Need ideas for Christmas presents

[Jamie Buxton]

Puzzles. You can make them with any degree of difficulty, depending on your audience.

[Al Launier]

Jamie, that's a good idea. In fact that leads me to consider puzzle boxes. Thanks

[rudy de haas]

I am making my wife two drawer organizers for cutlery. The ones she got from a store are terrible.

[Mike Ontko]

Here's another quick idea -- nail and callus files. They're relatively simple to make but you can certainly get creative using different lamination and carving techniques. Once you've got the wooden part completed, just use a little spray adhesive to glue on a 100 or 150 grit cutout piece of drywall sandpaper.

[Al Launier]

Here's one you folks might consider. To those I made these for they have told me these are the best they have ever used. Who am I to argue/

[Michael Costa]

Sorry, I can't help myself. Chia Pet.

[Al Launier]

Sorry, I can't help myself. Chia Pet.

Now that is a very interesting & funny suggestion. I might just give those out to my bald headed friends & family. Sorry, couldn't help myself.

[Keith Outten]

For many years I have been making Christmas ornaments for family, friends and people that my wife and I do business with throughout the year. My ornaments list grows almost every year, the list has decreased a couple of times when the design gets more complicated and the time required to make them forces me to reduce the numbers. My wife and daughters usually submit the names of their friends and people they work with each year and we work up reasonable number based on the final design. I do make generic ornaments, for instance with Christmas 2018 engraved rather then the person's name so I have some to give away to clerks at the grocery store, the bank, etc. I would have to check my projects list to see how many years I have been making ornaments but I think I started about 18 years ago, the one exception is 2017 because I hurt my back and was unable to work.

This year I hope to be able to produce two ornaments for our family members to make up for last year and to assure that everyone has a complete set of ornaments which is now a family tradition.

[Lee Schierer]

I made a couple of tea caddies, one for my wife and one for a charity fund raiser. Both were very well received.
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[Chris Fairbanks]

This year I hope to be able to produce two ornaments for our family members to make up for last year and to assure that everyone has a complete set of ornaments which is now a family tradition.

Keith, do you have any pictures of previous years ornaments you can share? Looking for some ideas myself. I have been saving the stump of each of of our Christmas trees since my oldest son was born 7+ years ago. Used some of the wood last year to make turned snowmen ornaments for the grandparents and they were a hit. Looking for some other turned and flat ideas for 2018. Thanks

[Keith Outten]

Chris,

I'll try to find pictures of my older ornaments this evening and share them.

[Charlie Hinton]

Tablet/phone stand.

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[Roger Feeley]

games have always been a hit with my extended family. The first one I made was a game called Mancala. It's just a board with 14 pits and a bag of stones. I've made chinese checker boards, checker boards, and dominoes.
I've also done ice cream scoop and pizza cutter sets.

I've also made a point of 'archiving' wood with significance to my family.
-- I have wood from the ranch where my dad grew up in Montana around 1915. The ranch is long gone and turned into an estate for some millionaire complete with artificial creek.
-- I have wood from the house where my mom grew up around 1920. The house is still there. I lucked into the wood because they were doing some renovations and I talked them out of some original wood.
-- I have the wood that was my dads first office desk.
-- I have the wood from my daughters crib (doesn't meet regulations).

Since my dads ranch really isn't a place anymore, I used some of the wood and made christmas ornaments in the shape of Montana. I inlaid a little brass dot where the ranch was. On the back, I lettered the latitude and longitude.

One year, my wife and I went to England and took a metal spinning class from Terry Tynan. We brought home some bowls and painted them up nice. Then my wife made soap.

We can always outdo my family. I plan months in advance and make the gifts. They order Harry and David. One year, we got a broken crystal vase. I wouldn't have wanted it if it weren't broken and never mentioned it.

My wife took on the christmas presents this year. She's doing a selection homemade soap in a slump glass bowl. In a way, I kind of miss doing the presents but she should have her day in the sun.

[Rich Enders]

Al,

I made up a few of these folding bookstands and the beta version (to my sweety) has been well received. It is from the June 2018 issue of PopularWoodworking by Christopher Schwarz. It definitely solves the size problem. Photo attached.IMG_3064.JPG

[Al Launier]

Some really good ideas above!