Celebrate Safety Pin Day Every April 10

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Ok, it’s time for a silly celebration, and Safety Pin Day fits the bill perfectly.

This is the anniversary of the date when Walter Hunt patented the safety pin in 1849.

But it wasn’t silly to him then. It was quite serious.

He owed a friend $15 (a lot of money back then).

And he was quite a prolific inventor. His creations include a fire engine gong, machine for spinning flax and a knife sharpener.

So he logically decided to repay his debt by inventing something new.

(This may not be as logical as it sounds at first … He actually wasn’t too good at making money from his inventions.)

At any rate, he was playing with some brass wire and created a coil in the middle and added a shield to one end. The open end was pointed. Voila! A safety pin.

After patenting it he sold the rights to W.R. Grace and Company for $400. After paying back his debt he had the handsome sum (remember, it was 1849) of $385 left over.

At the time he probably thought he got quite a good deal. But this simple little invention ended up being worth millions, so what he actually got was a raw deal.

The simple safety pin has all kinds of uses. And, as its name suggests, it’s much safer than other pins. The clasp/cover on one end helps keep the pin secure in whatever you’re trying to hold together. And even better, it protects you from getting stabbed with it. Especially if you’re wearing the thing you’re pinning!

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficially safe holiday.

 

How to Celebrate Safety Pin Day

How, indeed?

Obviously you’re not going to go around safety-pinning everything in sight. At least we don’t think you’ll be doing that.

But you can still have fun with this day.

Try to think of new and creative ways to use the safety pin.

For instance, did you know safety pins can help thwart the sock-eating monster living in your washing machine? You know, the one that eats just one of every pair of socks. Yep, just pin the pair together with a safety pin and he can’t eat just one. And since we all know he never eats a whole pair, your socks will now be safe.

If you have kids, get them in on this game. Kids’ minds can come up with all sorts of unique uses for just about anything.

Safety pins make great crafting supplies, too.

You can make beaded safety pin jewelry. Find basic instructions here.

Other fun safety pin crafts include:

• Bead-and-pin baskets
• 7” Safety Pin Beaded Christmas Tree
• “Sequined” Pillows: The “sequins” are actually colored safety pins. This craft is about 1/2-way down the page
• A safety pin banner
• No-Sew Safety Pin Purse (Video)

 

The book Safety Pin Jewelry offers 18 projects you can make.

 

You can buy kits for safety pin crafts, too:

• Birthstone Angel Bead Kits
• Christmas Tree Kits: Make green, red, crystal or blue Christmas trees.
• Safety Pin Bracelets

 

And you can even learn a bit more about the history of early safety pins (before Hunt) and how they’re used today at The Museum of Everyday Life.

 

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