Last Minute Woodworking Gifts | Page 2 | WoodWorkers Guild of America

How to Make a Wood Handled Bottle Opener

November 18, 2013 By David Munkittrick & filed under Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Plans and Projects, Woodworking Projects.

This Christmas, why not make something new from something old for that certain someone? A little prized scrap wood is all it takes to transform a humdrum plastic handled bottle opener into handcrafted wood handled bottle opener. I found two such bottle openers knocking around my kitchen. The first had a short, narrow tang with…

Cavatelli Pasta-Making Paddle – Revisited

January 3, 2013 By Reader Submitted & filed under Blog, Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Member Tips, Plans and Projects, Woodworking Projects.

WWGOA reader Henry Kay took Paul Mayer’s cavatelli paddle to another level. He owns a CNC (computer numerical controlled) router system and programmed it to make the paddle and engrave the recipe on the reverse side. In an effort to make the text easier to see, Henry darkened it with coffee. The entire paddle was…

Cavatelli Pasta-Making Paddle

December 14, 2012 By Paul Mayer & filed under Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Plans and Projects, Woodworking Projects.

One of my favorite childhood memories is going to the home of my friends to eat cavatelli pasta made by their mother, Albena (“Bena”), master cook and mother of seven. This savory pasta is a small ridged dumpling-like noodle, where the ridges add an appealing texture and hold more sauce. Bena uses a production-class machine…

Long-Handled “Back Saver” Shoe Horn

December 3, 2012 By Paul Mayer & filed under Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Plans and Projects, Woodworking Projects.

With a family history of back problems, I am always on the lookout for items that can help to minimize wear and tear on my lumbar. A couple years back a friend told me about the long handled shoe horns that commonly hang next to the doors of hotel rooms in India, and I was…

Napkin Holder and Matching Trivets

November 22, 2011 By AJ Moses & filed under Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Plans and Projects, Woodworking Projects.

Well, this project was born of necessity. My wife and I had a wooden napkin holder for years until the newly acquired kitten found reason to move it from the table to the floor just to check if it, too, was subject to gravity. (Don’t ask about the $300 hand blown glass bowl he also…

Modern Candle Wall Sconce

November 15, 2011 By Paul Mayer & filed under Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Plans and Projects, Woodworking Projects.

I went to Daniel Kantor of Kantor Group (Minneapolis based design firm) to get a fresh idea for a WWGOA Christmas project. I am delighted with the design he has provided for this modern candle wall sconce, as it looks great and it is relatively simple to build in mass production for Christmas gifts. Dan…

Keepsake Scrollsawn Silhouette Ornaments

November 29, 2010 By Paul Mayer & filed under Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Plans and Projects, Woodworking Projects.

Homemade Christmas ornaments are special, especially those that contain the images of family members. I was amazed and inspired by the work of silhouette artist Clay Rice. Rice cuts interpretive silhouettes from paper freehand while looking at the subject. This form of art is far beyond my reach but, using a digital camera, computer, and…

Craftsman Style 5×7 Picture Frame

December 16, 2009 By Bruce Kieffer & filed under Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Plans and Projects, Woodworking Projects.

So you got yourself in a bind and you still need to make a few last minute gifts for the holidays? This attractive, straight-grain rift-sawn white oak and walnut picture frame, with its decorative protruding plugs, is probably just what you’re looking for. Learning how to build a picture frame and finishing it will take…

Mystifying Balancing Wine Bottle Holder

December 6, 2009 By Paul & Vernon Mayer & filed under Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Plans and Projects, Woodworking Projects.

Add a whimsical air to your next celebration by placing wine bottles in a seemingly impossible balancing act using these intriguing holders. These special holders support a standard 750-ml bottle of wine in perfect repose, while your guests will stand around it staring in a state of wonder. The trick to maintaining balance is in…

Holiday Serving Utensils

December 6, 2009 By Paul & Vernon Mayer & filed under Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Plans and Projects, Woodworking Projects.

Serve your holiday desserts with style! These artisan serving utensils are the perfect complement to the special pies or cakes that you have planned for the holidays. We got started making these many years ago because my mother makes an apple pie that is worthy of a special serving utensil and these have proven to…