If you can tolerate not completely closing the machine up each time, I'd go with Rodney & Joe's suggestion of just making a decorative cover for the machine head and leave it up most of the time. Let's you keep the machine head up and able to stash it back in the corner when not in use while not 'over-using' the hinges/screws. Then you only need to find a new home for the vase!
ETA: Or perhaps even making a cover for the entire top with the hinged side up against the machine so the cover would enclose the entire top??? Would probably need some fairly stiff interfacing to keep the boxy shape.
Last edited by NJ Quilter; 10-03-2015 at 04:54 AM.