How to Make Wooden Animals

Making wooden animals is a relaxing hobby.

Handmade wooden animals make great toys for young children because they're so durable. You can make them in any shape you like, and you can paint or decorate them or leave them natural. You can also use wooden animals for decorations. Make two of each animal, and you have a Noah's Ark set for decorating a baby's room. When making wooden animals to give to children, make sure that you use woods and paints that are nontoxic, because they may end up in children's mouths.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• 1-inch-thick wood board
• Scroll saw
• Sandpaper
• Rotary tool
• Paint/sealer
• Polyurethane (optional)

Instructions

1. Draw an animal shape or print out an animal shape from your computer. You can also find woodworking animal shapes in books from your library. Cut out the paper pattern and lay it on your piece of wood. Trace around the pattern with a pencil.

2. 

   Use caution when working with a scroll saw.

   Use your scroll saw to cut the shape out of the wood. Follow your pencil lines as closely as possible, but don't worry if your lines aren't exact. You can always sand out the flaws later. Make sure to wear safety glasses while working with the scroll saw, and make sure children are kept away during this step.

3. 

   Sand the wooden animal with sandpaper to remove any rough edges. Sanding is especially important when making wooden animals to give to children, because they could get splinters from unsanded wood. Start with a medium-grit sandpaper such as 220-grit, and graduate to a finer grit to make it nice and smooth.

4. Use a rotary tool with a sanding attachment to round the edges of the wooden animals. Rounded edges look more professional and smoother than sharp edges. It's possible to round the edges with sandpaper, but it takes much longer. The rotary tool makes the job easy. Keep your fingers away from the rotary tool's tip, and wear safety glasses while you work.

5. 

   Use nontoxic paint for wooden animals.

   Paint the wooden animals with nontoxic paint, or stain them with nontoxic sealer. You can use permanent markers to add details and definition such as eyes, whiskers, spots and facial expressions. For a glossy finish, add a coat of nontoxic high-gloss polyurethane. Allow coats of paint, sealer and polyurethane to dry completely before adding the next coat.

Tips & Warnings

• Start with simple shapes like turtles or birds before moving on to more intricate shapes.

• Wear a respirator mask when using the scroll saw and rotary tool.

References

• Make Baby Stuff: Handmade Toys
• Craftsman Space: Animal Silhouettes; Free Patterns
• Make Baby Stuff: Non-Toxic Pain Finishes for Wooden Toys