Toothpicks have been around for quite a long time. In fact, it is not a stretch to say that they may have been around longer than our species. When scientists unearthed the skulls of the Neanderthals, the predecessors of the homo sapiens, there were signs of the  teeth having been picked clean by a tool. Metal toothpicks have also been found buried in graves in the East Alps and Italy. What’s more, during the 17th century, toothpicks became luxury objects, just like jewelry. Artistically styled, they were often made from precious metals.

However, if you think that toothpicks are useful for nothing more than just picking out scraps of food lodged in your teeth, you’re wrong. What you think is an unassuming little piece of oral equipment is actually quite versatile. Consider the following options.

1. Create a hedgehog or porcupine figurine using toothpicks. Just get a glob of clay, shape them into little hedgehog animals and then stick the toothpicks on their backs to make their numerous quills. Allow the clay to dry under the sun (or bake it in an oven) and you can have your very own hedgehog figurine.

2. Used as an engineering/architectural project. Engineering schools use toothpick bridges in order to teach engineering students about structural strength, capacity, resilience, and creativity. Essentially, the students try to create bridge replicas using toothpicks that can span a body of water, support various loads, or withstand stress tests. These projects are often given as practical exams or even contests that hopes to give the students a hands-on approach to their lessons. (Learn how to make a diorama)

3. Used as material for a sculpture. Steven Backman has been creating toothpick sculpture for thirty years now. His works are purely beautiful and awe-inspiring, ranging from bridge replicas to buildings, and even a remote-controlled, poolworthy yacht! You can check out his works at this site.

4. As a poking tool for areas you normally can’t reach. There are places that aren’t normally reachable unless you have something long and thin to poke them with. For example, the dirty places under your fingernails, or maybe those really small reset buttons in certain electronic gadgets. Also, have you ever tried cleaning the insides of your telephone receiver holes? It’s kinda hard unless you open them. Or, you can just get a cloth, wrap it around a toothpick, and then you’re done!

5. Use as legs to microwave soft foods faster. If you’re microwaving, say, a potato and you want to evenly cook it, just stick four toothpick “legs” on one side so it’ll be suspended a few centimeters above the microwave plate. You can use this on other foods as long as they’re soft enough to poke a toothpick in. (Tips on how to bake a potato in the microwave)

6. As an accessory for doll houses. Toothpicks are perfect accessories for doll houses for one reason: you can easily trim and cut them into any small, straight accessories. With toothpicks, you can easily create small picture frames, lamp posts, or even miniature curtain rods for your little doll’s house.

7. Used to dab glue on things. If you need to accurately glue small things together, say sequins or buttons, then just use the toothpick to apply the glue. The size and thinness of the toothpick means that you won’t waste glue, and you won’t make a mess as well.

8. Use them as identifying markers. There are commercial toothpicks out there that are of different colors, or have different colored attachments on them. They are especially useful if you want to mark certain foods according to a category, like for example, steaks. One color can be used for rares, one for medium, and another for well-done steaks. You can also use a colored toothpick to mark the beginning of a tape roll, especially those transparent ones.

9. Apply paint on tiny areas. If you’re an artist, then you must have experienced the frustration of trying to paint those small areas of your painting, especially if you’re working on a small canvas. Even though there are different brush sizes available, there aren’t any small enough to paint, say, a thin outline that is a centimeter long or so. Good thing that you can use a toothpick to outline these.

10. Use as a temporary fix for loose hinge screws. If you’ve got a stripped hole, it’s very hard to keep the screw in place when you’re trying to reattach a hinge. Using toothpicks and some glue, just fill the hole with them, breaking each one off as you go, until the hole is tightly filled. Re-drill the hole and you should be good to go.

As you can see, even the lowly and simple toothpick can have its many uses.

If you found this article interesting, the following resources may also interest you:

• How to make a toothpick Christmas tree
• How to make Miniature Toothpick Weapons
• How to make toothpick fireworks