Making Faux Hinges

[allee's]

Back in the day when I was teaching 4th grade Design Technology, there was always the need (due to tight budgets) to be creative in finding ways to use recycled materials to replace expensive components in our projects. Many of our projects required hinged doors so we created them out of the edges of cereal boxes.
When I went to join two chipboard coasters today and couldn't find any hinges to use, my old Design Technology trick came back to me. I used the faux hinges to complete my project.

Here are the steps I took to make them. Hopefully they are clear enough to follow and may save some of you a trip to the store or some cash you can spend on other things (stamps!!)
1. Flatten a cereal box and cut off one of the folded edge about 3/4 of an inch from the edge. It is best to avoid the one that has the glued seam.
2. Using a ruler, mark you cutting lines.
3. Mark when you want the holes.

[allee's]

4. Next use your Crop-A-Dile to punch the holes and then cut them apart.
5. Last of all coat the front with Versamark and cover with gold embossing powder. Emboss!

[allee's]

Here is my finished project:

Gallery at Splitcoaststampers

[allee's]

2. Using a ruler, mark your cutting lines.
3. Mark where you want the holes.

[sarahm25]

Oh my goodness! How clever! Thank you so much for sharing!

Sarah

[genescrapper]

Your finished project is beautiful - Thanks for sharing your very clever idea for creating hinges!

[lisastamper]

So clever--what a great idea!

[stampinhappy]

You are a genius! Thanks for sharing and THANKS for the pictures!!! (I'm so visual it's silly!)

[Laxy]

Really creative!!!! Thanks for sharing.

[MaryR]

super cute!

[clueless9]

TFS!!! What a great idea!! I have a bunch of chipboard coasters and was holding off doing anything with them because of the cost of hinges, now I can get down to business!! lol!! Of course, now my cupboards will resemble that scene from Better off dead where the youngest son cuts out the backs of the cereal boxes before they're empty and when they'd pull something out the cereal would dump all over the floor!! lol!!:mrgreen: Beautiful project,also! Thanks, Shelly

[StampinHappyInCT]

Very cool!

I just love this site and all I've learned from so many clever people!

[flowerbugnd1]

I can't believe this!!! How simple & perfect! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I'm getting coasters next week so this will be just awesome for my project. You're terrific!

[yytx]

GENIUS!!!! I can't believe how great these look - thanks so much for taking the time to share these directions! what a FAB idea

[Lynn in St. Louis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by allee's

4. Next use your Crop-A-Dile to punch the holes and then cut them apart.
5. Last of all coat the front with Versamark and cover with gold embossing powder. Emboss!

Brilliant idea! Thanks so much for sharing your idea and instructions.

[Dorinda]

COOL!! thanks for sharing

[spicygingersnap]

Lynn, you rock!

[allee's]

Thank you ladies for all your kind remarks. I hope you will have great success with this technique!

In my rush to finish this project, I didn't take the time to actually measure and chose to just eyeball my hole punching. It really can look nice when you take the time and effort to do that important step!! LOL!!!

[mamahowe]

Thanks for the idea......... can't wait to empty a box and try that.

Estelle

[Skittl1321]

This is an incredible idea! Could you tell me though, what are the dimensions of your hinges? They are the perfect size for the coasters, so I want to be a copycat.

[olivia'smom]

Wow so cool.

[Tortuga]

Thank you so much for sharing! Your finished project is just beautiful! It's great that I can use all the empty cereal boxes.
Have a great day,
Diane

[allee's]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skittl1321

This is an incredible idea! Could you tell me though, what are the dimensions of your hinges? They are the perfect size for the coasters, so I want to be a copycat.

I used 2cm by 2cm hinges. So with the edge of the box folded double, I marked my cutting line 1 cm from the fold. This is then cut with the edge folded double so that both sides are symmetrical. Finally I marked off 2 cm sections to be cut into the individual hinges.

[denidill]

SUBSCRIBING

[resqbarbie]

this is soooo amazingly cool! I have been spending way too much money on metal hinges for my chipboard coaster frames! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! ...and my stamp budget thanks you too!

[nmslmomto3]

Lynn, I hope it was ok, I copied and pasted your exact directions and put them into a word document to make them easy for printing. I included the pictures that you put with them. I did give you credit on top for creating this. If you would like something else put on here or for me to remove this, let me know.

[nmslmomto3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nmslmomto3

Lynn, I hope it was ok, I copied and pasted your exact directions and put them into a word document to make them easy for printing. I included the pictures that you put with them. I did give you credit on top for creating this. If you would like something else put on here or for me to remove this, let me know.

Lynn pointed out a few mistakes to me, if I can get a moderator to delete this post I will place the updated and corrected mistake free version up here.

[allee's]

Lisa, thanks so much for putting this document together for me. I should have created a printable version in the first place. And I certainly should have taken the time to proofread my work since I never know when or if there is going to be an edit button. Turns out, this time there wasn't! My bad!!!

I may work on a printable corrected version and upload it later.

[allee's]

O.K. Here is my corrected document. If it has errors, then I'm just an idiot and I apologize! LOL!!!

[Vivitrigue]

Wow, this is a great idea! Thanks for the awesome instructions!

[smallpigpig]

wow you are so smart.. you might want to submit this to beate and maybe she could publish you on the technique resources

[smallpigpig]

man.. and I spent 8 bucks buying hinges at home depot for my coasters!

[SusanP]

WOW! This is great. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[MaryJo Marshall]

that is sooo cool! TFS!

[redheaded witch]

allee's I made two coasters for a swap and I used your technique. It was so easy.. When I embossed them I stuck a pin thru one of the holes and stuck that into a ruin coaster. Less chance of burning a finger. Thank you for making something so hard, easy.

Here is one of mine:
Gallery at Splitcoaststampers

the other one:
Gallery at Splitcoaststampers

[JVE]

This is a totally brilliant (and budget friendly) idea! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome tutorial!

[gaylestamps]

I'm thinking you could do faux brads, too -- with a hole puncher! Just adhere the punched circles w/glue dots to front and back before you emboss? I will have to try it!

Lynn, you are a genius and thanks so much for sharing this!

[basement stamper]

WOW!! This is amazing!! Love this idea!! TFS!

[kings-castle]

What a fantastic idea! I am so glad that there are people who are sooooo great with ideas. Keep up the good work, kings-castle

[lindylou1220]

Thanks so much for sharing this and for supplying the Word doc, too!