GEOMETRIC CHRISTMAS TREE PUZZLE

GEOMETRIC CHRISTMAS TREE PUZZLE

If you are planning to make a lot of your holiday gifts this season it's probably about time to get started, no? Josh, of Subtle Takeover, is here today to share a super cute wood puzzle you can make and gift to any kiddos in your life. Might seem a little advanced, but the result is so, so cool and worth the work. Plus, Josh lays out a pretty detailed roadmap for you. You can use whatever colors you prefer to customize for a little guy or gal. Here's how to make this adorable game:Geometric Tree Puzzle

material & tools

24" by 48" by 1/2" birch plywood

wood glue

jig saw

pencil

ruler

drill 

1/2" wood paddle bit

paint

paint brush

Optional:

wood stain

clamps

wood sealStep 1

Mark out inner tree/ puzzle pieces section (figure 1). The design is ultimately up to you, but I just used a ruler to create a really neat, simple Christmas tree and drew random, intersecting straight lines.Step 2

Drill out finger holes.

Step 3

Cut out pieces. Make sure as you cut out each piece, you are recreating the puzzle, so you don't have to figure it out with a pile of random pieces!Step 4
Carefully place assembled puzzle on board, and with a piece of of wood cut 1" wide, mark the outline of the puzzles backing piece. (Fig 5)Step 5

Cut out backing piece and trace. Assemble puzzle on border piece and trace and cut out.Step 6

Glue border piece (fig. 5) to backing piece (fig. 6) let glue dry then sand.

Step 7

Paint back ground and while that drys, sand all puzzle pieces. Start with a higher grit (around 80), and work your way down (220)
Step 8

Stain puzzle pieces (color of stain is up to you, I used Minwax Jacobean 2750. I thought the dark stain would contrast well with the red).
Due to the types of paints and stains used in this project this gift is best suited for children who are no longer putting every toy they get a hold of in their mouths. :) If you would like to create this for a younger kid, prone to chewing, we suggest you pay close attention to the labels and suggestions of any paints or sealers you plan to use. Thanks for sharing Josh!