10 spring Scroll saw projects to beat the winter blues
Springtime can’t get here soon enough! Our headquarters, located in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, is covered with snow. Our winter days are right at freezing and our nights dip into the teens but to us, cold weather is the perfect excuse heat up the workshop to learn a new craft, work on our skills, or put together a woodworking project that makes us think of warmer days. Below you will find 10 past and present Spring projects from Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Magazines that will hopefully inspire you to crank up that space heater in your workshop and create something!
Banner photo: Spring Ducks in a Row
By Kathy Wise
Spring is in the air, and ducklings are paddling on the pond or marching through the grass in an adorably fluffy line. These intarsia ducklings are equally versatile. Mount them on a background as shown and consider woodburning a message or adding hooks to make the piece functional. Or, separate the ducklings to decorate a picture frame, adorn an Easter basket, or make a magnet. For the technique focus, I will show you how to adjust the background pieces to ensure that the ducklings fit tightly. Use these versatile intarsia ducklings to make adorable spring decorations with Kathy’s instructions in the Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Spring 2018 Magazine.
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Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts is the must-have manual designed to help you get maximum enjoyment from working with a scroll saw. Packed with dozens of full-size, professionally drawn patterns, each issue offers step-by-step, photo-illustrated instructions for all types of scrolling. From easy weekend projects to complex creations that will challenge your woodworking skills, you’ll always find something that will have you eager to start making sawdust!
10 Scroll Saw Projects for spring
Intarsia Songbirds
By Levi Dojczman
Our workshop is tucked away on the edge of the Green Swamp Nature Preserve in North Carolina. You would think with a name like that, the area would be full of snakes, alligators, and an army of mosquitoes. Very true! However, it is also full of sweeter residents, including a variety and abundance of songbirds, which persist in filling the air with cheery melodies every spring. These three songbird designs are a great way to make a dent in that growing pile (or, for many scrollers, piles!) of scrap wood. We typically avoid stains or dyes, but many birds have a vibrant color that can be difficult to portray through natural wood. For
those specific colors, we recommend using wood dye
such as TransFast®, but you can certainly substitute
our choices with different types of wood.
Desktop Zen Garden
By Carol and Homer Bishop
This Zen garden offers you peace and serenity as you transform the sand and stones into a flowing landscape. Take a break and calm the senses by rearranging the rock garden and creating graceful lines in the smooth sand. The project makes a delightful gift for friends and family and is sure to add serenity to their lives while improving your karma. This project combines basic box-making and intarsia techniques. The built-in sliding drawer is the perfect place to store the dowel rake and extra stones. Build your own tranquil garden with this step-by-step tutorial and full-size pattern in Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Spring 2009 Magazine.
Easter Bunny egg Holders
By Shelli Nixon
Spring is a celebrated time of year in Northern Alberta.
After long winters, we look to the longer days of sunshine,
melting snow, and plants and flowers turning the world green again. With the return of Spring comes the return of the Easter Bunny. Sporting playful patterns and bearing gifts, my egg holder bunnies are sure to please! Easy to cut and fun to paint, these cute patterns are available in the new Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Spring 2019 Magazine.
Butterfly Scroll Saw Box
By Gary MacKay
I based the design for this butterfly box on a photo of a real butterfly. The box is a standard stacked-ring design; I use two 3/4″-thick rings, but you can use more rings to make a deeper box. What makes it different is that there are four separate lids for the four compartments. The colorful butterfly disguises the different lids. Find this detailed pattern and step-by-step by Gary in the Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Spring 2014 Magazine.
Key to my heart scroll saw puzzle
By Niklas Oberfeld, Cut by Rolf Beuttenmuller
The axle and key puzzle is one of the simplest 3-D
puzzles to make. Playing with it is pretty simple,
too. Just slide the puzzle pieces down the central axle
in their correct order, and then lock the last piece onto
the axle with a plug or key. I don’t know when I designed my first axle and key puzzle, but it was way before I knew most of the tricks and techniques an average scroller takes for granted. It was a heart puzzle with a key-shaped key. For this project, I made a variation on my old plans by using two colors of wood and alternating them to give the
heart a striped look. It will add some complexity to the
workflow, but the result is worth it. To make up for
that, the piece is very forgiving. You can stray from the
lines considerably without messing up the final result. Follow along with Niklas’ tutorial in the Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Spring 2016 Magazine.
3D Easter Eggs
By Fred and Jean Byers
With Easter right around the corner, I wanted to make a scrolled project that would challenge my skills as a designer and produce an attractive
project for display. The hollow Easter egg looks a lot more difficult to make than it really is. The project is made entirely on the scroll saw and doesn’t take a lot of time to make. We presented the finished egg and our plans at a meeting of the Anchorage, AK, Scroll Saw Club, and there was a lot of interest. The plans allow for originality in the designs used, the wood selection, and the finish. This technique could easily be modified to make a number of different objects, such as Christmas ornaments. Make this impressive decoration with Fred and Jean’s step-by-step tutorial and pattern in the Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Spring 2005 Magazine.
Air Plant Holders
By Sue Mey, Cut by Rolf Beuttenmuller
Exotic air plants seemingly thrive on oxygen alone, so they can be tucked into all kinds of cool containers. Show off your scrolling skills by making custom wooden holders for these popular plants. Because large pieces of wood won’t fit in a scroll saw, I cut four smaller pieces and glue them together into one large piece. The success of the project depends on two factors: precisely cutting or sanding the blanks to size before applying the patterns, and carefully and consistently cutting on the pattern lines. If the clearance on your saw does not allow you to cut the almost 2″ (51mm)-thick material, reduce the size of the pattern slightly and use the largest wood your saw will accommodate. This tutorial was originally featured in the Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Spring 2017 Magazine, however, you can get the free tutorial and pattern on our magazine website here!
Decorative Foliage Votive Holders
By John A. Nelson, Cut by Dale Helgerson
This simple design produces an impressive, functional project. The cutting is straight-forward and assembly is a snap, making it easy to craft a large inventory in a short period of time. I suggest an attractive, but reasonably softwood. Maple and walnut are both good choices. Dale cut this piece from maple. If you choose a softer wood, such as poplar or basswood, you can stain the holder to match your décor. Keep in mind that you will
be cutting relatively thick wood. Cutting exotic woods, such as padauk or ebony, will require more patience. Cut this clever compound-cut design with John’s pattern and tutorial in the Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Spring 2008 Magazine.
Magic Woodworking Basket
By Carole Rothman
Collapsible baskets come in many shapes and sizes. They emerge from a flat piece of wood as if by magic and can collapse just as quickly for easy storage. These baskets can be made in two different ways: with the spiral part swinging freely from a frame, or with the spiral part locked
into place by the handle. Although somewhat more
demanding to make, those with locking handles, like
this wavy basket, more closely resemble conventional baskets and are similar in capacity and stability. Carole will walk you through her full tutorial in the Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Spring 2018 Magazine.
victorian Birdbath
By Paul Meisel
This classic white birdbath is the perfect compliment to any
lawn. This birdbath uses readily available materials, primarily 1/2″-thick plywood and 3/4″-thick pine. Paint the project white for a striking contrast to your green lawn or choose colors that compliment your house. A 14″-diameter saucer is used for the water tray. This type of saucer is sold in nurseries and garden stores for use as drip trays under large flowerpots. They are inexpensive and readily available. I prefer plastic to clay simply because they are more durable. Because saucers vary in size between manufacturers, it is best to purchase yours before beginning the project. To build this striking birdbath with Paul, check out the Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Spring 2006 Magazine.
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