Who is building something for Mother's Day?

[Derek Cohen]

This Sunday is Mother's Day in most Western countries.

Wives and mothers get gifts.

Woodworkers have a great excuse to spend time in the shop!

Who is building something, and what? Show-and-tell on Sunday?

Regards from Perth

Derek (finishing off a small Shaker table)

[Steve Friedman]

That would be a great idea, but I think I would need to take a jewelry-making class first. On the plus side, it would open up a whole new world of tools to acquire and give me a reason to build another workbench dedicated to it.

Steve

[Karl Andersson]

This year it's a complete bathroom gut and rebuild (for my wife), so not much woodworking involved until the cabinets are ready.

Last year I was out of the country on mother's day, but for Christmas did this jewelry-hanging board (if that's what it's called). No joinery, just a lot of carving on a 14x24x 1.5-inch plank of butternut.

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My wife and girls love the ones I've made - not as tangly as a jewelry box - and it can be just a nice panel with knobs if you don't have time to carve...just an idea, guys.

Later,
Karl

[Jim Koepke]

Karl,

That is beautiful. I am not going to let my wife see it until I am ready to make one.

jim

[Steve Friedman]

I agree with Jim. Karl - that's impressive. A great idea, very creative, and shows lots of skill. How long did all that carving take you?

Steve

[Karl Andersson]

Thanks for the compliments guys, sorry for the delay - been trying to shoehorn extra floor joists under the old bathroom (ugh).

Steve, as far as how long it took to do the carving (not including design time)...about 60 hours weekends and evenings. It would have taken a bit longer, but I had to modify the design -less leaves- so the finish would dry by Christmas morning. Happens all the time with my projects, unfortunately.

Jim, I'm not sure if the idea is original, but my daughter was hanging all her jewelry on the corners of her mirror instead of using the box and necklace tree she had, so I made her one of these. Hers is a jungle scene with toucan, snake, frog, etc - the trick is to make it high-enough relief that the necklaces will hang on. Earrings stay best in through-holes, so the holes should be part of the design or - like this green man example, hidden behind design elements (leaf veins mostly). If you do one, test it before final finish to make sure the jewelry stays put.

By the way, because this green man was for my wife, it is a sort-of self portrait; that's why it is my avatar. Kind of freaky to see me hanging on the wall every day...

[Don Orr]

No mothers alive anymore and we have no kids so my wife is not even a mother. Lots of memories though !

Beautiful work Karl !!!

[Steve Friedman]

No mothers alive anymore and we have no kids so my wife is not even a mother. Lots of memories though !


Nice try Don, but you can't get away that easy!

It may have started as a day to honor mothers, but Mother's Day no longer has anything to do with being a mother - it's sort of evolved into "Women's Day." Hallmark agrees with me - look at how many "Mother's Day" cards don't say anything about motherhood to give to spouses, children, aunts, godchildren, godparents, etc.

So, go make a gift for your wife!

Steve

[glenn bradley]

I normally make something but completely failed this year. Too many distractions I guess. I'll work the conversation around during Mother's Day dinner to find out what she might like made for her and deliver it somewhere down the road.

[Don Orr]

Nice try Don, but you can't get away that easy!

It may have started as a day to honor mothers, but Mother's Day no longer has anything to do with being a mother - it's sort of evolved into "Women's Day." Hallmark agrees with me - look at how many "Mother's Day" cards don't say anything about motherhood to give to spouses, children, aunts, godchildren, godparents, etc.

So, go make a gift for your wife!

Steve
Thanks Steve, great way to think about it !

[glenn bradley]

Oh yeah, since I tanked on making something for Mother's Day,

I checked . . .

233 Days, 4 Hours, 2 Minutes
until Christmas of '2010

[Rick Markham]

I'm right behind ya Glenn... Christmas time is around the corner... better start now!

[Joe Cunningham]

Oh yeah, since I tanked on making something for Mother's Day,

I checked . . .

233 Days, 4 Hours, 2 Minutes
until Christmas of '2010

Ha, I am still working on a Christmas 2009 present. :cool: The wood is taking a while to acclimate to my shop ... ;)

[glenn bradley]

The wood is taking a while to acclimate to my shop ... ;)

Hey, that's a good one. Can I use that? :D:D:D

[Rick Erickson]

My Mother's Day gift is to stay out of the shop. My tool cabinet build will have to be put on hold this weekend.

[Andrew Gibson]

My fiance's Birthday is the 14th. I thought about making her a small Jewelry box with some of the scrap wood I have laying around... The problem is I have all these saw handles to get done, and I "need" the saws to build the present for her... I don't think the finish would dry anyway... I think some of the curly maple scraps will make for a nice box as well so she will just have to patient on that one. our 6 year anniversary is in september so maybe I will get something done for her by then...

[Zach England]

The live-edge bench is not going to be finished. FAIL!

[Leigh Betsch]

I told my wife that I would let her use my new respirator on mothers day. She rejected the gift!;)