Simple & Fast Gifts?

[Keefaz]

Hi all. I've finally got all tools transferred to the new place (90% hand tools) and am looking to put them to use. A friend has a birthday in a few days and I thought it'd be nice to put something together for her. Any ideas? I'm not very good at this woodwork lark, really, so the easier the better! I don't have piles of wood, but a few nice bits of mahogany, cedar, etc. for making boxes and the like.

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Depends on the lass, and how much time you can put into it - the following could be made simply:
If bookish, then book ends, book stand, novelty book mark
Similar "ends" if into CDs, DVDs
If into cooking, then chopping block, knife block, trivet, recipe book stand, bread bin, tea caddy...
Likes oriental food? Chopstick stands
Stationery box, desk tidy, pencil case
They also seem to like randomly shaped lumps of wood

[Edit] And then of course, there's the proverbial Tissue Box :lol:

 

[AndyT]

All good ideas there.

I'd just add that you can make nice little boxes very quickly - I mean something matchbox size that will hold a pair of earrings or a brooch. Because they are so small, you can just cut thin pieces of showy wood and glue them together with no need for complicated joints. For hinged lids, use a wire pin through the side; or else use a lid that sits on, with a rebate round the edge.
There are endless variations, and the appeal is largely in the wood itself.

Of course, it's much nicer to receive a box with something in it, so you may need to take up jewellery making as well ... do you have any pieces you could polish into beads?

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Tea light

tealight-for-a-secret-santa-t56612.html

Pete

 

[Keefaz]

All good ideas there.

I'd just add that you can make nice little boxes very quickly - I mean something matchbox size that will hold a pair of earrings or a brooch. Because they are so small, you can just cut thin pieces of showy wood and glue them together with no need for complicated joints. For hinged lids, use a wire pin through the side; or else use a lid that sits on, with a rebate round the edge.
There are endless variations, and the appeal is largely in the wood itself.

Of course, it's much nicer to receive a box with something in it, so you may need to take up jewellery making as well ... do you have any pieces you could polish into beads?

How would you glue the sides? Just mitre joints around? Never thought of making a simple box. :lol: Whenever I've tackled a box it's been a saga.

 

[marcros]

If you mitre the sides, which many people do, you need to make sure that the angles are exactly right. A plane and shooting board is probably the easiest way of doing so.

 

[AndyT]

All good ideas there.

I'd just add that you can make nice little boxes very quickly - I mean something matchbox size that will hold a pair of earrings or a brooch. Because they are so small, you can just cut thin pieces of showy wood and glue them together with no need for complicated joints. For hinged lids, use a wire pin through the side; or else use a lid that sits on, with a rebate round the edge.
There are endless variations, and the appeal is largely in the wood itself.

Of course, it's much nicer to receive a box with something in it, so you may need to take up jewellery making as well ... do you have any pieces you could polish into beads?

How would you glue the sides? Just mitre joints around? Never thought of making a simple box. :lol: Whenever I've tackled a box it's been a saga.

Just butt joints - keep it simple!

You could mitre if you wanted. I did do a few which were hollowed out from the solid. (Use a flat bottomed forstner bit into the rough piece of wood, then saw and plane afterwards to sneak up on the hole and leave the sides as thin as practical.)