How to Make Joints that Spring Open or Shut

Want to make a snapping jaw? The springs from clothes pins make great springs for craft stick projects.

It's easy to pull the springs off clothes pins and attach them to craft sticks.

To make a joint that snaps shut, glue the ends of the spring to the outside of the two craft sticks as shown.

To make a joint that springs open, spread out the ends of the spring and glue them inside the pair of craft sticks, as shown.

The alligator project uses this technique.

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More Techniques

Cutting
Gluing
Painting
Bending
Panels
Stacks
Extending
Perpendicular joint
Spring-loaded joint