How to make a puzzle from any design

Hi folks!!!   Glad you stopped by.   Today I have a treat for the kids, but it is also a treat for the "maker" in the family.  This is a super easy and creatively fun project, that you can customize to any age group and/or any special interest.

                                                   Here is what we are going to make today.  I chose a simple pattern for a young child.

Materials needed

2 pieces of 1/4"  to 3/8"  thick wood  The backing piece of the puzzle should be slightly larger than the front piece which will create a border (if you desire)

My back sheet measured 12 1/4 x 11 1/2"    My front measured 11 1/4 x 10 1/4"

You can make your puzzle larger or smaller!  😁

Wood glue.

Plaid paints of your choosing.

I used burnt umber, nutmeg brown, golden brown, 

black, spring white, bright blue and cloudless

Krylon Crystal clear sealer.

Proxxon mini scroll saw.

Proxxon mini table saw.

Proxxon OZI/E delta sander.

Proxxon scroll saw           Proxxon OZI/E delta sander.

  Let's get started.  

The first thing I did was to choose my pattern, then I cut my wood to size using the Proxxon mini table saw.  

Next, I painted my back board with Plaid paints "bright blue" color.  Wow this is a really bright blue and I am sure it will please the kids.  

While that dries I use some carbon paper and get my pattern transferred onto my other, smaller board.

After I cut out my puzzle pieces I will still need the outer piece of this front piece so I must make an "inside cut" using the proxxon mini scroll saw so that my border remains in one piece.  I do this by drilling a small hole in an inconspicuous place and thread my scroll saw blade through the hole and then reconnect it to the saw.    I am now ready to cut out my pattern.  This is so easy with Proxxon's mini scroll saw.  I just followed the lines I drew and cut out all the pieces.  To get my remaining piece out, (the border), I release the scroll saw blade and slide my piece out.    Now I have the puzzle pieces for the dog and an outer border piece.

I want my border piece to be a different shade of blue that will go with the bottom piece.  I chose cloudless by Plaid paints and paint the entire border this color. (not shown).  When it is dry I glue it to the bottom piece with wood glue and clamp it until it is good and dry.  I used a scrap piece of wood on top to provide even pressure.  

, Next, it is on to the pieces.   Each one needs a thorough sanding using the Proxxon OZI/E delta sander.   No one likes splinters.   This tool makes it so easy to get into the curves.  It has multiple speeds you can adjust with a dial.  Also it is so easy to change the sandpaper because it has hook and loop fastner, (velcro), so even after removing a piece it can be put back on later!.   I started with 80 grit paper because I wanted to round over the bottom edge of the pieces.  This just makes it easier for the child to slip the pieces together.   I then switched to 150 grit for the final sanding.

I painted all the pieces using Plaid paints.   I finished them off with a coating of Krylon crystal clear sealer.

Looking at my pieces I noticed a piece that had some skinny sides and was somewhat sharp.  A brilliant idea 💡 hit me that I should glue that to the back of the puzzle so that would give the kids a starting point AND it would keep that piece from being broken or hurting anyone.  💡.   So I glued it in place.  

Puzzle is done!!  Wasn't that fun and so easy.

 Hope you had fun and are gonna give it a try.   I thank you sooooo much for visiting.   Hope to see you back next time.  Carol

Thanks to Proxxon tools and Plaid paints............so much fun to play with!!!

How to Make a Vacation Album

Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here today using Proxxon tools to create a customized vacation album.

You can purchase all kinds of albums, but why not create your own?  With assorted Proxxon Tools you can create any type of album you want.

I found this pallet sign.  It's basically layers of compressed chipboard with a layer of melamine on top and I wanted to see how the Band Saw would cut this sign.  Begin by using the Kapro 313 Measure Mate to size out the album.

The Band Saw easily cut through the pallet sign.  There was no shredding or distortion.

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While I didn't need to, I used the Disc Sander to sand the edges of the album.

Use the Bench Drill Press to drill 2 holes in the album.

Paint the covers with FolkArt Acrylic Paint in Blue Echo.  Randomly dry brush on FolkArt Acrylic Paint in Windsor Blue.

Cut assorted pattern papers to fit.

Decorate the front cover with assorted left over elements.  Add Alaska 2019 to the corner.

Thanks for stopping by.

How to Make a Framed Heart Cut Out

Get ready for Valentine decorating with this framed heart cut out. Today I'm focusing on the heart cut out. You can see how I made the frame in this blog post.

Supplies and Equipment for Making the Heart Cut Out

• Piece of 1/8" substrate to fit frame
• Backing piece to fit heart cut out
• Heart pattern sized for frame
• Frame
• Proxxon MICRO Band Saw MBS/E
• Proxxon Bench Drill Press TBM 115
• Proxxon Scroll Saw DS 460

Instructions for Making the Heart Cut Out

1. Measure the back opening of the frame.
   
2. Transfer these measurement to the substrate you're going to cut the heart from. I used leftover book covers from this project.
   
3. Cut the substrate to fit the frame using the band saw.
   
4. Cover the substrate with painter's tape to prepare for mounting the heart pattern, and mark the center of the piece.
   
5. Coat the reverse side of the pattern with a fine mist of spray adhesive and center on substrate.
   
6. Use the bench drill press to drill a pilot hole hear the edge of the heart outline.
   
7. Thread the scroll saw blade through the pilot hole, and cut out the heart.
   
8. Now your creativity and personal style come in. Select a backing to go behind the heart cut out. I knit a little square swatch, but you could cut a piece of knitting from an old sweater. You could also use patterned paper, lace, cloth, ribbon, almost anything. 
   

Carole

How to make a custom frame

 Hi everyone,  Hope you had a great Christmas and are now looking forward to a truly awesome new year.  I love the holidays, but am looking forward to some extra spare time now to do some new and interesting craft projects that I can hopefully share with you in the coming months.   Today I will share a relatively easy project that you can make in an afternoon.  We are going to make a custom frame using some leftover pieces of  cedar I had lying around.

←Here is the finished project.  I made it for a little painting I had done in my art class.  I hadn't spent much effort painting it and it was a funny size so I really didn't want to invest a lot of money in a "custom" frame.  The beauty of this project is that you can make your frame any dimensions you want, and use whatever scraps of wood you have lying around.

Equipment and supplies:

1/2" x 2" by (   ) piece of wood suitable for the frame you desire.  (  )= length of picture x 2 + height of picture x 2 + 4"    Mine was 7" x 4 1/2" so I needed a piece about 27" long.

1/8" thick plexiglass piece big enough to cover your picture.

Proxxon mini table saw

Proxxon mini bandsaw (optional)

Proxxon OZI/E delta sander

Woodburner  (optional)

wood glue
Sealer of your choice

So let's get started...
Here is the picture I am going to use.  It measures 7" x 4 1/2"

Using Proxxon's mini bandsaw I cut the plexiglas to size.  Note the masking tape.  This enables me to draw a line on the Plexiglas.  Leave the protective plastic on for now as this will protect the glass from scratches.   It cuts so easy on Proxxon's mini bandsaw.  Set the glass aside for now.

Now we are going to make a groove in the frame sides that will hold the glass and pictures.   For now I am going to leave the wood for my frame piece in one long piece.  This will ensure that the grooves line up when we put it together.... and it is just easier to push one piece through the saw.  (safer too)!

First thing that needs doing is to remove the wood splitter from the table saw.  This is necessary because we will not be cutting entirely through the wood at this step.  We are just making a groove.

Next I set the blade height between 1/8" and 3/16"  (the depth I want my groove).  Then I set the fence so that it would hit just about center in my wood side.   I then ran the length of the wood through the saw.  This left me with a groove just a bit too small for my Plexiglas to slide into... so I nudged out the fence a tiny bit and ran the wood through it again.   Now my Plexiglas and picture will sit nicely in the groove I just made.   👍

Now I have a long strip of wood with a nice groove.  Next step is to cut each side at 45 degree angle.   This is a miter cut.   It is easy to do on Proxxon's mini table saw.  Simply set the miter gauge to 45°.

Important. the  lengths of the sides of your picture are going to be equal to the of the short side of the frame pieces.  See below.     The picture here is worth a thousand words....(I hope)   The groove you made will always be on the short side of the frame sides

The next thing to do is to finish your frame--sanding always comes first and I sanded my frame using the Proxxon OZI/E delta sander.

Cedar wood if sanded fine enough will shine up like red glass when it is sealed or varnished.   I decided to do a little wood burning on mine prior to sealing it with krylon triple thick glaze.

I then glued 3 pieces together and let them dry well.  Keep your angles at 90°

When everything is dry, I slipped my picture behind the Plexiglas and slid them both in the groove then glued the final side on.   Add a sawtooth or other picture hanging device on the back and it is ready to hang.

Thanks for visiting.

Truthfully, thanks to Proxxon tools this was much easier to build, than it was to explain. .   I hope the pictures help, so you too can make your own picture frames.   Your really should check out the Proxxon line of tools.  They are certainly designed for the crafter in mind.

Catch ya next time   Carol