📎 May 29 – Paperclip Day: Celebrating the Unsung Hero of Office Supplies 🧷
Alright, let’s give it up for the most humble of heroes—the one who keeps it all together literally. May 29 is National Paperclip Day, and yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. Today, we salute that twisted little piece of wire that's been quietly holding our chaos together for over a century.
Whether you're a stationery geek, an organizational ninja, or someone who just really appreciates tiny office gadgets that don’t ask for much (but give so much), this day is for you. So grab your clips, bend ‘em, stack ‘em, maybe even wear ‘em—let’s give these wiry wonders the celebration they deserve. 💼✨
Affiliate Disclosure
Just so you know, this post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click through and buy something, I might earn a tiny commission—enough to keep the lights on and maybe snag a celebratory cupcake. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, pinky promise.
📎 Wait, Who Invented the Paperclip?
Funny you should ask! While Johan Vaaler, a Norwegian inventor, is often credited with the OG paperclip design (and has a giant one erected in his honor—because, obviously), it turns out the familiar double-looped “Gem” style we know today was already floating around in Britain in the late 1800s. Vaaler’s version? Functional, but not exactly iconic. It’s like inventing the wheel, but it’s square. 🛞
Still, Norway loves their boy Johan, and they even used the paperclip as a symbol of resistance during World War II. People wore them to silently protest Nazi occupation. Talk about a power move.
🔗 10+ Quirky Ways to Celebrate National Paperclip Day
Make Paperclip Jewelry – Earrings, necklaces, brooches... runway-ready with a touch of office flair. These colorful ones will make a statement! 🔗💁♀️
Build a Paperclip Sculpture – Go abstract or attempt a mini Eiffel Tower. Bonus points for using only recycled paperclips. 🎨
Host a “Clip-Off” Challenge – See who can link the longest chain of paperclips in 60 seconds. Loser buys the coffee. ⛓️☕
DIY Office Zen Garden... but Make it Paperclips – Arrange them like a miniature wire rock garden. Very calming. Very niche. 🧘
Paperclip Trick Shots – Can you flip one into a mug from across the room? TikTok gold right there. 🎯📹
Recreate Iconic Movie Scenes with Paperclip Puppets – “Titanic,” but starring bent wire and index cards. Oscar-worthy. 🎬
Give Your Paperclips Personality – Tiny googly eyes + a glue stick = new best desk friend. 👀
Write a Haiku About Paperclips – Because every minimalist deserves a minimalist poem. ✍️
Clip It Forward – Leave helpful paperclips in random public spots: libraries, coffee shops, stuck vending machines. Office karma is real. 🍀
Organize Something for Once – Use your clips to finally tame that junk drawer or rogue stack of receipts. Order feels so good. Elevate it by organizing the clips themselves with a paperclip organizer because, why not? 📑🧹
Host a Paperclip Fashion Show for Your Pets or Plants – Yes, this is a thing now. No, we’re not sorry. 🐱🌿🧷
🌿 Theme: “Minimalism Meets Whimsy”
Think: sleek lines, silver accents, and dishes that are elegantly simple but secretly delightful.
🍝 Main Dish: Twisty Pasta with Silky Ricotta & Peas
(Because it looks like paperclips. Sort of. Go with it.)
Ingredients:
12 oz fusilli or gemelli pasta (or cavatappi—those look like premium paperclips)
1 cup ricotta cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & cracked pepper
Fresh mint or basil to finish
Instructions:
Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Add peas in the last 2 minutes.
Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water.
In a large bowl, mix ricotta, lemon zest, olive oil, and a splash of pasta water until creamy.
Toss in hot pasta and peas. Season generously.
Top with mint or basil for a bright, springy vibe.
✨ Bonus: Serve in a neat little coil on the plate like a perfectly organized paperclip chain.
🥗 Side: Deconstructed Caprese Stack
(Minimal, structured, and way prettier than it needs to be.)
Layer slices of heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil vertically or staggered like modern art. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and olive oil. Sprinkle with flaky salt like you mean it.
🍸 Drink: Silver Fizz
(Looks sharp, tastes zesty, and yes—you can garnish with a mini paperclip skewer.)
Mocktail:
2 oz lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
Sparkling water
Egg white (optional for foam)
Shake lemon, syrup, and egg white with ice. Strain, top with sparkling water. Serve in a highball with a twist of lemon.
Cocktail Option: Add 1.5 oz gin or vodka.
💫 Vibe Check:
Set the table with crisp white napkins, silver utensils, and a few whimsically bent paperclips as napkin holders or name tags.
Play a lo-fi jazz or instrumental playlist for some stylish background ambiance. You know our Spotify playlist has you covered!
Bonus points: Fold a napkin into a paperclip shape. (Or just tell people you meant to.)
🧷 Idea for Elementary Classrooms (K–5)
📚 “Clip-Together” Stories (ELA)
Students write mini-stories on strips of paper (beginning, middle, end) and paperclip them together. Then, mix and match parts to create silly or surprising new stories!
🧷 Idea for Secondary Classrooms (6–12)
🧭 Resistance & Resilience (History)
Dive deeper into the WWII resistance story. Discuss symbols of protest and invite students to design their own symbol of resistance relevant to current events.
📎 Quirky in the Workplace
The Great Paperclip Hunt
Someone (a very sneaky someone) hides 50 paperclips around the office.
Find them all before someone tries to make a necklace out of them.
Prize: bragging rights and first dibs on leftover donuts in the breakroom.
🎬 Movie Pick: The Martian (2015)
Why it fits: Stranded on Mars with limited supplies, astronaut Mark Watney survives using science, duct tape, and serious MacGyver energy. While he may not literally use a paperclip, the spirit of Paperclip Day—using what you've got to make it work—is written all over this brilliant survival story.
Bonus: “I’m gonna have to science the s*** out of this.” = ultimate paperclip attitude.
📺 TV Episode: MacGyver (Classic series – Season 1, Episode 1: “Pilot”)
Why it fits: If anyone would save the world with a paperclip, it’s MacGyver. In the pilot alone, he diffuses bombs, escapes death traps, and fixes things using paperclips, duct tape, and chewing gum. Literal paperclip ingenuity in action.
Alt pick for emotional paperclips:
📺 The Office – “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” (Season 2, Episode 18)
Toby’s daughter gets excited about paperclips, and Michael accidentally reveals his secret childhood video... It’s heartfelt, hilarious, and full of tiny moments that somehow hold everything together.
📎 Fun (and Totally Useless But Fascinating) Paperclip Facts
The Guinness World Record for longest paperclip chain? Over 50 miles long. Yes, someone actually did that.
The average office worker loses 1,200 paperclips a year. WHERE DO THEY GO?? (The Bermuda Clip-triangle?)
There’s a guy who traded one red paperclip all the way up to a house. Look up Kyle MacDonald if you want to feel very unproductive.
📌 Hashtags for Your Paperclip Party
#NationalPaperclipDay #OfficeSupplyLove #StayClippy #BendItLikePaperclip #PaperclipPower #MinimalistMagic #ClipItGood #QuirkyHolidays #CelebrateQuirky
