14 Different Ways to Use Silicone
Silicone is a well-known material for gluing and sealing things, but you can use it in many more unconventional ways. For example, suppose you’re about to go on a date and can’t find the backs of your favorite earrings. Skip the drama and solve the problem in a few minutes with a bit of silicone.
5-Minute Crafts shows you this and 13 other tricks to help you make the most of silicone.
1. Adjust a ring
If you want to adjust a ring to your finger, you can do it with the help of a little silicone. The thickness that the silicone will add to your ring’s inner curvature will allow it to be tailored to your finger. Just place hot silicone all over the inside of the ring and let it cool.
2. Make a razorblade cover
If you’re going on a trip, you don’t need to worry about your razor protector coming off and ruining your belongings. There’s a way to keep it secured. Cover the razor blade with a layer of silicone; once it’s dry, you can pack it. To use it, just peel off the silicone coat.
3. Replace the backs of your earrings
If you lose the back of an earring, you can easily make a new one. Take a cold silicone bar, cut it to a thickness of 3 millimeters, and pierce it using the earring bar. Voilá, you just handcrafted a back for your earring.
4. Handcraft decorative buttons
You can create colorful and unique buttons with a bit of silicone and glitter. Place some glitter on a surface, enough to cover the button you want to make. Then, pour hot silicone over the glitter giving it the shape of a button. Using a needle, open the buttonholes and sew the piece over the garment.
5. Clean your makeup brushes
You can make your own silicone pad to clean your brushes. Draw irregular shapes — such as lines, dots, or curves — on an acrylic board or plastic plate and let it dry. To use it, pour soap on the silicone lines and rub the hairs against them. This will make the makeup come off.
6. Cover your toothbrush
You can make a practical cover for your toothbrush to carry it in your bag. Wrap the top of the brush in kraft paper and secure it with tape. Then, cover it with hot silicone and let it dry.
7. Mark what you’re measuring
When measuring and marking certain areas, the measuring tape can move, giving us an incorrect value. With this trick, you’ll be able to take precise measurements. Grab a pencil and fasten it with a paper clip. Pour hot silicone on the back of the measuring tape case and glue the clip to it.
8. Hang your curtains
Clips for hanging shower curtains are often uncomfortable to hang and can damage the curtains. Magnetic clips are an excellent option to avoid this. Place a magnet on each end of a squared piece of paper, then cover the magnets with silicone and draw a diagonal line. Let it cool and remove the paper.
9. Close your bags
Clips for closing bags are very useful in the kitchen. They can help you preserve food for longer. To make them, add silicone to the center of 2 wooden popsicle sticks, stick the clip to them, and let dry. It will now be ready to secure your food bags.
10. Cover your knives
Knife covers can be handy and keep your kitchen safe, especially in homes with children. You can make one yourself. Smear both sides of a knife’s blade with petroleum jelly and pour silicone onto one side. Once it cools, repeat the process on the other side, making sure you cover the edge well.
11. Make non-slip hangers
Hanging up clothes and having them fall off can be annoying. You can avoid this with a simple trick: texturing the hangers. Place a silicone dot every 1 centimeter until the entire outside of the hanger is covered and let it dry.
12. Create interesting placemats
You can make eye-catching placemats for your dishes using very few materials. Turn a plate upside down and mark its circumference on a piece of paper. Use silicone to fill the circle with straight and diagonal lines. Let dry and spray paint. Peel off the paper, and you’re ready to go.
13. Secure your cutting board
A sliding kitchen board can be a hazard when cutting food. There’s a quick way to fix it. Trace 3 separate lines of silicone on the back of the cutting board. Draw the lines where you want to fix it. Let it dry. Problem solved!
14. Fix your shoes
If you have shoes with slippery soles, you can put an end to that with this simple trick. Draw waves with silicone on the soles of your shoes, some lines on the heel, and others at the top. Let them dry.