How to Make Traditional Toys

Wood is a versatile material for toy making.

Traditional toys can be timeless and hold just as much interest in every generation. One of the most versatile materials to use to build traditional toys is wood. Vehicles and animals are favorite themes in traditional toy making and adding wheels to your toys makes them even more interesting. By using simple images from color books or illustrations from other children's books, you can create your own wheeled toys from wood. Always use non-toxic paint when decorating toys for children.

Things You'll Need

• Toy image
• 2-by-12 inch lumber
• C clamps
• Jigsaw
• Hole saw
• Drill
• 3/4 inch thick lumber
• Latex paint
• Paintbrush
• 1/4 inch thick dowels
• Miter saw
• Wood glue

Instructions

Creating the Toy's Body

1. Select an image of an animal or vehicle as a pattern for the toy. Choose profile images with clear, simple outlines for best results. Make a photo copy of your image in the size you want for your toy and cut it out with scissors.

2. Coat the back of the image with spray adhesive and paste it onto a piece of 2-by-12 inch pine. Clamp the board to your work table, with as much as possible of the outline hanging off of the table. Cut along the outline of your image with a jigsaw, resetting the clamp to turn the piece as needed.

3. Select two spots along the bottom of your toy's body to add axles for wheels. Mark the spots, one inch up from the bottom of the toy. Drill a 1/4 inch hole through your pine lumber with a cordless drill to provide a path for your axles.

Adding the Details

1. Select a hole saw in the size of your wheels. Any size over 2 inches in diameter will work. Fit the hole saw into the drill and tighten the chuck. Clamp a piece of 3/4 inch thick pine to your work table, hanging off the edge. Position the 1/4-inch centering bit of the hole saw in the middle of the board and start the drill. This bit will cut your axle holes and guide the outer "saw" bit. Drill through the board four times to create the four wheels needed.

2. Sand the body and wheels for your toy with 80-grit sandpaper. Paint the toy with latex paint. Use a soft bristle brush, working with the grain. Spread the paint evenly to avoid runs and drips. Leave one face of each wheel unpainted to allow it to turn smoothly. Allow the paint to dry for two hours.

3. Cut two 3 1/4 inch pieces of 1/4 inch thick wood dowel for axles, using a miter saw. Apply glue to one end of each dowel and insert it into a 1/4 inch hole that can be created by the hole saw's centering bit. Thread the axles through the toy's body. Apply glue to the open end of each dowel and fit the remaining wheels onto them. Allow the glue to dry overnight before playing with the toy.