12 Ways To Reuse Leftover Bread Ties And Tags

Bread ties and tags are useful in their own right, but they can continue to serve a purpose long after their accompanying loaves of bread have been consumed. Whether you love a good household hack or have a penchant for upcycling, keep reading to learn more about how far beyond bread these tiny tags and twists can go.

Why Save Leftover Bread Ties?

Granting a second life to anything that would otherwise end up in a landfill is a very good thing—plus there are certain things a Southerner knows better than to throw away. While a decluttered home tends to be a more organized home, it’s hard to argue that a handful of bread ties will take up a huge amount of space. You can easily make room in your overflowing junk drawer for a few bread ties, especially when you see how handy they are to keep around.

Practical Uses for Leftover Bread Ties 

The practicality of bread ties doesn’t end when there’s no more bread to keep fresh. Here are a few reasons you’ll want to hold on to a few of both the plastic and the twisty ones.

Labeling Power Cords

Even in the digital age, there’s likely a whole mess of cords attaching larger appliances like computers, televisions, cable boxes, and routers to a powerstrip in your home. Rather than taking time to trace each cord back to the unit, write the name of the item the cord belongs to on a plastic bread tag and attach it to the cord close to the plug.

Detangling Charger Cords 

The more battery-powered devices in your house, the more charging cords there are snaking their way through your junk drawer and storage bins. To neaten the group, coil them up and twist a bread tie around them. 

Wrangle Up Hair Bands 

When they’re not holding up a ponytail, hair bands seem to gravitate toward wrists, doorknobs, and pockets—that is, if they don’t somehow completely disappear. Use a twist tie from a bread loaf to corral a few together to stow in a bag or a drawer instead.

Label Keys

You’ll have a better chance at remembering what that random key opens if you write the lock on a bread tie and attach it to the corresponding key.

Use as a Tiny Scraper

A plastic bread tag can save your manicure. Instead of using your fingernails to remove price tags or scrape residue off surfaces, use the edge of a plastic tag instead.

Replace a Broken Zipper Pull

Did you break or lose a zipper pull on your favorite coat or bag? Insert a bread twist through the zipper and you’re back in business. Granted, it’s not the most fashionable accent for your bag or outerwear, but it’ll do in a pinch until you can replace the pull.

Upcycle a Set of Wine Charms

Mark each plastic tag with the initials of your guests and slip one around the stem of a wine glass at your next gathering.

Creative Uses for Leftover Bread Ties

Artists and crafters have a knack for finding jewels among junk. Both plastic bread tags and twist ties can easily become tools or material for countless projects. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Use twist ties to secure faux flowers and foliage to wire wreath forms.
• Replace missing game tokens.
• Arrange the cords of decorative lights.
• Attach to the back of a poster or tapestry and run string through for easy hanging.
• Mix nail polish to create a signature hue for your at-home mani.