Need some help, please!!
 

Our church is having VBS next week, and I'm helping with crafts. I just found out today that we need to cut two quarter sized holes in paper plates for eyes in a mask. We have 400 plates to do. I am trying to figure out the easiest way to do these circles. Punches won't work because they won't reach. CM circle cutter doesn't get small enough. I'm not very good with a craft knife, so I'd rater not do it that way. Any ideas??? TIA

I can't thinks of any paper craft type tools but a woodworking tool might do it. Stack about 25 paper plates together on a block of wood with a template on on top (and maybe a bulldog clip on each side to keep the stack straight), using a curved wood chisel and a hammer.....

Hey it's 400 plates --- there has to be something better than one at a time!!!

I have a circle cutter for wood that fits on a drill. I use it to drill various size holes for birdhouses. It is also commonly used to drill the hole out of a door for the knob. It might work on paper plates. The hole cutter I have sort of looks like a spray paint can cap that is serated on one end, it has various sizes embedded in it. You could try asking a hardware store to see if they could do it.

You ladies are all so smart. I am all about using tools from whatever hobby works. I am going to ask a hardware store about the drill piece and the wood chisel. Thanks so much for your ideas. You awesome ladies never cease to amaze me.

My DH just suggested using a compass that holds a pencil, but put in it a pen sized X-acto knife. Good luck!

Ooo, the x-acto knife compass is a good idea. You could also try a Fiskars Anywhere Punch. Looks like it comes with a 3/4" circle die - not sure if that is big enough for you. I've never used one, so I don't know how well it works... Good luck!

Has anyone tried the Sizzix paddle punch? I was just wondering if that might work on more than one at a time. I'm off to the hardware store to see if I can find any of the hardware tools that might work.

I was just going to suggest the sizzix paddle. I haven't used it, but I think it will work.

Hint
 

If you do use the circle cutter drill bit, you might want to clamp the plates between two pieces of wood. It will compress the plates so they don't slide and make it much easier to cut. Make sure you cut through the wood when you cut. That way you can do a large number of plates at the same time and not waste any when the cutter first bites in.

I'm not sure how thick 400 plates are so you would have to experiment a little but If they are the cutters I'm thinking of, they are designed to go through doors. If your wood isn't too thick, you should be able to get quite a few done at a time.

Good luck and let us know what worked.:)

I think you should consider asking one of the hardware guys for a favour, or if you have a Home Depot they will do cuts for a certain amount of dollars per cut. Is there a member of the congregation who dabbles in carpentry? Or a local school with a wood shop? If one of these folks can help you, then you will get an experienced person who can do the job quickly and easily, rather than running around trying to find this tool or that tool, and then getting home to realise that working with 400 paper plates is another issue altogehter. JMHO! Good luck with the project!

I know you dont want to do them one at a time or use the craft knife, but if you had too...what about a coluzzle? how handy is dh with something like this? maybe you could enlist his help?!!! Good luck, sounds like something I would get myself into!!!!!