For the Home

Repairing a Door Hinge with Matches

My son’s door was on it’s last leg. I don’t know how it got so loose, but it only took one more push for it to rip the screws right out of the door. We didn’t want to buy a whole new door, so I called my door expert sister, Nan, and she taught us this great trick!

Door Hinge

Break the tops off your matches, we needed 3.

Broken Match

Take your door off both hinges. Lay it on it’s side, with the ripped holes facing up.

Broken Door

Pour some wood glue into each hole and place your broken match sticks in. They will need to dry over night, just to make sure the match stick stays for good.

Match stick in Door

Once the glue is dry, break off the sticking out wood with your fingers. Now your door is ready to be screwed back in. The match makes it a tight hole again and the screw will stay in, well at least for another 500 openings or so. We’ve actually done this twice now, on two different doors, so we know it works great! Thanks, Nan!

22 comments

  1. We’ve done this with toothpicks too and instead of using just one, I stuff as many in side-by-side as will fit!

  2. The whole time I was reading this, I was thinking of the toothpicks too… and, this tip works on walls too. I used it to remount a towel rack in the bathroom and a curtain rod above the window.

  3. Becca & Christy – Great idea on the toothpick. Hadn’t thought of that. And they probably work great in smaller holes! Thanks for sharing.

  4. Toothpicks will do the same thing. I did this for the door from garage to kitchen. I put a few toothpicks with some wood glue in the holes in the door jamb. It will work without the glue too.

  5. Awesome tip! I’ve got to try this one out. My husband will be so impressed by my new knowledge on fixing doors.

  6. amazing trick……i think im going to try it with our bathroom door, its actually suffering :s

    thank you :)

  7. wow! i would have never thought of that! we actually have a similar issue. once it “falls off” i will try this sneaky little trick! thanks so much for sharing. :)

  8. Ingenious! My husband will probably think I’m crazy at first when I pull this tip out of my “hat” but will be grateful that it can be fixed without buying a new door! Thanks Nan & Marie!!!

  9. This tip is amazing !!! I have a hinge that has been broken for years now … on a pantry door. The door is still working but that duct taped broken hinge irks me every time I look at it !!! I’m going to fix it !! AND on Monday, I’m going to send all my blog readers, by way of a link, to this tip !! It’s a keeper ! Thanks !!

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