keep yours from knotting or tangling, grab a large carabiner and hang a couple on it. Or use it to organize other office essentials like rubber bands.