How to Make Simple Wood Toys
Anyone can make toys that last a lifetime and inspire a child's imagination. All you need is wood. Making a toy gives a child a plaything you crafted with your own hands. Ever treasured traditional toys such as letter blocks, building blocks, a wooden puzzle, cars with wheels and a wooden horse offer hours of learning and enjoyment.
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Things You'll Need
- Wood (pine, oak or maple)
- Enamel (child-safe) paint, optional
- Wood glue
- Wood finish
- Saw
- Drill
- Wood carving tools
- Brushes
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Transfer paper
Instructions
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1
Choose a design. Pick the toy idea that's best for your child's education and enjoyment. A good, safe toy that holds a child's attention can encourage imagination and develop hand/eye coordination and thinking skills. Letter blocks develop language ability. Building blocks enable a child to practice creative design and physical building.
Find simple toy patterns in books, in a computer software program or online. If you have the time and dedication, design your own toy. -
2
Mark the design on wood. Use transfer paper to copy the design onto wood. Carefully draw each piece with pencil to ensure the pieces will fit together correctly. Letter blocks have only one standard piece, but 26 to choose from. Rolling cars have 7 or more pieces for one car.
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3
Shape the pieces. With the saw, cut out each piece along the marked lines. The shapes are important since a child finds the wooden forms fascinating to the hand and eye. Of course, the shape also gives you the function. Long solid rectangular blocks can be used to build most things a child can imagine.
Use carving tools, to create the final shape. Gouges and chisels remove wood to carve the wood piece into a car shape. A v-gouge can make the sharp lines around the letters on letter blocks. The finished shape gives the toy its character, such as the gracious nose on a horse.
Drill the wooden pieces with any holes needed for assembly. Single piece items that do not need assembly, like the letter blocks and horse, are ready for sanding and painting (see Step 5).
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4
Assemble the pieces to build the toy. Use the pattern's design as a reference. Set in place each moving set, such as car body and axle. Glue all connections that do not move and will remain permanent, like the wheels to the axles.
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5
Sand the assembled toy. Using 120 grit and 220 grit sandpaper, sand the toy to a fine smooth shape fit for a child's responsive hands.
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6
Paint your toy. Choose bright colors in a colorful pattern. Paint any base color first. Then, paint the patterns, symbols, letters an details. A colorful arrangement makes the toy's design clear to a child and makes each toy visually interesting.
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7
Finish the piece. Apply the wood finish and let dry until smooth with a polished look. The toy is ready for your child's eyes and the beginning of years of imaginative exploration and discovery.
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Tips & Warnings
Patiently plan the design and assembly procedure of a toy before you begin to make it. A good plan saves you time.
Clamp your wood securely before attempting to cut it with a saw.
