Alligator Clips

Alligators are ravenous reptiles – better give them something to put in their mouths before they bite!  Turn ordinary wood clothespins into hungry-gators note holders; add a magnet on the bottom and they are prefect for sticking to your fridge or filing cabinet.  Making your own version of this classic craft is easy -all items were bought from the Dollar Store, and these alligator fridge clips can be put together in about 10 minutes.

Project estimate:

  • Foam sheets, on hand or $1
  • Wood clothespins, on hand or $1
  • Jagged-edge craft scissors, on hand or $1 and up
  • Sheet magnets, $1 and up
  • Googly eyes, on hand or $1
  • Green indelible marker, on hand or $1

Total: $1 and up


Alligator Clips

Once you’ve gathered your materials start by removing the spring from one of the wood clothespins.

Colour all surfaces of each half of the clothespin with green marker. Some of the crevices of the clothespin might be too small to get the tip of your marker in, but you don’t have to worry about complete coverage, just make sure most of the surfaces are green. Replace spring in wood clothespin

Using white glue, attach small googly eyes to either the top of one side of your alligator or on either side of one half – this will give your alligator two eyes on top or two eyes pointing outwards.

With regular scissor cut a small rectangle of green foam sheet roughly the same length and height as your clothespin. Then using the jagged-edge scissors, cut diagonally through foam rectangle to create a ridged spine for your alligator. Dab a small amount of white glue on flat length-wise portion of the green foam spine cutout and affix to back of clip behind the eyes.

Lastly, cut a small rectangle of sheet magnet roughly the same dimensions as the underside of the clothespin. If your sheet magnet is self adhesive then you can press on the magnet cutout, otherwise use dabs of while glue to adhere the magnet. Leave for about 5 minutes for glue to set.

Alligator Clips
Once the glue is dry they are ready to hold your note and be stuck on a magnetic surface, or left on your desk. Have fun!