collecting: clothespins

Plastic? check  Colorful? check  Utilitarian? check

These three qualities seem to attract me to certain items, and my clothespin collection certainly fits the requirements.  I'm not really sure how this collection began.  I suppose it was a few stragglers left in a clothespin bag that I picked up at an estate sale, or a bag of them stuffed into the bottom of an auction box.  From then on, I obviously could not resist their cheerful simplicity, and I now have a full-fledged collection.
I use wooden ones for actually hanging laundry on the line, and I may use a few of these sweeties from time to time to display items or clip a bag of chips, but mostly I just like to line them up and admire them.

Our last laundry room provided lots of space for clever displays,

photo: jane dagmi

but, I had been struggling with a great spot to display them in our current home.

I finally landed upon the idea to move them out of the laundry room, and onto a narrow ledge leading to the basement (and the laundry room).  I picked up some tiny galvanized planters (3 for .99 at IKEA!)and popped my collection into these.

Lined up on the ledge they provide a punch of color in a neutral stairwell.

I have my favorites, of course.  Head and shoulders above the rest are these figural clothespins.

They are just so wonderfully detailed.

My only metal clothespins are "Hollywood pin-ups" in great, bright metallic shades and a curvy shape.

Designed to hang over a line, then clip onto the garment, these tiny "handi-pins" were probably for lingerie, and are cute as a button.