Bad hair day? A pencil works as an emergency hairstyling tool.

Betty worked in an office and knew how to make the most of office supplies when something went wrong midday. Here are a few tips she shared with me when I started my first internship.

• Run in your stockings or tights? Cover it with Scotch tape to prevent a massive hole.
• Blister from your new shoes? Packing tape will save the day.
• Lost a button on your blouse or is your top gaping? Fold packing tape into a loop and use it to stick your shirt closed.
• Has your hem come undone? Use the same packing tape trick.
• Bra strap snapped? Attach the elastic strap end to the cup with a paperclip. Earrings can also hold clothing together in a pinch.
• Shoe leather scuffed or torn? A Sharpie will hold you over until you can get to the repair shop.

And, of course, I have a few of my own.

• Spinach stuck in your teeth? Fold a piece of paper and use the corner as floss.
• Bra strap showing at the shoulder? Betty would say that you have no business wearing something to revealing, but I say use a paperclip (or two) to connect the straps in the back, racerback style.
• Need blotting papers? Starbucks napkins work very well in a pinch. (Ok, technically not an office supply, but who doesn’t have a couple of napkins stashed in a drawer?)
• Pregnant and need a little extra room at your waist? Loop a rubber band through the button hole, then secure with the button. (This technique bought me an extra six weeks of “regular” pants.)
• Wearing the world’s most lint-covered pants? Packing tape, FedEx or USPS labels work better than Scotch tape for lint and pet hair removal.
• Missing an earring back? Cut the eraser off a pencil; the post slides right in.

Have any tips of your own? Please share in the comments.

Tags: creativity, office supplies, wardrobe malfunction

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