Need project ideas, have woodworkers block!

[Biff Johnson]

My oldest daughter just got engaged and the date is a little over a year from now.
:)
I want to build the happy couple something exceptional as a wedding gift but I'm having major creative block.

This project should test my abilities and allow me to put to use some of the tools I've been stockpiling around here! (Really honey, some day I will use them! Just wait and see!). Well the time has come to put up or shut up!

I figure since I have a year this can really be something special. (Ok, ok....I probably won't actually start until a week beforehand and be in a caffeine induced woodworking frenzy). I know you don't know my skill level, etc. but I would really appreciate any ideas you might have or projects you've completed that have that special emotional flair.

FYI I have a ton of Myrtlewood lying about as well as a good selection of walnut and maple boards. Not a big fan of oak, prefer something very figured and eye-catching.

Thanks!

[Brian Tymchak]

I have something like this on my to-do list. Not sure if this fits what you are thinking about. Use some nice crotch walnut or mahogany for the top (I'm actually going to use crotch cherry).

[Kevin Bourque]

A cradle....hint-hint....:)

[Biff Johnson]

A cradle....hint-hint....:)

Lol...my wife has dropped enough heavy hints I may have to buy them hard hats!

[Paul Johnstone]

How about a nice bedroom dresser. Just about every couple that is just starting out can use one of those.
Would probably be used their entire life by them.

[Larry Browning]

Several years ago I made my granddaughter a grandfather clock on the occasion of her adoption. To this day that is my favorite project I have ever made. I had a small brass plate engraved to say "Handcrafted with love by your Grandfather to celebrate the day you joined our family" The clock still is the dominant piece in their living room. They tell me they brag on it to everyone who comes to visit them.
However it did take me almost a year to make, but I also have the reputation of being the slowest woodworker on the face of the earth!
I found the plans and movement at Klockit.

[Chad Bender]

Has the couple registered for china or other "special use" dishes or glassware? If so, I suggest a sideboard that they can use for storing said gifts. I'm in the middle of building one so the china my wife and I received can come out of its storage boxes and be available for more regular usage. Right now, using it involves lots of unpacking, washing, drying, stacking, rewashing, drying, and repacking.

If china/glassware isn't really their thing, then they've likely registered for linens. You can extend the sideboard into linen chests, or whatnot.

[Prashun Patel]

A Maloof style rocker is a good year long project. Of all the things I've made, it's the piece that people go ga-ga over. There are great commercial plans available for it, and I guarantee y'll learn some new skills building it.

The other nice thing about it is that it's a centerpiece of a room and doesn't need sister pieces to be complete. The problem with most casegoods is that they are part of several pieces that IMHO are very much taste-specific.

A cradle was my first thought, but that's a better gift for when/if they announce something's on the way.

[Kevin Gregoire]

im with chad, either a china cupboard or a cedar linen chest or hope chest.
but if a baby is in the future plans then a very nice cradle or something would
be a great gift.

[Larry Browning]

It would be useful to decide if you want to make something that is ornamental and special that has little practical use like the Maloof chair (which would be awesome BTW!) or the grandfather clock. Or something practical like the china cupboard, sideboard or bedroom furniture.
I'm thinking that a cradle might send a message that they might not want to deal with right now. I know that would be the case in my family. Somehow a baby cradle as a wedding present just doesn't seem right. It could send the message to wedding guests that she is already pregnant:eek:. Plus, You will usually have plenty of time to build a cradle after you find out they are expecting.

[Biff Johnson]

Great suggestions, keep 'em coming! I'm going for the practical yet heirloom quality. I had thought for a long time I'd like to make a chest but I just haven't come across a design that really makes me say "wow". Anybody have any photos of their, er, favorite chests?

The rocking chair is an awesome idea but unless it is a tandem design it seems a little singular for a wedding present. Although we all know the weddings and gifts are really for the bride anyway!

[Myk Rian]

I made our Grand-daughter a cradle when she was expecting. Turns out mothers prefer to use the wind-up swings.
It is in it's storage box, unused.

A year? How about a table and 4 chairs for the dining room or breakfast nook?
That ought to test your skills.

[Biff Johnson]

Now I'm thinking something on a smaller scale like a chest, nightstands, etc. I don't want to make something so large they would be forced to design their decor around it.

What ideas do you have for something smaller than say an armoire, dining set, etc. I loved the grandfather clock idea. My brother built an elaborate regulator clock for his wife, of course he had an entire CNC shop at his disposal.

You guys are getting the creative juices flowing, keep 'em coming! Photos help.

[gary Zimmel]

Being a fan of the Stickley boys, I think a Stickley Bridal Chest would end up being a nice wedding/heirloom gift...

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[Lee Schierer]

I've made two sets like this one for a friends wedding, the other for a nephew's, they were very well received. I gave the weather monitor as a shower gift and the cock as a wedding gift. The works came from Clock Kit and it have an electronic chime that silences itself at night if desired.235604235605

For both of my children I made a head board and matching dresser as a wedding gift.

[Biff Johnson]

Being a fan of the Stickley boys, I think a Stickley Bridal Chest would end up being a nice wedding/heirloom gift...

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Yes, I like this very much. Simple, understated but still elegant. Plus it throws in a little metalwork. This one goes on the short list.

[Biff Johnson]

I've made two sets like this one for a friends wedding, the other for a nephew's, they were very well received. I gave the weather monitor as a shower gift and the cock as a wedding gift. The works came from Clock Kit and it have an electronic chime that silences itself at night if desired.235604235605

For both of my children I made a head board and matching dresser as a wedding gift.

I like the clock very much! It would lend itself to some nicely figured wood and inscriptions. Plus the whole symbolic passage of time theme would be neat.

[Jim Finn]

Anybody have any photos of their, er, favorite chests?

!
Here is what I make of solid cedar. 24" long

[Biff Johnson]

Jim, that trunk is fantastic. Guess dimensions about 3' long? Were you working off plans or is that your own design? What is the finish?

Thanks!

[Chad Bender]

Here's an image of the (slightly modified) Stickly 732 I'm currently building, per my earlier suggestion. We've already got a mission theme going on, so choosing the general style was easy. The variations on that theme are endless. This is modeled after a Gustav original I found in "Making authentic craftsman furniture".

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[Jim Finn]

235745235746235747
I made up the design and have done different slight variants of it. I make them 24" long 16" high and 16" wide but have scaled them up about 15% a few times. I have made and sold about 50 of these. Most, I make of cedar but some of pine. The finish is Deft brush on Lacquer.

[Roger Feeley]

You can be sneaky. Find plans for a full bedroom set including cradle and crib. Then just build the dresser with a height that would be just about right for a changing table. Heh, heh. Then, when they take the next step, you build the crib. You will be the man with the plan.

[Roger Feeley]

How about some sort of vessel into which they can put all of their ticket stubs. I did this for a couple a while back and they loved it. From time to time, they would empty the thing and transfer the stubs to a scrapbook.

[Gary Radice]

How about asking your daughter and future SIL for their ideas, or at least a style they like?

[Gary Herrmann]

Are they getting a lot of china as gifts? You could make them one of those specialized china chests. Or a small hutch.

Blanket chests are always useful.

Serving trays, platters etc.

Do you turn? Wooden stems for champagne flutes, wooden goblets, salad bowl sets with fork and spoon - all kinds of things can be made on a lathe.

If they're thinking about furniture, you could make a voucher for a particular piece they want - even if they don't know what yet.

[Biff Johnson]

How about asking your daughter and future SIL for their ideas, or at least a style they like?


I thought about it but it would take all the fun out of the surprise!

[Alan Schaffter]

What size item are you looking to build. Something to consider about furniture- depending on their financial status they may be buying living room or bedroom furniture and anything you build would need to fit whatever style they decide on or it just becomes a piece to stick in a guest room. A couple exceptions might be a blanket or hope chest, tall clock as someone mentioned, or a curio cabinet. Does your daughter have any special collectables or awards for sports, music, etc. that would look nice in a special display case?

Many newlyweds aren't into silver much anymore, but if the couple is, how about a nice flatware case lined with silver cloth?

[Sam Murdoch]

Because I would not want to impose a design element into someone's home with a major piece such as a chest of drawers or dining room set - I lean towards Prashun's suggestion of a rocking chair. This can be a timeless piece that is always useful, can be blended in to any decor and is easily passed down through the generations. Also, it is a challenging woodworking project.

Otherwise, keeping in mind my concerns about imposing decor conflicts - my thought for a nice gift is to build a mirror with matching sconces. The mirror could be simple - just a decorative frame- or more furniture like with a drawer base and perhaps a small table top - curved? - but all wall hung, for entry, hallway or bedroom.

[Carl Beckett]

A full set of dining room chairs (I find chairs to be a pretty challenging project, so for me at least would take the full year to design/plan/execute.... Im on a batch now and am blocking out of my mind the actual date I started thinking about them). But this is furniture.

I like little boxes. A jewelry box for her and maybe just a small cash stash box for him. Have seen/done some really nice jewelry box designs, and they are fairly small projects (its all about the details and planning/execution on how fancy you want to make them). I regularly turn out boxes for people and they almost always are a hit. Some simple examples (but you can pretty easily go full out with drawers and dividers, etc etc):

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Picture frames. Maybe a bunch of these. Of course they will have pictures and some nice frames can be $$. Lots of ways to do these, but a nice size project.

I dont like big furniture. Only because houses/styles/ other decorating themes change over the years so 'may' not always fit in.

I have made a bunch of chests. The ones that have the most meaning are ones where you can start with a tree that she grew up with. (you have a year - cut down a tree and turn it into something and you can say it was made from the tree you used to swing in.... this goes for any of the projects, it just adds another emotional dimension to it, and shows you put some planning/thought into it). The only problem I have with chests is that over time, again they might not fit well into the household furniture. This is somewhat a problem of quantity though (I helped my step father build chests for all his grandchildren - some 12/13 in total, and this meant 3 in my house. To go with the chest I inherited from my mother that her father gave her when married, one I already had that came through the family, and another one that had some meaning to it. So 6 chests!! (might not be a problem if just starting out and arent going to keep getting chests in the future). My house runneth over with chests (actually have a couple of these just stacked in storage, and one as a toy chest which is fine until they get older... maybe then a nintendo box? - they arent that practical as furniture, especially if rounded tops nothing sits on them.

The clock idea is fun. If you really want to get into it, go for one that has the exposed wooden gears. These things are works of art, very unique, and will challenge your skill set.

[Biff Johnson]

More great ideas! Thanks!

I did a box for her for Christmas. Right now, I'm leaning towards the chest, mirror (Thanks, Sam) or clock ideas. The rocking chair would be great but I think I will save that for when there is a grand-child on the way...that's kind of a family tradition.

If anybody has a spin on those three ideas please let me know. Picked up a used Keller jig yesterday. Bring on the dovetails!

[Kenneth Speed]

Well, The taste of the recipients is of major importance. For most major woodworking/ furniture items you need to know what style to make before you can make it. I would have to say that the two most eye catching and most often WOW generating items I've ever made are beds followed by two freeform natural edge coffee tables. I made an extremey modern platform bed for myself with a slab of big leaf maple as a headboard( Ironically this is one of the easiest things I've ever made!) and the other thing which was very difficult to build with no additional help was a complete pencil post bed with tester in tiger maple. The client I made the bed for still raves about it and he and his wife have had it for at least ten years. As a matter of fact, I'll almost certainly be making the same client a Welsh dresser for their kitchen.

Ken

[Prashun Patel]

I vote for clock. Grandfather clock.

[George Gyulatyan]

Get a couple of those 500... books (500 tables, 400 boxes, etc) and have the couple go through them to get an idea what kind of style they gravitate towards. That way, you can then make something in the style that they like and it won't clash with the rest of the decor they go with.

Plus those books would be a great source of inspiration.

[Tom Fischer]

Great ideas above.
This one is a little simpler.

When my brother got married some years ago, I made a them an old tavern-type sign (or maybe the type of sign that you see in front of a public library. That's where I copied mine)
It was solid black cherry, probably 30" high, maybe 20" wide, by 5/4". Had some small cove moldings at the top.
I put a "blind hanger" on the back, can hang from a wall stud.
I don't have any pics of it, but representative stuff is on google images (http://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&q=old+tavern+sign&oq=tavern+sign&gs_l=img.1.1.0j0i5l4j0i24l2j0i5i24l3.1055.2797.0.4 975.11.10.0.1.1.0.118.946.6j4.10.0...0.0.TvY_iNaT5 eM&biw=1920&bih=910&sei=0QvyT6jIBcGn6wHEnInwBQ)
I found an artist who would letter it (oil paints)
Reads: Ye Ole Fischer House
Established 1984
The artists added much floral design (full color), and chaffs of wheat (apparently traditional symbols of fertility)
I gave it to them the night of the rehearsal party.
Anyway, my brother and his wife loved it, and my brother's father-in-law (known to "hold court" on occasions) thought it was outstanding.