Stick-With-It Spatula Holder

Ever found yourself in a sticky situation while cooking? You're flipping pancakes, and suddenly you're playing a messy game of "Where do I put this dripping spatula?" Fear not, fellow foodies! Say hello to the Stick-With-It Spatula Holder!

This nifty little gadget is about to revolutionize your culinary adventures. Laser-cut to perfection, it attaches right to your frying pan's handle, giving your trusty spatula a cozy home while you cook. No more countertop mess, no more awkward balancing acts, and definitely no more "oops, I just dripped pancake batter all over the stove" moments.

Before we dive into the step-by-step guide for creating the Stick-With-It Spatula Holder, I'd like to share a bit about its origins.

The idea for this project was born out of the creation of a BUGS list related to cooking. The common kitchen annoyances related to cookware sparked my creative process.

What you see in this guide is the final product of an extensive design journey. I started with rough sketches and gradually refined the concept through multiple iterations. Low-fidelity models helped me test different shapes and attachment methods. Throughout the process, I conducted user interviews to gather feedback and ensure the design was not just functional, but user-friendly.

While I'm not detailing that entire process here, it's important to note that good design often involves multiple rounds of ideation, prototyping, and user testing. What you'll be creating is the result of all that behind-the-scenes work - a thoroughly tested and refined solution to a common kitchen problem.

In this guide, I'll walk you through the steps to create the final version of the Stick-With-It Spatula Holder. Ready to upgrade your kitchen game? Let's dive in and create the sidekick your spatula never knew it needed!

1. 1/8 in thick basswood plywood
2. Glowforge Laser Cutter
3. Burn Resistant string
4. Mod Podge Glue
5. Paint Brush
6. 4 standard sheets of paper
7. Rag

The journey of creating our handy spatula holder began with a burst of creativity in Canva. This user-friendly design tool was perfect for sketching out the basic forms of our gadget. With my trusty frying pan and favorite spatula nearby for reference, I played around with shapes until the design looked just right. Once I was satisfied with the initial concept, it was time to take things to the next level. I exported the Canva design and opened it up in Inkscape, a powerful tool that would help transform our idea into a laser-cutter-friendly format. In Inkscape, I converted the design to a bitmap - a crucial step that tells the laser cutter exactly where to cut and etch. After some careful adjustments to ensure all measurements were spot-on, I saved the final bitmap file in a format compatible with my laser cutter. And voila! The design was ready for its debut in the physical world. For those of you eager to try this project, you'll find the final design file attached to this Instructable. Feel free to download and tweak it to fit your own kitchen tools. Remember, great design often comes through iteration, so don't be afraid to test and adjust until you've got it just right. Happy designing, fellow kitchen innovators!

With our design perfected and converted to a bitmap, it was time to bring our Stick-With-It Spatula Holder into the physical world. This is where the Glowforge laser cutter came into play, ready to turn our digital creation into a tangible kitchen helper. The process was surprisingly straightforward: I simply uploaded our carefully crafted bitmap file to the Glowforge software. It's a bit like sending a document to a printer, except this printer cuts with lasers (how cool is that?). Once uploaded, I double-checked that everything looked correct in the Glowforge interface. It's always worth taking a moment here to ensure all the lines are where they should be – measure twice, cut once, as they say! With everything looking ship-shape, it was time for the magic to happen. I hit the start button, and watched in awe as the Glowforge precisely cut out the basic shapes of our spatula holder. The laser danced across the material, etching and cutting with pinpoint accuracy. In just a few minutes, what was once just an idea in my head, then a design on a screen, had become a real, physical object. As the Glowforge finished its work, I was left with the basic shapes of our spatula holder, ready for the next steps of assembly and finishing. It's moments like these that really bring home the amazing possibilities of modern DIY technology!

With the laser cutting complete, it was time for some hands-on work. I approached the Glowforge, excited to see our digital design transformed into physical pieces.

Now for one of the most satisfying moments in any laser cutting project - popping out the wooden pieces from the board. I started with the larger pieces, applying gentle pressure to break the small tabs that had held them in place during cutting. For smaller, more delicate pieces, I used a thin, flat tool to carefully lever them out, preventing any accidental breakage or splintering.

First things first: I carefully peeled off the protective film from the wood. Starting at one corner, I slowly lifted the film, taking care not to bend or stress the wood underneath. This film is crucial - it protects the surface during cutting, shielding it from scorch marks and ensuring a clean finish.

Then came a crucial step for user-friendliness: etching. While the basic shape of our holder is intuitive, I wanted to add a small but significant feature to enhance its usability. I carefully placed one of the side pieces back into the Glowforge, aligning it precisely using the machine's camera view.

In the Glowforge software, I pulled up the etching design we had prepared earlier - a simple phrase indicating the correct orientation of the holder. After double-checking the alignment, I initiated the etching process. The laser danced across the surface of the wood, burning the design into the material with remarkable precision.

This simple addition ensures that anyone using the Stick-With-It Spatula Holder can easily see how it should be attached to the pan. It's a small detail, but one that transforms the user experience from potentially confusing to immediately intuitive.

Now that we have our wooden pieces ready, it's time to set up for the fun part - assembly! First, let's create a clean and protected work area. Take four standard sheets of paper and arrange them to form a mat on your work surface. This will keep your table clean and provide a smooth area to work on.

Next, gather these materials:

1. Burn-resistant string
2. Mod Podge glue
3. Paint brush
4. Rag

Now for the exciting part - bringing all the pieces together! Here's how to assemble your spatula holder:

Start by using the paint brush to apply Mod Podge glue to the edges of the wood pieces. A thin, even layer will do the trick.

If you're unsure about how the pieces fit together, don't worry! Take a look at the provided images for guidance. The layout of the cutout is designed to be intuitive, so trust your instincts as you piece it together.

Press the glued edges together firmly, holding each join for a few seconds to ensure a strong bond.

Once all the pieces are glued together, let the glue dry for a few minutes to set.

For the final touch, take your burn-resistant string and loop it through the bottom of the holder, similar to how you'd lace up a shoe. This string will help secure your spatula holder to the pan handle.

And there you have it - your very own Stick-With-It Spatula Holder! Give the glue ample time to dry completely before putting it to use. Soon you'll be cooking up a storm with your new kitchen helper by your side!