I have a super cute leopard print mini suitcase that a friend of mine gave me full of brownies (cute idea, huh?). Once we ate all the brownies I gave the box to my daughter to store her mini dolls in. She plays with it so much, the latch finally broke off the cardboard. It might seem a bit easier to just let this one go. Trying to put the latch back on is more trouble than it's worth and the cardboard really isn't strong enough to withstand that kind of surgery. But there's a much more simple fix.
Materials you need
- Super strong glue – I used e6000
- Velcro
- Ribbon
- Scissors
Steps to fix a broken latch on a cardboard mini suitcase:
- Carefully remove the remaining latch pieces from the case. You won't need these parts, so feel free to recycle or toss.
- Glue ribbon all the way around the entire case, leaving an additional 4″ at the opening end. Making sure to fold the edges under and adher to itself for a smooth, finished look.
- Apply a piece of Velcro to the top of the case.
- Apply a matching piece of Velcro to the underside of the excess ribbon piece leaving a little tab to hold on to.
- Using the strong glue to attach the Velcro is much more sturdy than relying just on the sticky side of the Velcro.
- Allow to throughly dry (at least over night) because using to ensure best hold.
You can use this same Velcro concept to fix a whole array of things. If you don't have the tools or the know out to fix hardware, experiment with materials you do have and know how to use. Often times our more simple fixes work just as well and can even turn out looking twice as fabulous!
Do you have a favorite fix you'd like to share?
