Continuing with "Pocket Projects", here's a really simple but fun one. These little trees make great spur of the moment gifts. What I mean is that when you whittle in public and someone stops and talks a bit about what you're carving; have one for them. At Christmas time they are especially nice to give to waitresses along with a tip. I've even had kids carve them for the teachers at Christmas time. Here's what I'm referring to:
Just add some paint and glue to this illustration and you have everything you need. If I'm out and about one pocket full of cutouts and one full of the completed pins work out fine.
Just start out with your knife and shape the trees, a few stop cuts and paring cuts per tree. Paint the tree green with brown trunk. Apply white paint for the snow on the branches (or not) and use 3-D red paint for the ornaments. Use the applicator bottle to apply small dots of the paint. Finally when paint is dry glue the pin back on. To make small tree ornaments glue the tree to a cross section to a tree limb instead of a pin back.
How easier can this one be?
What a very timely project! And those little things are quite expensive to buy in the shops! Do you use a pattern to create the trees or did you draw it freehand?
ReplyDeleteDeborah,
ReplyDeleteI sketch the tree on a piece of 1/4" Basswood, cut it out then use the cutout as a pattern for the next pieces. Thanks for the comment...
Tom H