It might seem strange to the metric users out there, but 12 inches equals a foot. In metric terms, 12 inches is the same as 0.3048 meters, which might seem random. However, there are plenty of examples of everyday things that measure a foot long or close to it.
Here are a few examples of common objects measuring around 12 inches:
- Zip ties
- Footlong hotdog
- Placemat
- 4 baseballs
- Half a stride
- 2 US dollar bills
- Wine rack
- Medium pizza
- Vinyl record
- Dinner plate
1. Zip Ties
Zip ties go by many names, with cable ties and tie wraps being the most common. They are specialized fastening devices that tighten in one direction. Zip ties are used in numerous settings, from keeping computer cables organized to even temporarily fixing broken items.
You can find zip ties in many sizes, but the most common is precisely 12 inches long. If someone you know is huge in the DIY scene, there’s a really good chance they have a bag of foot-long zip ties somewhere.
2. Footlong Hotdog
There’s quiet a lot to unpack when it comes to the lore surrounding hotdogs. For instance, did you know that Homer’s Odyssey included passages of grilled goat sausages? Or did you know that the footlong hotdog was invented sometime in the 1930s in Chicago?
What might surprise you is that the sausage is actually 12 inches long when cooked. This is because the starch granules—a filler ingredient—expand when moisture is introduced. If you’re going to use a footlong hotdog as a measuring tool, please don’t consume the hotdog afterward.
3. Placemat
You might not think you’re a messy eater, but even the most careful person can spill a bit of sauce off their plate. If you have placemats, you don’t have to worry about staining your tablecloth or table runner. Plus, placemats can be a stylish accessory that enhances your home dining experience!
Like a lot of customizable accessories, placemats come in a wide assortment of styles and sizes. Fortunately, for those who want to measure 12 inches, that’s one of the most common placemat widths! It might seem odd to use a placemat as a replacement for a ruler, but nobody’s going to judge you!
4. 4 Baseballs
Many of us dreamed about becoming a professional baseball player in our youths. However, for the majority of the people out there, that dream never became a reality. On a completely random note, baseball may be a dying sport, but the pro players still make a bundle!
For those that have left their aspirations of becoming a beloved MLB player, look for your old baseball in your garage. If it’s still intact, it should measure around 2.8 to 3 inches in diameter. So, 4 of them placed side by side will get you pretty close to 12 inches!
5. Half a Stride
If you know how to place one foot forward, then you should have a pretty easy time figuring out how to approximate 12 inches. The average stride for an adult is 2-1/2 feet. Divide that in half, and you’re all set!
Of course, not everyone has the same stride length. For instance, women have a shorter stride of around 26 inches. This doesn’t include any variations in the person’s height or physical prowess—both of which may affect how far they normally place one foot in front of the other.
6. 2 US Dollar Bills
The US dollar bill has experienced some pretty significant changes over time. Nowadays, we’re left with highly sophisticated sheets of legal tender that come with various anti-counterfeiting features. But regardless of the denomination, a US bill will always measure 6.14 inches in length.
Take a look in your wallet and pull 2 bills out. Place them side by side lengthwise, and they should measure around 12 inches in length. Just make sure the bills are as straight and as flat on the ground as possible to prevent any mistakes.
7. Wine Rack
Whether you’re a hardcore wine enthusiast or a day drinker, a wine rack is an excellent device for keeping your bottles in order. If you’ve been bitten by the DIY bug, you can probably fashion a wine rack out of spare 2×4s, but please, don’t drink and operate power tools simultaneously.
For those that purchased a wine rack, you’re in luck. A common wine rack size is 24 × 12 inches. You can also multiply its height (6 inches) by 2 in your mind’s eye to figure out how tall 1 foot looks.
8. Medium Pizza
You know what they say about pizza: even bad pizza is pretty good. And yes, Hawaiian pizza, which originated in Canada, is a delight. There’s no point in denying that the flavor contrast between the savory meats and the sweet pineapple is disgusting! Stop denying the truth and order yourself some pineapple pizza right now!
And while you’re at it, make sure to choose a medium-size pizza. This size usually measures 12 inches in diameter, but it ultimately depends on where you ordered it. Alternatively, you can order an XL pizza and subtract a few inches from the edge to guesstimate what 12 inches looks like.
9. Vinyl Record
Here’s something only the older generation will know. Well, you could also belong to a younger generation but probably thought it was a frisbee. Anyway, vinyl records are a vintage music format that uses magic (vibration) to play music from a classic vinyl player.
You can find vinyl records with various, but full-album records typically measured 12 inches in diameter. The smaller varieties measure between 7 and 10 inches, and they only contain singles or a handful of songs.
10. Dinner Plate
Something everyone should have at home is a dinner plate. This is assuming that you don’t spend all your hard-earned money on takeout, but even so, you should have at least one plate in your dishwasher. Pull it out and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what 12 inches in diameter looks like.
Traditionally, dinner plates measured just 10 inches wide. Over the years, restaurants have opted for larger plates to serve their guests. The same can’t be said for all-you-can-eat buffets, though, since they use smaller plates and the power of illusion to fill their guests quickly.
