Wooden Christmas tree

Made by a student of 7 years old

You need:

1. plywood 14 by 18 cm
2. pencil
3. ruler
4. jigsaw
5. nails
6. hammer
7. tempera paint
8. brush
9. block of wood 6 by 3 by 1 cm
10. 2 blocks of wood 5 bij 2 bij 1 cm
11. small Christmas decorations
12. silver cardboard
13. glue

Draw on the narrow side of the plywood a dot on 9 cm. Draw two lines from the corners below at this dot so you get a triangle. Saw this triangle. Paint it green with tempera paint. Spike at different spots on the front and back of the tree little nails for the Christmas decorations.

Create a standard of three blocks of wood by pasting the smaller blocks with a half cm space between them on the largest block. Paint the standard. Hang the balls and garlands on the nails. Cut a double peak out of silv and paste the two pieces together. Paste the peak on the tree.
Decorate the tree with little clocks, balls, socks, garlands etc.

Make your own book

You need:

1. two pieces of plywood measuring 16 cm by 12 cm
2. little stack of white sheets measuring 14 cm by 11 cm
3. hand drill
4. perforator
5. markers or paint/brushes
6. bit of rope

Make a drawing on one of the shelves and colour it with markers or paint or a combination of those. Write a title, and/or put your name on it. Use a perforator to make two holes in the small side of the white sheets.

Place one of the sheets on the painted shelf and mark off where the holes should be. Keep away about 1 cm from the (short) side. Do the same with the second shelf. Drill holes with a hand drill. Place the sheets on the lower shelf and then put the painted shelf on top of it. String a piece of rope through all the layers and bind them together.

Puzzle cat

You need:

1. pattern
2. carbon paper
3. plywood
4. jigsaw
5. fine black marker
6. sandpaper
7. (tempera and brushes)

Pattern to print and enlarge

Copy and paste the pattern in Word and print it. Enlarge it on a copier till it is as large as the piece of plywood. Use carbon paper to bring the pattern on the wood. Saw the six cats. Take sand paper for the edges. You may paint the work if you like. Draw eyes, nose and whiskers with a fine black marker.

Design your own clock!

You need:

1. plywood plate
2. jigsaw
3. sandpaper
4. carbon paper
5. pencil
6. clock
7. tempera paint
8. brush
9. things to symbolize figures
10. picture hook

Children first make a design for their clock on paper. With carbon paper this design has to be copied on the jigsaw. Saw the clock and sand it smooth. Don't forget the edges. Paint the clock with tempera. Paste figures or other things to symbolize the figures on your clock. Fix a hook on the backside and hang your clock.

All clocks are made by students of 11-12 years old.

Thanks to Ton Sommers.

Athletes and their shadows

You need:

1. plywood plate on A4 size
2. jigsaw
3. sandpaper
4. carbon paper
5. pencil
6. strong glue
7. black construction paper for background
8. tempera and brushes

Search in a newspaper, magazine or on the Internet for a photo of an athlete in motion. Note that, if you would print the photo in black, you'll see well what the athlete does. Place carbon paper with the black side down on your board. Lay the picture above. Trace the athlete. Press firmly.
Saw the athlete neat and sand the edges smooth. Paint the two parts in the colours you like. Don't forget the edges! Glue your board on a piece of cardboard and paste the sawn-athletes with some space between.
You will see an athlete with his own shadow!

Wooden landscape

You need

1. piece of plywood 15 by 15 cm
2. jigsaw
3. coloured paper
4. tempera
5. brushes
6. gold marker

An exercise in figure saw.

The students draw on their board from left to right a straight line, a zigzag line and a wavy lijn. These lines have to be sawn. The individual parts are then sanded and painted (possibly decorated with gold marker). Finally glue the parts on a piece of coloured paper: a wooden landscape!