A Tip with Toothpicks

Here's a little trick I learned from my dad. 

When you have a hole for a screw that has become stripped, to the point that the screw has nothing to grip to inside the hole and just goes round and round, there is an easy solution. 

I recently used the "toothpick method" in 2 different places in my home. Once, while installing a new doorbell button by my front door. The holes were stripped and the screws couldn't secure correctly. And then again when I was fixing up our glider rocking chair. 

Here's how it is so simply done.

All you need is some wooden toothpicks (flat are best).

Break a few toothpicks to be about the length of the hole you are screwing into. Drop them into the hole and stuff in as many as you can to fill the space. 

Then screw right into those toothpicks until the screw is securely in it's hole. The toothpicks give the screw some new wood to grab onto and makes it nice and tight. 

Thanks dad for knowing everything there is to know about screws (as well as many other things).

~ Chelsea ~