Easy Christmas Gift Ideas

[Mark Hulette]

Thought I'd ask the collective here for some fairly quick gift ideas- they will be for the folks that work for me (about 17). I'd like to be able to give something similar but not all exactly alike. :confused:

I've seen the cutting block by Mike Schwing but not sure how much time I'd be able to devote to that much gluing and setup. :eek:

I do have a Jet mini lathe but don't really want to do pens. Been thinking about some sort of candle stand with homemade candles (SWMBO's specialty) but I'm open to just about any thoughts...

Let me hear it... THANKS!

[Ted Shrader]

Mark -

Since LOYL does candles, I think your idea about a set of candlesticks for everyone would be a great idea. Six different profiles, three different woods, (or 3/6) would mix up the "identicalness" of the gifts. Also different candle - don't know how difficult that would be though.

Regards,
Ted

[Michael Stafford]

Confetti lamps are easy and usually appreciated. Cutting boards cut out of maple and about the same size and shape as a slice of bread are useful. Anything you take the time to make will be appreciated.

[Charles McKinley]

How about a turned ornament?

[Betsy Yocum]

Mark - since your wife does candels - you could do compound cut candlesticks on the bandsaw or scroll saw. They are easy to make - hardly any set up and there are lots of patterns to work with.

If you want a quick lathe gift though --- turned ornaments are quick, easy and well liked.

hope that helps.
Betsy

[Harry Pye]

These little turned acorn birdhouses might work. You can vary both the shapes and the type of wood and they are not difficult to make.

[George Tokarev]

If you've got a chuck for that mini, these make great quick gifts and build skills. Also helps that they're made from the scrap ends or boards that are just too pretty to toss and too small to use. Susan heaps 'em with fudge or cookies, wraps in cellophane with a bow, and takes them in to her co-workers.

Of course, as soon as I get off the wet wood and get back to shellac, this years' gifts will be finished. They got some two years ago, and requested another round. Also on the lathe, but they take longer.

Now the big question. You ever spelled the name without an "e?" Mom's people are from KY/WV area (Hatfield), but her mom married a Hulett.

Yes, THOSE Hatfields, but they married McCoys before the feud, according to the family bible.

[Michael Stafford]

George, your work is very nice. I always enjoy seeing posts of it. In your profile you list your occupation and that is my dream job also. I always wanted to be a kept man especially if the right woman was doing the keeping. Excuse my ignorance- Where is "Da Up"?

[Donnie Raines]

I am making a bunch of Shaker candle boxes.....maybe as easy as it gets...short of just handing someone a slab of wood.

[George Tokarev]

Sorry, when I first signed up, all I saw were cheeseheads, who would know that Da ("The" in Patois) UP is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Da Mitten, where the trolls live, is below the Mackinaw bridge, and is what most people think of as the entire state. We Yoopers beg to differ.

As to women, the only difference between the one who's been keeping me since I retired and the one I dreamed about in my youth (Wealthy, oversexed...) is that in my youth I used to dream that she owned a liquor store!

[Steve Inniss]

Mark:
A few years ago I made a bunch of carver's mallets out of dry firewood. They were a huge hit. see this thread near the bottom.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=13520

Also I noticed one of the free plans in October's Woodworkers eZine is a turned candle holder. Not that one needs a plan for a candle holder, but it's a nice one. It's since been changed to this month's free plans. I don't know if they are available in the archive here:

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/ezine/archivepage.cfm

If not leave me a PM and I'll send it to you.

George: What's the process for the "bowl" on the left please. -beautiful.
-Steve

[Andy London]

How about Bud Vases, they only take about 30 min each, the glass inserts cost about twenty cents (test tubes), I made these on a Jet mini....have 460 more to make for a store<G>

http://images.meredith.com/wood/neighborhoods/images/67401_4.jpg

[Mark Hulette]

If you've got a chuck for that mini, these make great quick gifts and build skills. Also helps that they're made from the scrap ends or boards that are just too pretty to toss and too small to use. Susan heaps 'em with fudge or cookies, wraps in cellophane with a bow, and takes them in to her co-workers.

Of course, as soon as I get off the wet wood and get back to shellac, this years' gifts will be finished. They got some two years ago, and requested another round. Also on the lathe, but they take longer.

Now the big question. You ever spelled the name without an "e?" Mom's people are from KY/WV area (Hatfield), but her mom married a Hulett.

Yes, THOSE Hatfields, but they married McCoys before the feud, according to the family bible.


George- Yes I've got a chuck for my mini and I'd also like some additional info on how to turn those bowls/platters.

My family tree actually branches out of Virginia and the "e" on the end wasn't added until they came here from Britain (I think). Don't know of any connection to the Hatfields or McCoys but considering some of my cousins, it wouldn't surprise me none! :D Our Virginian relatives had a preacher and a horse thief among them so I guess about anything's possible! :o

[Mark Hulette]

How about Bud Vases, they only take about 30 min each, the glass inserts cost about twenty cents (test tubes), I made these on a Jet mini....have 460 more to make for a store<G>


Andy- I really like the bud vase idea... where's a good place to get the tubes? Does Craft Supplies carry them? If I may ask, what kind of deal do you have set up with the store? Commission, flat rate or just wholesale? Thanks!

[George Tokarev]

Mark, Steve, the dish on the left is from a cherry offcut. Probably a seven inch board, probably a bit over an inch thick when rough. I bored a 1/4" deep 1" hole with a Forstner in what became the dished-in side, chucked it up and turned the bottom, making a 1/8 deep dovetailed recess for the second mounting. It turns like any other interrupted-edge piece, which means keeping the toolrest close and letting the wood come to the gouge. I start center, to give myself a place to lay my bevel to reference, then take cuts toward the outside, cutting with a 1/2" spindle, or all the way to a 1" forged gouge. Makes no difference, really, as long as you keep the cuts light, and keep a bit of a skew to the gouge, so that you're getting twisted shavings - remember your Physics - with the smooth side of the shaving out. If you're doing it right, the shavings drop directly down, and there's minimum pick-up on the uphill edges of the square. If you're getting chipout, take your spokeshave and chamfer the uphill edge back a bit so the unsupported parts become air, cutting down to them. Sand to taste - I power sand to 240 - and reverse to dish it out.

If you want all corners in the same plane, you take an initial levelling cut, then begin to go in. It's an interrupted cut, so keep the rest close and your tool firmly on the rest, being especially careful to keep the deepest point of your gouge's edge vertical to avoid a rough surface on a squirming piece. I find it helpful to keep a contrasting color base beneath, so I can see where the shadow begins. Not that it keeps me from getting dumb and barking my knuckles. Why is it we know how, but do otherwise?

From there, it's power sand if you do, then with the grain at 320 front and back, off the lathe. I just use shellac on cookie and candy dishes, something I can do in batches in front of the tube, or waiting at work for someone to need an ambulance.

Getting the wife to make the goodies is a different procedure.

If not clear, I can pop up a few lo resolution pictures to show. The curly is a board processed the same, except I wanted to sit it on "legs," so I reversed one final time to turn away my 1/8" recess. Cole jaws for me, whatever you choose for yourself.

Sounds like all folks from the hills are pretty much the same. I've never really found out why the branch moved to Missouri, but horse thievery may have had something to do with it. Or the feud.

[Andy London]

Andy- I really like the bud vase idea... where's a good place to get the tubes? Does Craft Supplies carry them? If I may ask, what kind of deal do you have set up with the store? Commission, flat rate or just wholesale? Thanks!

Thanks Mark, The idea was kind of my accident, we have a pile of burl offcuts and my 11 yr old daughter wanted something to put a flower in so we turned one together, loml loved it and when that happens<G> it's time to make some for the market. First week they were a hit, sold 12 in about 2 hours, one of the buyers owns 6 flower shops here in the city...we talked and she offered to buy outright 500. Prices range (wholesale $15. to $26) I do not do the consignment thing...we are just too busy with orders as I run a small picture framing and craft business.

The best deal I found on the tubes is a place called http://www.indigo.com/ I ordered 8 mm X 75 ,13 X 100,18 X 150 test tubes and they work great.

[Mark Hulette]

I think I have gotten some good ideas (Thanks George, Donnie, Steve & Andy for the followup).

Still not completely finalized but I'm a lot closer than I was!! :D :D

Hopefully, I can post pics of the final product!

[Jeremy Niemann]

Bottle stoppers are a good gift idea as well, especially when bundled with a bottle of wine. There are different kinds of stopper bottom kits that you can try, from chrome to cork.