When I read this Apartment Therapy story last year about hinge heads, decorative toppers for your door hinges, I was smitten. Tiny camouflaged secrets hidden around my home? Little whimsical surprises where you’d least expect them? Sign me up.

I didn’t buy any right away, but I couldn’t stop thinking about them. Now that it’s fall, I started, as I usually do, to think of ways to make my family’s home just a little bit cozier, which goes hand in hand with ways to make our days more whimsical in my mind. So as I began feathering my nest for the cooler weather, I thought of the hinge heads, and I decided to finally try them out.

Hinge heads are tiny pieces of decor placed atop your door hinges, meant to add a bit of whimsy in an often overlooked space. You can find ready-made ones online, like this adorable set on Etsy. Or, you can even make your own using a little trinket, a dot of hot glue, and a tiny magnet (if your hinges aren’t magnetic, you could use a small piece of sticky tack instead).

I decided to take the DIY route and began thinking of ways I could make my own hinge heads. I thought about making tiny clay figures so that I could make whatever I wanted, but I wanted that “dopamine decor” hit sooner than a trip to Michaels (and a whole new set of craft supplies) and many polymer clay tutorials later. 

Next, I looked into buying sets of mini game pieces, since I’d seen people spray-painting Monopoly game pieces, but I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for. I looked into woodland fairy garden sets, and I felt closer — adorable, whimsical, but still not quite right.  

That’s when I had the brilliant idea to look at dollhouse accessories, which I have always pined after but never had the occasion to have any of my own. I spent way too long searching on Amazon and thinking about what I’d like to try for my hinge toppers. I considered lanterns and desserts before finally adding a tiny gumball machine, some flowers in glass vases, and a set of playful cats to my cart. 

I also bought small magnets and ended up using some adhesive magnet tape I already had instead of hot glue. It took me about 20 seconds to cut a piece of magnet tape to shape and stick it on the bottom of the dollhouse pieces. 

Then came the fun part of sprinkling them around the house. I ended up putting a smug kitten on a hinge in my girls’ room, the gumball machine in the bonus room, and a flower vase in my husband’s and my bedroom. Now comes the excitement of waiting for my kids and guests to discover them. Already, it’s made our home feel so much more whimsical — and for just a few minutes and a handful of dollars.