Once upon a time I wrote about the many uses of binder clips. My dad thought it was just about the dumbest thing ever, but it turned out that his opinion was the minority; it was one of the sleeper hits of that year. When you consider how thrilling it is to learn that an item you already have lying around your home has so many more applications than you previously realized, it’s really no wonder.

In the spirit of repurposing, today we’re shining a light on the various wonders of tension rods. Buckle up.

1. This concept went wild a couple of years ago, and for good reason; using a tension rod to suspend bottles of cleaning products under the sink is very smart, indeed.

2. Martha showcases two distinct uses for the tension rod below, but we’ll leave the second to number 3, and talk only of the tension rod as a tool to clip up and display pictures.

3. Tension rods, turns out, can also be used vertically, so as to create shelf dividers for things like trays, muffin tins, or mailing envelopes (back up above).

4. Tension rods are fabulously at home within a drawer–just look at how well they marry spools of ribbon with order.

5. Truthfully, tension rods have endless uses In the craft room.

Whether used for ribbons or rolls of paper, and whether you need one or seven, a tension rod can be the difference between mayhem and organization.

6. Got a funky shower head situation that won’t play nicely with a standard shower caddy? A big-daddy tension rod may be the answer to your well-lathered dreams.

7. Wondering whether the tension rod has application in the closet? Well, um, it does, as evidenced below.

8. The next image offers two possible ways to use a tension rod in the closet: 1. As a way to hang handbags, and 2. as a way to create a shelf/organize and suspend shoes.

9. Back in the kitchen, a tension rod helps to keep lids in check.

10. And to close, a double whammy of a repurposing adventure. Tension rod + repurposed soup ladles = plant hangers.

The end.

Image credits: 1. Apartment Therapy, 2. Martha Stewart, 3. One Kings Lane via Refinery 29, 4. Eleven Gables, 5. Midwest Living, BHG, 6. Cosmopolitan, 7. unknown, 8. Style Wire, 9. Life Hacker, 10. unknown