US Letter, portrait
Free printable plan
Wooden chip clips
One-piece bag clips in eight sizes, cut on the bandsaw from scrap wood and offcuts. No springs or hardware: the arms flex to grip a folded chip or popcorn bag.
What you’ll make
Chip clips are a great way to use up scrap wood. Every clip is a single small piece of hardwood, and the smallest fits on an offcut about 4 × 7/8 in, so the bits too short for anything else are exactly what you need. A drilled relief hole and one bandsaw cut make a slot, and the two arms flex just enough to pinch a folded bag shut. The test set was cut from 3/4 in walnut, cherry and maple offcuts and finished with tung oil. Cut a batch from your offcut bin and you've got a set for the kitchen, or a stack of small gifts.
From the test build: Several sizes were cut; the 7, 5 and 4 in clips were sanded, finished in tung oil and tested. They were made from 3/4 in walnut, cherry and maple, with the mouth flared (sizes may have changed slightly in shaping). All three gripped chip, popcorn and bread bags; bread-bag plastic tore, so bread bags are not recommended.
- Difficulty
- BeginnerA good first bandsaw project: one drilled hole, one straight cut and one gentle curve.
- Time
- About 20–30 minutes per clipFaster once you're set up for a batch. This is an estimate, not a timed build.
- Complexity
- One part per clipNo hardware, glue or joinery.
- Shop-tested
- YesBuilt and checked on 2026-11-02.
Materials
- Scrap wood and offcuts: each clip needs only a small piece, from about 4 × 7/8 in (smallest) to 7 1/2 × 1 1/4 in (largest).
- Straight-grained hardwood, 3/4 in thick. Walnut, cherry and maple all worked in testing. The grain must run the length of the clip.
- Choose pieces without knots, cracks or short grain near the head: that's where the clip flexes.
- Glue stick or spray adhesive to hold the template.
- Sandpaper, 120 and 180 grit.
- Tung oil or another oil finish (the test clips used tung oil).
Tools
- Bandsaw with a 1/8 or 1/4 in blade.
- Drill press with a 1/8 in bit, and a clamp to hold the work.
- Push stick.
- Safety glasses and hearing protection.
Dimensions
- 7 1/2 in clip
- jaw end ≈ 5/8 in, head ≈ 1 3/16 in wide; slot ≈ 4 15/16 in long
- 6 1/2 in clip
- jaw end ≈ 19/32 in, head ≈ 1 3/32 in wide; slot ≈ 4 9/32 in long
- 6 in clip
- jaw end 1/2 in, head ≈ 31/32 in wide; slot ≈ 3 31/32 in long
- 5 1/2 in clip
- jaw end ≈ 17/32 in, head 1 in wide; slot ≈ 3 5/8 in long
- 5 in clip
- jaw end ≈ 15/32 in, head ≈ 7/8 in wide; slot ≈ 3 5/16 in long
- 4 3/4 in clip
- jaw end 1/2 in, head ≈ 29/32 in wide; slot ≈ 3 1/8 in long
- 4 1/2 in clip
- jaw end ≈ 13/32 in, head ≈ 13/16 in wide; slot ≈ 2 31/32 in long
- 4 in clip
- jaw end ≈ 13/32 in, head ≈ 3/4 in wide; slot ≈ 2 5/8 in long
- Slot
- 5/64 in wide, on the centreline, from the open end to the relief hole
- Relief hole
- 1/8 in, drilled before the slot is sawn
- Stock
- 3/4 in thick hardwood, grain along the clip (the test clips were walnut, cherry and maple)
- Offcut needed
- About 4 × 7/8 in (smallest) to 7 1/2 × 1 1/4 in (largest)
- Print check
- 1 in square, 4 in ruler and 100 mm ruler on pages 1 and 2
Not included
- Hardware: none is needed
- Thin bread bags: the plastic can tear
- Sizes other than the eight shown
Print at 100%
Print the actual-size template at 100% / Actual size with Fit, Shrink and Scale-to-page turned off. Before cutting, measure the calibration square and both rulers on the first page. If they measure wrong, the page was scaled: reprint at 100%.
Actual-size template
Actual-size outlines with a calibration square and rulers on page 1, and dimensions, method and safety on page 2.
A4, portrait
Method
Print and check the templates
Print pages 1 and 2 at 100% / Actual size with Fit, Shrink and Scale-to-page turned off. Measure the 1 in square and both rulers before you cut.
Pick your offcuts
Go through the scrap bin for straight-grained hardwood about 3/4 in thick. Each template lists the clip's length and head width, so you can match clips to the pieces you have.
Stick on the template
Glue each template to an offcut with the grain running along the slot and the open end on the edge of the piece. Leave spare wood around the outline to hold on to.
Drill the relief hole
Clamp the piece and drill the 1/8 in hole at the marked centre. It stops the slot from splitting the head.
Saw the slot
Saw from the open end straight to the hole. A single bandsaw cut is usually narrower than the 5/64 in lines: make a second pass beside it to reach them, or leave it narrower for a tighter grip.
Cut the outline
Bandsaw the outside outline, staying just outside the line, then sand to the line.
Shape, finish and use
Flare the mouth of the slot a little so a bag slides in easily, round every edge and sand smooth. You can shape the outline to suit yourself; small changes don't stop the clip working. Finish with tung oil and let it cure fully. To use, fold or roll the top of the bag two or three times and push the clip on from the open end. Too tight? Sand the inside of the slot. Too loose? Make the next one with a narrower slot.
Which bags
They grip chip and popcorn bags well. They also hold bread bags, but thin bread-bag plastic can tear, so they aren't recommended for bread.
Safety
- Drill the hole and saw the slot while the offcut is still larger than the clip, and cut the outline last.
- Clamp the work to drill it. Never hold a small part by hand on a drill press.
- Keep your fingers at least 2 in from the blade, and use a push stick on small pieces.
- Check each clip at the head for cracks before use, and throw away any clip that cracks.
- Clips are small parts. Keep them away from young children.
You are responsible for working safely with your own tools. Follow your machine’s manual where it differs from these notes.
From the shop
Working out the numbers
Need to add fractions or price your offcuts? The free fraction calculator and board-foot calculator work right here in your browser. They are web versions of the Quick Tools in BenchHand, the woodworking planner we’re building for Android.
About this plan
- Version
- 1.0.0
- Designed and built by
- Derek
- Source
- BenchHand website (original design)
- Design
- CC-001, revision cc-001-d2
- 2026-11-02
- First draft.
- 2026-11-02
- Redesigned as a one-piece tapered clip in eight sizes.
- 2026-11-02
- Updated from a test build: 3/4 in stock, tung oil finish, flared mouth and advice on which bags to use.
- 2026-11-02
- Published, with photos of the test build.
Android beta
The Android beta is being prepared.
There is no public sign-up yet. When invitations open, how to take part will be posted on the beta page first.