The Clothespin Hack That Will Save Your Fingers From A Hammer

Hanging family photos, mimicking the latest TikTok DIY project in your workshop, or fixing loose floorboards all seem like simple enough endeavors until you hammer your fingers instead of a nail you're holding. If you're lucky, the painful accident will only cause your fingers to swell. But if you hit your fingers really hard, the impact might even tear your skin, fracture your bones, hurt your tendons, damage your fingernails, or lead to subungual hematoma (aka blood pooling under fingernails), mandating a visit to the hospital. However, you can save your fingers from this world of pain by employing a clever clothespin hack.

Using a clothespin to hold a nail in place as you hammer is the secret to avoiding hitting your fingers. This way, your fingers will be a comfortable distance away from the line of fire and won't get caught in between your hammer and a hard surface. So, grab your nails, a clothespin, and a hammer to get started. In case you don't have clothespins at home, you can get a pack of 50 wooden clothespins from Whitmor for under $5 from Amazon.

It's pretty simple: Once you've gathered the supplies, squeeze the two prongs at the top of a clothespin to create an opening for the nail. Now, pick the nail you need for your project, slot it in the opening, and release the prongs to click it into place. Ensure just the tip of the nail pokes out on the side that will go inside. This is important since you want a considerable length left on the other side to meet the hammer's swings.

After you have the nail situated, put the clothespin against the wall, and swing the hammer as you normally would. While you can use both wooden and plastic clothespins for this hack, it's best to choose one with finger grooves on the handle. This small detail will help you maintain a firm grip on the clothespin so it doesn't slip through your fingers upon the hammer's impact.