“My neighbor, Dave, has a 90-year-old friend who wanted some cornhole boards to entertain his grandchildren over Christmas. I offered to help make them as long as Dave put the finish on them. These bright yellow boards turned out great!” – Paul Bailey

“Every year I turn items for Christmas gifts for my family — things like chip and dip trays or handles for kitchen tools. This year, I made candleholders using laminated and turned stock along with flat work for the holders. I also made some small Christmas trees lit with small LED tea lights.” – Paul Waters

“My grandsons lived with us while we were doing major remodeling and started in the shop quite young. I have included a photo of them setting the stair gage for the next step. From the time they were in first grade they each made Christmas presents for their teachers. The first were turned pens. As they grew up and needed less help, they took on more complicated projects. Their grandmother took lots of photos and made Christmas cards for the teachers, which included photos and sometimes stories of each present. I have included a photo that grandmother titled, ‘Making Spaghetti.’ I am a little bashful about that shot because I notice he isn’t wearing his safety glasses. Kid-sized glasses are cheap and readily available.” – Paul Williams

“My 24-year-old son was home for the holidays. We spent three hours one day doing a thorough cleaning of the shop. We went back a few days later to move some new tools into the shop and reorganize it. It’s not the same as being there and making something with him, but it is still good time together. And it was his idea to do these things, not mine, which makes it even better.” – Ed

“Here are two items I made as gifts. The ‘Pitch Box’ (top photo) is like a cribbage board but the card game is called Pitch. The lid opens for storage of the cards and pegs inside. It is made of figured maple with rosewood trim and has laser etching on the lid. I made four of these for my son to give to his friends, who often get together and play pitch marathons late into the night. I also made one for myself. The desk has a story behind it that is more important than the desk itself. My brother started making it over 40 years ago. He put it aside when he started having children and raising a family, and he never got back to it. Almost 30 years later, cancer took him from us, and I inherited the ‘shell/frame’ that he started, thinking that someday I would finish it and have something from him. Years later, his daughter (my goddaughter) got engaged and I immediately knew what she was getting for her wedding gift. So I went to work completing it by making the drawers, slide-outs, trim and top and finished it in the color of her choice. She is now the very proud owner of the desk that her late father (and I) made for her. It’s not about the wood!” – Don Lamothe

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