The husband was working away at his computer and I wandered into his office to chatter away. I was poking about in the pile of items on the side of the desk that need filing when (drum roll) I see cabinet pulls and handles. Hello stationary clip!
I looked at actual door handles and they aren't cheap and come in small quantities per package. Upholstery staples were an option, but waiting to visit my parents to grab their staple supply and the bee in my bonnet to finish the kitchen did not mesh.
Enter my husband and his stationary supplies! These are the 3.5cm long (top of silver metal to base of black metal) clips. You can get larger or smaller ones to meet your needs.
The Inspiration:
- Needs to be cheap and available (sounds like a Craigslist ad.....)
Supplies:
- 3.5cm stationary clips
- Wire cutters
- Quick Grip Glue
- Fine drill bit
- Needle nose pliers
I just showed the first wire snip on the left side, repeat it on the right side where the knife tip is,
Each side of the clip yields 1 pull and 2 handles for a total of 2 pulls and 4 handles per stationary clip. What a deal!
Drilling the top hole that goes straight in was easy. The bottom hole, not so much. I should have done a practice run on scrap wood (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). I did not. Surprised? So, I re-drilled at more of an angle to get it in.
I used Quick Grip Glue to secure it. I really pressed down on the bottom of the handle to force it in the hole. Pliers helped.
Use your craft knife to scrape off the glue before it get too hard. Some will escape the hole.
Miss Kitty opens them with the grace and ease of a toddler, so I know whatever I did they are cemented in there really well.
Looking at them closely I can see that in my rush or tired haze, I didn't make them perfectly straight (this does eat at me and for a minute I seriously considered refinishing the cabinets to make it perfect). But, now that they are all in, and the cabinets are not right in my face I'm ok with my hasty errors. I have to let go and move on.
