Making Gifts Out of Your Workshop
5 Gifts That You Can Make With the Scraps In Your Workshop
Ah, the holidays. The lights, the decorations, the wonderful smells, the gift giving. All these things give us the warm feeling that comes around this time of year. Along with all this is the many gatherings of family and friends. How can you get gifts for everyone without breaking the bank? One of the answers might lie in your shop. Using simple scraps of wood lying around your shop, you can create gifts for everyone on your list. Below I have listed five different items that you can make in your shop using scraps of wood.
Picture Frames
Picture frames hold pictures of loved ones and allow us to be able to look at them as we go about our day. They remind us of what is important in life as we struggle with our hectic days. They help keep us grounded to what is important. Giving a picture frame as a gift to someone allows them to place pictures of their treasures so that they can look at them whenever they want. You can even include a picture of you and them in a favorite memory to make it more special.
It doesn’t take much to make these. Use scraps of wood between 1” to 2” wide. Hardwoods work best, but you can use softwoods as well as plywood to create unique creations as well. You can go for a simple look or route a profile on the wood to make it a little bit nicer. You can use whatever type of joinery that you are comfortable with. You will see these mitered, half lapped, or butted together. If you miter, consider using a spline to reinforce the joint. A spline in a contrasting colored wood can give your frame an extra touch.
Stain, paint, or leave these frames natural. If not painting, use some sort of finish such as polyurethane, wax, varnish, or clear epoxy to protect the wood.
A picture frame is a simple gift to be able to make. However, the memories invoked when someone looks at the picture in the frame can last a lifetime.
Wooden Ornaments
Just like picture frames, ornaments can also invoke special memories and emotions. Some of the best ornaments on our tree are ones that have been crafted by various family members. As we put them up every year, we remember the people that gave them to us.
Ornaments can be simple to complex all depending on how much time and effort that you want to put into them. Simple ornaments can be Christmas shapes cut out on the bandsaw or jigsaw. They are made of wood or plywood and painted. More complex ornaments could be turning segmented ornaments or finial type of ornaments on the lathe. A laser engraver, or a CNC machine can add details to an ornament that make it special to the person receiving it. Adding key dates to special ornaments (baby’s first Christmas etc.) can make them treasured heirlooms that are on the tree year after year.
Wooden ornaments are a great gift to give. Giving them year after year will allow you to be able to create a living history for your friends and family. As they put up the ornaments each year, they will remember the great times that went along with them.
Charcuterie Boards
This is another great gift to give, especially to friends or family that entertain a lot. The boards can be a simple cut out shape. They can be more complex by using different types of woods. Glue the different woods together to create a pattern or design.
You will want to use scraps of hardwood. Softwoods and plywoods are generally not ever recommended for food contact. Since this will be contacting food, you will need to make sure that the finish that you use is food safe. There are different types of oils and waxes that you can use that are food safe. Check with your finish supplier to find the right finish for your boards.
Games
Everyone loves playing games. Who doesn’t, right? Why not give the games as presents? One year, my dad made my brother, my sisters and I little tic-tac-toe travel games. These were simple boxes to store the pieces and the lid was the playing surface. It was a great gift. I still have mine and will put it out and play with my daughter.
The games can be simple (such as tic-tac-toe) or more complex (checkers, or chess). The amount of time and effort that you want to put in is up to you. You can find all kinds of plans online for different types of games. The great thing about games is that everyone is going to love them. Again, you are spending quality time with friends and family members when you play them.
The games can be small travel sized games. They can be larger outdoor types of games. They can also be anything between. It all depends on the amount of scrap that you have in your shop. Tic-tac-toe, dominoes, cribbage and checkers make great travel games. Checkerboards, and chess sets are good table top types of games. An example of an outdoor type of game would be cornhole boards. If you are making travel games, consider using magnets to help hold the pieces in place. Another thing to consider for both travel games and tabletop games is storage for the pieces. Creating a box and having the playing surface on the top allows you to use the box for storage of the playing pieces.
Toys
For the kids on your list, making toys is something that is easy to do and creates a lot of joy for the kids. Trucks, boats, planes, trains, building blocks, puzzles, and pull toys are all examples of different types of toys that you can make. You can find many resources for different types of plans for toys.
The toys can be simple or they can be heirloom type of toys. They can be made of any type of hardwood, softwood or plywood. The big thing to remember is that since kids will be using these, sanding is critical. Even though you think that it is a place where kids can’t get to, sand it anyway. You don’t want rough spots or places where the kids can get splinters. Another good tip is to round over edges.
It is always fun to make toys for kids. You put in time and effort and watch them play with something that gives them joy. Don’t be too disappointed though if they end up playing with the box or the wrapping paper that your toy came in. For them, that is a toy too.
Hopefully, you have found a few ideas that you can use to make presents using the scraps in your workshop. Your family and friends will treasure these gifts. They are heartfelt, made with love, and given especially for them.
