Let the gift making begin

If you plan on making any Christmas gifts, now is definitely the time to get started. My advice is to keep it simple. People marvel over handmade wood projects. Band saw boxes, for example, are pretty quick and easy to make and every one is custom. You can make a lot for a lot of people.
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I want to start of with a tray that 12-year-old Joe Dandy made for his mom, complete with "fiddly mitre joints". Serving trays are like boxes[ they make great gifts because the recipient gets to decide what to store in them. Great job Joe. Hope to see more projects from you!

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Brian Belcher, in Pulaski Virginia is running strong already making gifts. Heres a tile trivet, similar to the one I made this summer. 

And some over rack pullers. Brian says these are enormously popular gifts. I agree. Easy to make, lets you use some exotic woods, and something people can use and display in their kitchens. Laminating different woods together is a great idea.

Finally, here is a neat little reindeer. He is making small versions for the Christmas tree. Ornaments are always good gifts. 

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Heres Bill Wilsons version of my wind chimes. He also used steel conduit, but painted the tubes to look copper. It was a gift for his mother in the picture. Love the bunny-shaped wind sail.

Heres what they sound like: