Dieter's Face-Changing Bear Fridge Magnet!!

Superman has kryptonite, and I have snacks. In my constant effort to live a rather healthy life, I find that will power is over-rated, but a cute animal getting angry at me is not. When the fridge door is closed, the bear has a happy face, when the door is opened, the bear's expression changes. Its eyebrows furrow whenever I open the fridge in search for my kryptonite. It utilizes the construction of a simple unwanted cigarette pack box.

HOW THE PROJECT WORKS
- the right-side up of the project is acutally the back of the cigarette box upside down
- when the door opens, a slide in the project is pulled down revealing a black surface that fills in the holes of the facial features. The cigarette box lid is also opened, revealing a peekaboo message.
- the project is attached to a fishing string that is also attached to the side edge of the fridge door. It is also designed so that opening the freezer door in standard fridge models will not affect the project.

MATERIALS
- empty cigarette pack (with the inside foil taken out)
- strip of balsawood, 3/16" thick
- construction paper (main color, auxiliary color, black)
- silicone double-stick tape (or any other strong, thin varieties)
- fishing string
- elastic bead thread
- sticky backed magnets
- 3 large brad pins
- small post-it pad

TOOLS
- x-acto knife
- glue gun
- scissors

Step 1: Making the Skin

Measure, map, and cut out a skin for the cigarette box so that all sides are covered except for the front side of the cigarette box (backside of project). The best way to make clean folds is to lightly score the crease line. Stick the skin to the appropriate sides of the box with double-stick tape. Make creases along the fold of the lid and the diagonal openings on each end of the lid.

Step 2: Constructing the Interior

Cut four 2"x2" squares from the balsawood. Stack and use double-stick tape to stick three of the pieces together. Cut a 2"x2" square from the black construction paper. Stick the black square on top of the stack.

Take the last solo balsawood sqaure and line one of the face sides with double-stick tape. Carefully slide the sqaure inside the box. Press the sticky side towards the front side of the cigarette box.

Step 3: Putting in the Main Brads

Make a small slit at the center of the front side of the cigarette box about 1/4" from the bottom edge. Push the brad pin through the cardboard and the balsawood behind it. Flatten the brad flaps and secure them with a bead of hot glue.

Take the balsawood stack, and use double-stick tape on the non-black side and stick to the open side of the bradded balsawood square. This will make a small space between the black surface and the back surface of the box.

Cut the two corners off the inside lining of the pack opening. This will eliminate friction so the lid will catch less.

Take a small strip of balsawood (about 1"x1/2") and stick that in the inner edge of the top lid. This will be reinforcement for the other brad. Punch the brad in and secure with a bead of hot glue.

Step 4: Making the Face

Draw the face on the covered part of the box, keeping the features towards the top. Everything that is cut out will be the "angry" parts...this means the bushy eyebrows and the top semicircle of the mouth. Cut those parts out.

Cut a piece of yellow (or whatever color the skin is in) paper in the size of the cigarette box's face with the length extended by 1 1/2". This flap will be the slidable flap that will move up and down based on the fridge door movement. Score the flap 1/2" from the bottom edge. Fold in, and attach that side to the backside of the box's front lid.

Slide the flap through the crawl space between the black side of the balsawood and the face of the box.

Step 5: Decoration

Use the construction paper and cut out shapes to decorate the bear. The ears are made from circles with a quarter slice removed. I used a thin sharpie and drew happy small eyebrows on the yellow slide. I also cut out an orange rectangle and added "Will Power!" to the peekaboo lid.

Stick the pad of post-it notes to his belly.

Step 6: Backside Construction

Take the elastic bead string and make a faux rubberband connecting the two brads together. The string should be taut enough that the lid stays shut, but not overly stretched out that it would be impossible to open the lid.

Attach the two magnet square on the side of the backside, leaving room for the faux rubberband in between.

Take another small piece of balsawood and reinforce the center lip of the cigarette box lid. Cut into the inner lip to accomodate the reinforcement piece. Punch the last brad into that spot.
Secure with a bead of hot glue. Attach a 2' long fishing string to the base of the brad. Make a few knots and secure under the brad head.

Secure the rubber band ends underneath the first and second brads.

Step 7: Installation

Stick the magnet to the freezer door (standard fridge models). The best location would be more towards the side of the fridge door hinge. The end of the fishing string should be placed on the hinge side of the fridge door, intersecting the bottom corner of the freezer door. This will cause strain when opening the fridge door but will relax when the freezer door opens. Mark the end point on the fishing string with a sharpie.. To attach the end of the string to the fridge door, make a bunch of knots (about 7) at the same point. Use a hot glue gun to squeeze glue over the knotted mess. Use heavy duct tape and stick the knotted end to the fridge door.

Depending on how your fridge door opens, the placement of the fishing string will vary. The goal is to secure it to a place so that the most it will pull is a little more than an inch. Experiment around!

The arc movement of the fridge door based on its hinge pulls the fishing string when the arc's angle is increased. The pulling of the string pulls down the lip of the lid, pulling forth the peekaboo message as well as pulling down the yellow slide inside the box.

Write yourself a post-it message on the bear's belly and let the will-power motivator work its magic!