When you imagine the purpose of nail polish, your mind probably begins to wander to all the cute colors you have stored away, how badly you need a manicure — but stay with us. Nail polish actually has many more uses than the one it’s traditionally known for: making your fingers look fabulous. If you’re not a polish person, don’t swear off the stuff! First, check out these six clever ways you can use nail polish around the house.

Trust us, these crafty uses will take you by surprise.

1. Waterproof Matches

If you’re planning a camping trip any time soon, this is a survival essential. Not nail polish (for most of us, at least), but these polish-dipped matches. Dipping matches into nail polish waterproofs them, and all it takes is dipping them in and letting them dry! So simple.

2. Reuse Envelope

Have you ever tried to send someone a birthday card but realized just after you sealed up the envelope that you forgot to put the gift card or money inside? This happens to me CONSTANTLY. Don’t worry, there’s no need to waste the envelope!

 

You can open it back up, stick your goodies inside, and seal the envelope with nail polish! Polish works just like glue in this instance, so you never have to send a crinkled envelope again.

3. Fire Starter

Nail polish is  shockingly good fire starter, perfect for those stubborn campfires or any survival situation. All you have to do is pour nail polish on your wooden logs, or even on a rock, and then light it with a normal match. Trust us, it will light right up!

 

And all this time, you’ve been struggling to get a fire started on a windy day. Never again.

4. Thread Easier

Have you ever been trying to sew something, but you’re struggling to get the torn thread through the eye of your needle? Keep your thread thin and together by coating the tip of the thread in nail polish. It will thread right through and stay together as you sew.

 

This will make fixing those little holes in your clothes such an easier task!

5. Stop Shoelaces From Fraying

If you have shoelaces that are always fraying or tearing, nail polish will help keep everything together. Essentially, it works the same way as the hack above does; it keeps the fabric together and prevents it from tearing.

 

First, cut off the frayed lace. You want to only be left with the tip of the lace. Then all you have to do is coat the tip of the lace in nail polish to keep it from fraying.

6. Identify Keys

Constantly mixing up your keys? It’s hard when they look exactly the same. To avoid making a whole new set of keys, paint a stripe of colored nail polish across one key; this way, you’ll always know which is which.

 

Do you use nail polish in any clever ways? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.