It’s that time of year again…
It’s time for all us men to man up and visit the local store so that we can demonstrate our love in small shiny objects to the one we love.
And what woman wouldn’t love a brand new shiny scroll saw? It’s the gift that speaks of true affection, one that communicates, “I believe in you honey!” It overwhelmingly says, “You can make great things!” It’s truly, “the gift that keeps on giving”. Think of all the beauty that can be created!
Cue Ashley, rolling her eyes – or at least pretending to. This is the stuff she actually gets excited about… well, that and shoes, anyway. Take that, silly jewelry, dying flowers and unhealthy candy!
Sawdust is the new diamond this Valentines.
In honor of a little holiday fun, we thought we’d share a little tutorial we made for the kiddos: diy heart puzzles!
A fun, easy heart puzzle kids will love and can be customized to a look adults will love. You can accomplish the simplicity of this project with only a scroll saw, paint and a piece of sand paper. (For a little quicker option you can add in an orbit sander, jig saw and a skill saw.)
Here’s what you need:
Materials – Our templates printed on paper • X-Acto Knife • Scrap 1 x 12 • Paint {of your choice} • Stain • Sanding block
Tools – Scroll saw • Orbit sander • Skill saw • Jig saw
If you want to make the hearts, you can download the pdf {here, here and here}
The first step once your template is printed and ready to go: Trace your heart template or any other template onto your scrap piece of 1 x 12. You can grab our template, or create your own!
To transfer the shape onto the wood, simply cut along all the lines of the paper, without cutting the entire length of each line. This way the shape stays in tact. Essentially, you’re tracing it first with an X-Acto to open up those lines.
Then, placing the template on top of the paper, use a pencil to mark on each of these lines. Tada! You’re ready to start cutting out your shape.
Cut along the lines that make the outer shape of the heart with the scroll saw or if you are comfortable with a jig saw, you can use it to speed the process up.
Once you have your template drawn, you can trim down the 1 x 12 with the skill saw to make it a little more manageable. You will want to get as close as you can to the lines, but not any closer than ½ inch.
Sand the outer edges of your heart puzzle with an orbit sander or a sanding block.
When you’re ready to go, cut the interior lines of the heart puzzle using the scroll saw. {You may want to number the backs first… to help you put them all back together again when painting them. }
You will not want to use the jig saw in this process. This is because the width of the blade of the jig saw is greater than a typical scroll saw blade width, and we want to remove as little of the wood from the puzzle on the interior as possible for a snug fit. The smaller blade and maneuverability of the scroll saw will work best for this.
When you’re finished, use a combo of stains and paint to create the look you want for your little valentine! The kids love their little puzzles, especially the more challenging ones. They’re a little beyond your typical gifts, for sure.
As always, let us know if you make them. We’d love to hear!
Want more handmade puzzle fun for the fam?
check out our map puzzles {a free download if saws aren’t your thing}…
Or our image puzzles here!
They’re double sided – still some of our very favorite gifts that you can make out of about any image!
Have an inspired day!
OOOHHH, I love those and I think if I had a scroll saw I could make them. I like your maps too with the cut out wood pieces.
I give this craft 5 stars for being one of the coolest Valentine’s Day crafts I’ve seen this year! I think I might have to steal my husband’s jigsaw and relabel it mine…or maybe I just figured out what to ask for this year ; )
This is genius! What a great, functional gift that won’t get trashed before the end of the month. Love it!