These fantastic elastic cords are useful for more than just tying down tarps. Here are 19 other ideas to wrap your brain around.
19 Bungee Cord Hacks to Get Hooked On
![](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/FH16SEP_571_08_017.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Hold Buckets While Hauling
I use a lot of 5-gallon pails to store tools and other construction gear in my pickup. But I was frustrated because they were always sliding around and tipping, and I couldn’t always reach them without climbing up into the bed. My solution: Secure them in the pickup bed with long bungee cords. Now they stay put! — Tim Horky. Plus: Check out these really cool trailer upgrades you can DIY.
![Custom Cord Wraps](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fh12jun_529_08_007.jpg)
Custom Cord Wraps
![FH03JUN_03004_022 no-tip garbage cans with bungee cords](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/FH03JUN_03004_022.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
No-tip garbage cans
There really is a simple way to keep those garbage cans from getting blown or knocked over. For each garbage can, all you need are two 3/4-in. screw eyes and a 30-in. hook-end elastic cord from the hardware store.
![bungee cord paper towel storage handy hint](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/P1004470.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Store Paper Towels Between Studs
There are plenty of creative uses for bungee cords, and in my home, we were in desperate need for some extra kitchen storage space. We don’t have a pantry off of the kitchen and wanted an out-of-the-way storage solution to hold our extra paper towels.
We created this bungee cord napkin storage solution in our garage with four eye hooks, two long bungee cords and a wall with open studs. All you have to do is attach two eye hooks to the base of the wall and attach the other two hooks parallel and at the height of your choice. Now just stretch the long bungee cords to fit into the corresponding hooks, and they’ll hold a large stash of paper towel rolls out of the way yet within easy reach. — Mike Davenport
![2-in-1 Tarp Storage](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fh12apr_527_08_006.jpg)
2-in-1 Tarp Storage
![Brilliant Way to Store Bungees](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fh11oct_522_08_010.jpg)
Brilliant Way to Store Bungees
![Build a Ball Tower](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FH16JUN_HOMHAK_01.jpg)
Build a Ball Tower
![Handy Towel Holder](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fh11oct_522_08_002.jpg)
Handy Towel Holder
![bungee cord to hold trash can liner](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/HH-bungee-trash-bag.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Tie Down Trash Bags
I am not a fan of bungee cords because they usually don’t hold well. Evidence of this is the number of cords that I’ve picked up along the highway during my runs. But I found a use for them as a means of holding trash can liners in place on my large workshop trash can. — Ed Hunkele
Simply overhang the trash bag along the top of the trash can and secure the bungee cord on top of the bag. You can hook two long bungee cords together, if one isn’t long enough to go around the top of your trash can.
![Painting Gear Organizer](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fh10nov_513_08_032.jpg)
Painting Gear Organizer
![Elastic Tool Holder](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fh08oct_492_08_010.jpg)
Elastic Tool Holder
![Safe Cord Storage](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/hf07sep_481_08_r01_hsp.jpg)
Safe Cord Storage
![No-Spill Grocery Bags](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fh13jau_540_08_008.jpg)
No-Spill Grocery Bags
![Under-Shelf Paper Towel Holder](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fh13mar_536_08_013.jpg)
Under-Shelf Paper Towel Holder
![HH dry latex gloves](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/HANDY_HINTS_060418_027.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Hang Gloves to Dry
It’s easy to rinse off grimy latex gloves and hang them over the bathtub to dry after a cleaning job, but I found the insides of the gloves would often stay damp and smell funky the next time I used them. Turning them inside out is a chore and can tear the glove, so I came up with this simple solution to let both the inside and outside dry at the same time. Place a binder clip on the neck of both of the gloves and loop a rubber band or a bungee cord through the clips. Next, use a pushpin in the wall to hang it up. Works great, and your latex cleaning gloves will be set to go for your next job! — Chris Register
Admit it—your house could be cleaner. That’s where we come in. Check out these 39 tips and hints to get your house clean and keep it that way.
![circus train featured bungee cord](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/0a-stackedDSC_1200.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Make a Circus Train for Stuffed Animals
In 1880, a German company named Steiff became the first commercial company to create a stuffed toy—and kids have been cuddling them and collecting them ever since. If the kids in your life are like most, they have a lot of toys to cuddle—and stow. These circus trains are storage boxes in disguise. They can be used in two modes: Hooked together for play and stacked atop one another for storage. The bungee cord bars stretch to make it easy to slide toys in and out when playing or when the cars are stacked. It’s a great project to do hand-in-hand with kids.
![Bungee Cord Organizer](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fh05jau_460_55_056.jpg)
Bungee Cord Organizer
![Vinyl Siding Helper](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/fh17apr_577_08_r05.jpg)
Vinyl Siding Helper
![the perfect bungee-cord](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/91fGe9FajSL._SL1500_.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
A Better Bungee Cord
When you have to tie something down — to the roof of the car, to a wall of the garage — you sometimes need a bungee cord without a rough metal hook at either end. Avoid the scraping and gouging with fasteners from the Perfect Bungee, which has an impressive array of cords with tough, gentle hooks and loops of molded nylon and polyurethane. Check out these 45 hugely helpful handy hints.