More on the wooden snowflakes

I wanted to answer a few questions about the snowflakes. The most common question was is how to slice them up if you dont have a band saw. In this mere Minutes video I suggest using a handsaw which I think would work pretty well. If you have a scroll way, I think that is another option, assuming its wide enough. If you have any other idea, post them in the comments section.
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Make a wooden wall hanging showing off where you live

Been wondering what to do with all those tiny scraps of wood youve been saving? Heres a project you can make in no time flat. Gather up a mixed bag of cut-offs or pallet wood, glue them to a board and cut out the shape of your home state, province or country.
Make your own and post a video!Shoot a short video of what you made and post it as a video response to my video on YouTube*. I think it will be fun to see all the places people are woodworking.
Find a map that you want by doing a quick Google Images search, print it out, paste it on your boards and cut it out with a jig saw, scroll saw, or band saw.
I made my home state out of various scraps of pallet wood. The interesting thing about pallets is that the wood all ages differently, giving you different hues and colors.
For my second cut-out, I used a map of Brazil. I wanted to give a shout-out to my Portuguese-speaking friends in South America. Over the years of doing Woodworking for Mere Mortals, I have made friends with quite a few Brazilian woodworkers who I have found to be among the most creative people I know. Olá amigos! Obrigado pelo vosso apoio. (I hope Google Translate didnt just mangle that!)

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How to make a wooden necktie

After seeing a bunch of ads for wooden neckties, I decided to make my own. These things sell for $50 online, but you can make one with a little scrap lumber and elastic.
I think these would make great Christmas gifts. Wearing a wooden necktie is certainly a conversation starter!
If you would like to make one, heres a template.

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I recently heard from Tanner in Maryland. Hes a 13-year-old woodworker with some very creative ideas. Check out some of the stuff hes been making.

Pine shelf:

Cherry and mahogany soap rack:

Dont think Ive ever seen a wooden protractor before!

My favorite...a knife made out of a saw blade, with a cherry handle:

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Remember the single-sheet-of-plywood bookcase a couple weeks ago? Bill Bumpus was ahead of me! He build this shoe rack back in December. I love this style.

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I was delighted to see Travis Johnsons version of my wacky Jetsons wall clock. Looking at this clock just makes me happy.

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Book boxes are  great gift projects. Jeffrey Berry made two from Mothers Day. One for his mom and his mother-in-law. Love the cover treatments!

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For you lovers of pallet wood projects, Ive got a new one coming up this Friday! In the meantime, heres a great deck table from Carmen Slentz.

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And heres Matt Eppersons version of my little patio side table.

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Wait, whats this? Yep...another wheelbarrow. This one from Nathan Kitchen.

And this cool reclaimed-wood table:

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Mere Minutes

Heres a follow up to last Fridays end table project. And definitely check out the end of the video to see a really cool music stand.

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Wooden necktie posse

Dallas Diehls made ties for his entire posse. Love it!

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to make wooden wind spinner

This project was inspired by Carmen Salamone who sent over a picture of a neat little wind spinner he made out of cedar. I have seen these before: they seem to be common at craft fairs. I can understand why. They are super easy to make and there is a lot of room for customization. They have a pretty good profit margin.
Woodworking optionsFor mine, I used stock 3/4" pine boards and ripped them into 3/4" strips, which I then cut to various lengths. This was all very simple on my table saw but if you dont have one, you might be able to find thin strips of wood at your local home center that will do the trick. You can cut them to length using a hand saw or jig saw.

The only other bit of woodworking involves drilling a hole through the center of each piece. I used my drill press to speed up the process and to ensure they were all centered, but you should be able to drill holes with a hand drill. Mark the centers carefully so the finished spinner will be balanced.
HardwareI used a length of 1/4" threaded rod and attached an eye bolt to one end using a coupler. I locked these into place with a thread sealant (Loctite) and attached a swivel clip to the top. We havent had any strong winds since I built this but I would like for it to spin in slight breezes, so I am going to try a barrel swivel instead and see if that spins better. You can find these at sporting goods stores: fishermen use them to attach lures to lines.
Get creative!The fun of this project is really in the decorating and painting. I chose to make a rainbow pattern on mine because I like bright colors and wanted this to contrast with all the earth tones outside. This would be a great project to get the kids involved!
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West Virginia.Nigeria.Georgia.Oregon.New Zealand.

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