How To Make A Wooden Flip-Flop Paper Weight / Notepad Holder

This instructable covers how to make an easily replicated wooden flip-flop paper weight / post-it note holder. They make great gifts for friends and cute desk ornaments. 

Show off your woodworking skills by making one yourself :]

Difficulty: Beginning - Intermediate

A good project to gain experience with band saws and to learn the concept behind router templates

What you'll need:

Flip-flop
Paper, pencil, sharpie
Clamp
Three 3/4 inch screws (and a matching bit)
Drill
Band saw (or a reciprocating saw)
Sandpaper (80 grit or 100 grit)
Router
Wood for a template (roughly 1/2 inch thick)
Wood for the flip-flop (around 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick)
Cloth for straps (a nylon dog leash works well and can be picked up for a few bucks)
Glue
Adhesive notepad (Post-its)

Optional:
Adhesive felt pads
Steel wool and finer grit sand paper
Wood stain or lacquer

Ready? Let's begin

Step 1: Trace a flip-flop

Get a sheet of paper
Place flip-flop on top
Hold it steady with one hand while you trace its perimeter

There will probably be an area that curves in slightly. Take note of where that occurs

 Clean up the tracing

After removing the flip-flop, take a quick look and make sure the form is clear and that you haven't missed any spots. Notice how I marked gently where the curvature occured.

 

Comments

[playfulplans]

Nice work and clever idea.

I note you addressed the "why" here: "A good project to gain experience with band saws and to learn the concept behind router templates"

and here: This instructable covers how to make an easily replicated wooden flip-flop paper weight / post-it note holder. They make great gifts for friends and cute desk ornaments.

and here: all of Step 17

[Mr. Potato Head]

That definitely covers the "how" part. How 'bout a companion piece devoted to "why"?