Try making plywood Christmas decorations.
Christmastime is not only a time of celebration but also a time of great creativity. Handmade decorations brighten up the drabbest areas in the cold of winter, while Christmas lights make everything sparkle. Although stores will try to sell you Christmas wares months in advance, you can easily make your own from simple materials like plywood. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Clamp a section of 1/4-inch plywood for interior projects, or 1/2-inch plywood for exterior projects, to your workbench. Choose between a jigsaw for the larger decorations or maybe a scroll saw for the smaller, more intricate items.
2. Trace the outlines of the Christmas decorations on the plywood. Use graph paper transfers to copy small objects to a larger scale if you need artistic help. Try making lawn standups like deer, wrapped presents or Christmas characters.
3. Cut out plywood triangles about half of the height of the decorations to act as braces for your standups. A triangle with an angle of 85, 45 and 50 degrees will hold the decoration upright with a slight lean toward the back. Cut out two braces for longer objects like deer.
4. Cut out the tracings following your marks on the plywood. Let the scroll saw or the jigsaw do the work without pushing the blade too quickly, which may cause it to break. Change the blade if necessary during large projects. Use coarser-toothed blades for the large cuts and fine-toothed blades for the intricate cuts. Sand all edges of the decorations smooth.
5. Drill holes in your plywood decorations for hanging using an electric drill. For larger standup decorations, attach the triangular supports perpendicular to the back of the standing decorations. Use two 2-inch L-brackets on either side of the brace to hold it in place. Position the brace in the middle of the back of the decoration and use 1/2-inch wood screws to secure the brackets.
6. Paint the decorations with exterior paint and small paintbrushes, making sure to paint the edges of the plywood to keep water from making it swell and warp. Include the support braces in your painting. Dry the cutouts overnight.
7. Apply a coating of exterior, high-gloss polyurethane for further protection and extra gloss, using a 2-inch paintbrush for the large objects and a small 1-inch brush for the smaller decorations. Work in an area with good ventilation to remove the fumes and to help dry the plywood decorations.
Tags: braces your, Christmas decorations, like deer, plywood decorations