Making Christmas Gifts?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Just curious if any of you make simple pieces to give as gifts. I just put some Danish oil on 24 trivets that I made on the router table. They took a little time, but very little material. I'll give them to the ladies at work, neighbors, etc.

It did get a little boring though. Each trivet has 5 grooves on a side, three passes per, so a total of 30 passes each on the table. Total of 720 passes. Probably closer to 750 if you count the screw ups in the kindling pile.

To make them a little more interesting, I put together some information about the wood (hard maple or coffeetree) as well as the finish. One side of the printed sheet has the wood information including a photo of the tree, the other side is about how they were made and an explanation of what Danish oil is and how to care for it.

Being a realist, I expect that some will sell for 15¢ in next spring's yard sale, but others will be used and appreciated for many years.

[Silvan]

No, unfortunately not. The gift I'm giving away is my highest achievement to date as a craftsman. I've been working on it for over a month now, I guess. It's a walnut and maple chess box. Pictures will be posted after it's received.

I made a bunch of "helping hands" card holders a couple years ago. I still have boxes of the things laying around here. I know what you mean about boring. Wouldn't necessarily want to work in a woodworking factory. (Not unless they let me play after hours maybe. :)

[Dave Balderstone]

I've been turning a bunch of tree ornaments from a pile of cherry pen blanks I've had gathering dust... Got a couple of dozen done and I'm going to turn another dozen or so today.

djb

[Ian Dodd]

I've been trying to think of a small project to get my 7 year old involved in the shop and to have someting he made for SWMBO. I saw plans yesterday in a magazine for a desk clock that looks like it wouldn't tax either of our skills. The design itself was not her style but could be easily modified. It'll be a nice addition to the built-in desk I recently finished that got me into this whole WW thing. Hopefully, we'll enjoy doing it together and she'll get something made by little hands. And if we screw up, her birthday is in January.

[Larry Bud]

I'm making a side table for my sister, as we pick names for Christmas. This year I asked what someone may like instead of guessing. Whether I get it done in time or not is unknown!

[Brian]

This would be a good starter project, and makes a great gift:

[Charles Krug]

I'm making a coffee table for SWMBO. Probably not the BEST choice, as it's my first big edge glue-up, my first M&T joinery, . .. you get the idea.

I'm working in Dad's shop. Mom and Dad live next door to my sister, with seven kids and a father who's about as handy as a sea slug, so naturally his two boys are interested in seeing what we're doing.

I soon discovered that the older boy likes to come into the shop when machines are running and say with a loud voice, "UNCLE CHARLES!! WHATCHA DOIN?"

No incidents so far, but I may be forced to chain him to a lally column in plain sight to avoid further incidents :-).