Safety pins are most certainly made of metal and they are also plated with a second type of metal to keep them rustproof and most of all, nice to look at. Both large safety pins and black safety pins have metals in them.
Black safety pins may look like they’re made of plastic, but they’re not – they have simply been coated either with a type of thin polymer or plastic, or what is called a primer. A primer basically just paints that’s sprayed onto safety pins to make the safety pins look more attractive. They don’t make the safety pints any more effective, as the paint has nothing do with the safety pin’s mechanism.
There are several kinds of safety pins based on their plating. There are stainless steel safety pins, nickel-plated safety pins, chrome-plated safety pints, etc. The most durable would have to be the ones made of stainless steel, though the ones made of brass and plated with chrome tend to look nicer. If you need safety pins that can withstand a lot of moisture, go for nickel-plated ones or stainless steel safety pins that have been plated with chrome.
Doing more with safety pins
Ever wondered what else you can do with large safety pins and black safety pins? We got you covered. We have some great and novel ways that you can use the humble safety pin for stuff that you never imagined they can be used for.
- Hanging decoration – Not all of the things that we want to hang on our walls can be hung naturally, so our safety pins are on the way to help. With the help of some quality crafting glue, you can use safety pins as instant hooks to hang picture frames, plates, DIY decorations, or even toys on walls.
Large safety pins can easily be used to hang heavier items – what you need to ensure is that the adhesive can handle the weight. As long as the adhesive can keep the large safety pins on the items, you’re going to be alright. You can attach the safety pins to the topmost part of the decoration or at the back, whichever works.
- Fix upholstery issues – Who knew that you can actually use safety pins to upholster furniture? While we do not recommend this for big furniture (like a couch), you can definitely use it for simpler items like headboards and tables. The great thing about his life hack is you can also use simpler fabrics to reupholster things quickly.
For example, you can use fabrics like shower curtains for a quick spring up of bedside tables and the like. And who is to say that your reupholstering project is incomplete when they can’t see the fasteners, anyway?
- First aid kit – Fasteners have long been part of established first aid kits. No matter how small a kit is, as long as there is a probability of needing bandages or gauze, then there’s going to be plenty of uses for safety pins. Not only that – there are also lots of survival uses for safety pins – you just have to be creative when you are in a survival situation.
- Keep furniture covers on – Covering furniture is a hoot – until someone sits and everything is messed up. If you dislike constantly fixing covers or picking them up from the floor, you definitely need to do this. Affix large safety pins onto the corners of the covers and just tuck away the attachment points. Tuck them away from the sign and you wouldn’t have to worry about people accidentally sliding away from those covers.
- Keep curtains closed – That feeling of wanting complete darkness if your room is often not met when there’s a sliver of bright light creeping into your room. Yes, there’s a gap between the curtains and yes, you can do something about it – with the help of safety pins. Just put a few of them at the center (preferably starting from the top, going to the center) and you are good to go. A fabric overlap will already prevent light from entering.
- Fix hoodies – This is an all too common story. Hoodie and sweater drawstrings often get pulled out too much, causing the string to sag to one side. Unless you are an expert in fixing such issues, you may not be able to bring one side of the string back to its original position. The solution?
Hook the string from the outside and push it toward the opposite direction using a safety pin. The safety pin may not be the easiest or smoothest way to do it, but you can be certain that it can glide the string inside the loop to where it should be. Try this for all kinds of clothes, including your beach shorts and gym shorts.
- Cake decoration – This is one is awesome for people who struggle with decorating cakes. Instead of just writing the name of your family member or friend directly using the icing piping, use a safety pin to create a draft of the message on top of the cake.
This will ensure that every word or letter gets enough space and you can balance everything out for a prettier and more memorable cake. If you feel that the message is still somehow asymmetrical, then use a butter knife to smoothen the surface so you can try again.
- Rejuvenate old clothes – Safety pins simply look rad when used as decorations on clothing, so it’s no small wonder that they can be used to upcycle old clothes. Be creative as even small rips can be rendered more artistic with the right combination of safety pins. Old clothes can also be made more attractive if you put safety pins at strategic intervals throughout the fabric. Who knows? You might discover your artistic side by just playing around with old shirts and some safety pins.
