From In the Kitchen and Dining Room
Safely pick up glass shardsWhy risk cutting yourself picking up bits of broken glass from the kitchen floor? Just hold a long piece of transparent tape tightly at each end and use it to blot up all the shards.
Create a no-fly zoneMake your own fly and pest strips that are free of polluting toxic chemicals and poisons. Cover empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls with transparent tape, sticky side out, and hang them in the kitchen or wherever else you need them.
Mark start of plastic-wrap rollIf you've ever had trouble finding the beginning of a roll of plastic food wrap, you'll appreciate this time-saving trick: Put a piece of transparent tape on your finger, sticky side out, and dab your finger on the roll until you find the edge. Use a short piece of tape to lift the edge and pull gently.
Prevent salt and pepper spillsMany salt and pepper shakers, especially ceramic ones, have to be filled through a hole in the bottom. Before you refill one of these shakers, tape over the holes on top. That way you won't have any wasteful spills when you turn the shaker upside down to fill it. Also, remember to tape the tops when moving to a new home, or even when you're just transporting the shakers to and from a picnic.
Keep hands free at groceryNext time you go food shopping, bring some tape with you and use it to affix your shopping list to the handle of your grocery cart. This will free both your hands and you won't keep misplacing or dropping your list.
Make candles fit snuglyDon't let loose candles spoil the romantic mood or cause a fire at your next candlelight dinner. If the candles don't fit snugly into the holder, wrap layers of tape around their bottom edges until they fit just right.
Around the House
Keep spare batteries handyYou won't be behind the times for long if you remember to tape extra batteries to the back of your wall clock! When the clock stops and it's time to replace the batteries, they'll be readily at hand.
Code your keysAre you always groping around to find the right key when you get home in the dark? Just wrap some tape around the top of your house key, and you'll be able to feel for the right key when it is too dark to see. Or if you have several similar-looking keys that you can't tell apart, color-code them with different-colored tape.
Prevent jewelry tanglesTo keep fine chains from tangling when you travel, cover both sides of each chain with transparent tape. You can also use tape to keep a pair of earrings from separating.
Mark a phone number for quick referenceUse transparent tape to highlight numbers in the phone book that you often look up. The tape will make the page easier to find and you will also be able to find the number easily without having to search the whole page.
Contain grease stains on paperYou may never be able to get rid of grease spots on books or important papers, but you can keep them from spreading with a little help from some transparent tape. Affix tape over both sides of the spot to keep the grease from seeping through to other pages or papers.
Keep papers from blowing in the windIf you have to make a speech or accept an award at an outdoor event, bring a roll of transparent tape with you. When it's your turn to talk, place some tape on the lectern, sticky side out, to prevent your papers from blowing away.
Find your favorite photo negativeBefore framing a favorite photograph, tape the negative to the back of the picture. If you ever want to make copies of the photo, you won't have to go searching through piles of old negatives to find the right one.
Deter cat from scratchingStop naughty cats and kittens from scratching your fine furniture! Sprinkle ground red pepper on a strip of tape and attach it to the areas you don't want them to scratch. They hate the smell, and they'll quickly get the message.
Keep flowers upright in vaseTo keep cut flowers from sagging in their vase, crisscross several pieces of transparent tape across the mouth of the vase, leaving spaces where you can insert the flowers. The flowers will look perky and fresh for a few extra days.
Make sewing easierLet transparent tape simplify your sewing: Use it to hold a zipper in place when you're making a garment. (You can sew through the tape and remove it when you're done.) Keep badges, patches, or name tags in place when sewing them onto shirts, uniforms, or caps. Tape hooks, eyes, and snaps to garments when sewing so they won't slip. Just pull the tape off when you're done. Tape a pattern to the material; when you cut the pattern, you'll have a reinforced edge.
End loose ends on thread spoolsPut an end to time-wasting frustrating searches for loose ends of thread. Just tape the ends to the top or bottom of the spool when you're done sewing and they'll be at your fingertips and ready to use next time you sew.
Remove lipstick from silkWhy pay an expensive dry-cleaning bill to remove a lipstick spot from a silk scarf or dress when you can do it yourself for free? Just place a piece of transparent tape (or masking tape) over the spot and yank it off. If you can still see some of the lipstick color, sprinkle on some talcum powder or chalk and dab until the powder and the remaining lipstick disappear.
Clean your nail fileClean a nail file easily and effectively. Simply place a piece of transparent tape over it, press, and pull off. The tape will pick up all the dirt embedded in the surface of the file.
For the Do-It-Yourselfer
Keep picture nails from damaging wallBefore driving a nail into the wall, put a piece of tape on the wall at the site. This will prevent the paint from peeling off if you have to remove the nail, and it will prevent wallboards from cracking too.
Keep screws handyWhen doing household repairs, place loose screws, nuts, and bolts directly on a piece of transparent tape so they won't roll around and get lost. Stick some double-sided tape on your workbench and use it to hold screws and such in place while you're working on a project.
Mend a broken plant stemUse transparent tape to add support to a broken plant stem. Just wrap the stem in tape at the damaged area and leave the tape on until it mends. The taped plant will keep growing as long as moisture can continue to travel up the stem.
Make a seed stripMake your own seed strip to create perfectly straight rows in your garden with almost no effort. Sprinkle some seeds on a piece of wax paper and use your fingers to arrange and align them. After removing the excess, take a strip of transparent tape and place it over the seeds. Then just bury the tape in the garden and you will soon have perfect rows.
Catch cricket invadersIf noisy crickets have invaded your basement or garage, try trapping them with packaging tape. Take a strip of the tape and place on the floor, sticky side up. Later, just release your catch into the wild or feed them to a cricket-eating pet.
For Safety's Sake
Make safety markers for a car emergencyYou'll be a lot safer when your car breaks down at night if you have safety markers on hand to warn oncoming drivers. You can make your own safety markers easily at home. Just put strips of brightly colored reflector tape on some old coffee cans. Keep them in the trunk of your car for use in an emergency.
Mark dark stairwaysStop stumbling on those poorly lit cellar or outdoor stairways or worrying about guests tripping and falling. Simply apply reflector tape along the edges of the steps and you and your guests will be able to see exactly where you're stepping.
Make pets visible at nightDon't let your beloved family pet get hit by a car during the night. Put reflector tape on Rover's collar so drivers will be able to see him immediately in the dark.
For the Kids
Secure baby's bibStop bits of food from getting under a child's bib by taping the edges of the bib to her clothes.
Makeshift childproofingIf you bring a baby or small child with you when visiting a home that isn't childproofed, bring a roll of transparent tape along too. Use it to cover electrical outlets as a temporary safety measure. Although it will not confer a lot of protection, it could give you the extra time you need to remove a child from a potentially hazardous situation.
Make multicolored designsTape a few different-colored markers or pencils together and give them to the kids to draw multicolored designs. Be careful not to use too many, so the children can maintain control of the drawings.