How to cut plastic spoon handles off without breaking and cracking?

Wendy Braniff
by Wendy Braniff
Recently I found a project on this site showing how to decorate a mirror with plastic spoons. It seemed easy enough, but I tried two types of spoons and both kinds didn't cut well, how do I cut them without cracking and splitting up the middle of the spoon?
  8 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Oct 07, 2015
    Try scoring with a scissor first then snap with your fingers.
  • Z Z on Oct 07, 2015
    There was another request on this recently and it seems some like to us a hack saw saying it cuts through them like butter.
  • Wanda.ll Wanda.ll on Oct 08, 2015
    Hot knife of some kind would work too.
  • Ken Ken on Oct 08, 2015
    There are several ways to do this depending on what tools you have available. I think my preference would be the cut-off disc attachment that comes with Dremel type tools so you can cut, grind, and smooth easily and quickly with minimum breakage, or sharp edges that will need to be sanded later. You could also use an electrical soldering gun, to melt through the spoons, but then you have the smell, and potential for burning fingers as with a hot glue gun. Another option is a jeweler's saw, that is like a small coping saw ( another option) with extremely fine blades, to minimize the individual bite of each tooth leaving the smoothest possible cut. Good Luck !
  • D fuhrman D fuhrman on Oct 08, 2015
    i haven't tried but i've read if you use a hair dryer on plastic to heat it up, it cuts like butter.
    • Z Z on Oct 08, 2015
      @D fuhrman, I've wondered that too. It would certainly be worth a try.
  • Kathy Landess Kathy Landess on Oct 08, 2015
    Hold the area of the spoon where you want to cut over a lit candle, when plastic is malleable, then cut it or twist the handle off.
  • Kay Kay on Oct 14, 2015
    Use a pair of wire cutters . The handle snips right off.
  • Wendy Braniff Wendy Braniff on Oct 15, 2015
    Part of the problem is that post I found to make a mirror decorated with plastic spoons had the spoon handles trimmed off leaving a very clean shaped spoon without the handle but when I try to do this they crack and break.