Spoon Money Clip

by satsop

32K3910

Intro: Spoon Money Clip

For those who don't want a bulky wallet stuck in their back pocket, there is a money clip. But why spend a bunch of money on a lame clip that looks like every other one out there? Make your own out of a spoon! It only takes ten minutes and costs less than a dollar. Everyone at your local hipster bar will think you are cool and creative when you pull one of these out to pay for your PBR.

STEP 1: Find a Spoon.

The first step is finding yourself a good spoon. Your local thrift store should have a bunch for cheap. Just pick out one(s) you like, most of the time they only cost a quarter. Silver works the best but any metal is fine. Teaspoon sized spoons (not the measuring kind) work the best, although i have made clips out of big soup spoons. The larger the spoon the more likely you may crack it during the process (unless you want to bust out a torch and anneal it). Try to pick a spoon with a flat handle, it makes bending a whole lot easier.

STEP 2: Assemble Your Tools.

Next you will need to gather the tools you will need to smash your spoon. A hammer, a screwdriver and a piece of scrap wood is all you need. The hammer should have a smooth face, so as not to mark up your spoon when you hit it. Pick a screwdriver with a larger shaft, you'll see why later.

STEP 3: Start Smashing.

Place the spoon facing down on the scrap piece of wood so it doesn't scratch up the surface you are working on or vice versa. Hit the spoon with the hammer... pretty hard. Try to move around the head of the spoon as you go as to not hit the same spot too much. The spoon will begin to flatten out... keep going til it's completely flat. The handle will start bending up, don't worry about, you'll be bending it later anyway.

STEP 4: Fold It in Half.

After you have flattened the spoon you need to bend the handle over on itself. This is where the screwdriver comes in handy. Use your hands to bend the spoon around the shaft of the screwdriver. Start the bend 1/4 inch back from the head of the spoon. the end of the handle should stick out beyond the end of the head of the spoon. Once you can't bend it anymore by hand, hit it with the hammer a few times to get it the rest of the way. The flattened head and handle should be touching slightly.

STEP 5: Insert Money and Enjoy.

You're done. Put your cards and cash in your new money clip and hit the town.

10 Comments

ballardst 11 years ago

Why is steel the best material? It is the easiest to use, or does it have a good ability to be bent without losing its shape?

tehchu 14 years ago

would it make any sense to leave some of the spoon's original 'bend' (bottom of the spoon) so that it's easier to insert moneys?

satsop 14 years ago

i guess you could. having the handle of the spoon reach past the head will do the same thing depending on the spoon. there is no wrong way to make one of these, it's all about being creative.

BrantFlakes315 14 years ago

I just made this today from a spoon I bought in China town (my mom wouldn't let me use one from our house because "it was part of a set"). The clip works really well! This will definitely replace my bulky wallet. My sis really wants one too now.

TheCheese9921 14 years ago

I have a spoon I flattened on the railroad tracks, definitely doing this.

valhallas_end 14 years ago

If you have problems with cracking, heat the metal with a torch for a few seconds to soften it. Warning though - a lot of cheap silverware has trace quantities of toxins (ex. lead, etc.) that can fume under heat, so a general rule of thumb is if you can bend the spoon by hand in the store, don't heat it, just smash it. My local Walmart has cheap Chinese spoons (12 for $1) that I smash and bend into all sorts of projects, but do contain a bit of lead in them...

reedz 14 years ago

I love these things, we made them at band camp last year by "borrowing" spoons from the cafeteria. We got caught with them and our punishment was to make another one for our Floor Adviser.