How to Make a Template for Door Hinges

Measure 5 inches down from the top of the door. That is where the top hinge will be placed. Measure 10 inches from the bottom of the door for the bottom hinge's placement.

Place one hinge against a narrow side of the door in its designated place. Make the knuckle of the hinge hang off the door's edge. Either trace around the hinge on the door with a pen or score around the hinge with a utility knife. The outline you make on the door is the first part of the template.

Open the hinge completely, and stand the hinge up on its front edge on the front of the door, directly below the outline you created on a narrow side of the door. Draw or score an outline around the hinge's front edge to create an outline of its depth on the door's front. This outline is the second part of the template; you now have an outline of the hinge's length and width on a narrow side of the door and the hinge's depth on the front of the door.

Cut the marked width and length out of the template with a chisel. Tap the chisel lightly with a wood or rubber mallet to score or lift up the excess wood from within the template. Cut an extra 1/4 inch of space along the perimeter of the template so the hinge can fit neatly within the recessed area. Then use the chisel to smooth the recess when it is the proper depth.

Place the hinge in the recessed template to check whether or not it fits properly. Make adjustments if necessary.

Repeat Steps 2 through 5 for the other hinge.