I have always loved wooden toys, but not loved paying for them. Have you seen how expensive they are? I found a few tutorials online for making my own, and figured I would make up the cost of buying the toys if I just bought a scroll saw, and made them myself. I got mine at Harbor Freight for around $79. You can find them in the classifieds for much less, but I was impatient!
Warning... this is addictive!
Warning... this is addictive!
First, pick your wood. I tried a few different kinds out before settling on pine. Pine works the best. It is very soft, so it cuts well. Also, it doesn't have adhesive holding different layers together, and making it hard to cut. One other thing... I have heard the adhesive can be toxic to breathe when it is cut.
Make sure it fits on your wood, and use up as much of the wood as you can. See how I fit bushes on the sides of the tree? I don't want to waste anything!
One other thing... remember if you are planning on standing something up, it will need a large base. See how I added the extended base when I cut the tree out? I learned this by trial and error.
Strap on those safety glasses! Don't mind that the only makeup I have on is left over mascara dripping under my eyes from the day before.
Talk about instant gratification!!! All that's left to do is sand and paint. I sanded most of the pieces with a sanding block - you know the kind that is foam in the middle? Then for Christmas, Santa brought me a dremel tool. I did the rest that way, and it was SO EASY!
Paint it up, and your kids will have unique toys that no one else has! Ya, I didn't use the pine trees, because I didn't want it to look at all like Christmas, as my son's birthday was right after Christmas, and gnomes wear red hats.
Have a Happy and Creative Day!
Risa
Risa