How to make simple wooden toys from old branches

We had some branches to cut in our garden and so we started a little woodworking session one late summer morning. We cuttet one apricot tree and one cedar tree. The apricot tree branches have beautiful colour shades but the pieces we made from got some cracks when we dryed them. The cedar tree branches are a dream to work with the wood is very soft to cut and carve and it did not make any cracks during the drying of the pieces.



All You need is:

- some old or fresh cut branches

- a saw

- cutters and knifes for carving

(I have a set of really good carving knifes from Stubai but one simple cutter like this one would also be okay.)

- sanding PaperTo make Your own building bricks You can cut Your branches in pieces of diffent length.

Remove the bark or just sand the bark a little bit to make it soft to the touch.

To make a little cradle cut one branch into unequal halves and carve a little hollow into the larger one.

My four year old daughter helped with the sanding and she had fun removing some of the bark with a "not so dangerous" kitchen knife.

The pieces we made inspired instantly to play with.