$100.00 and 8 days what would you make

[Danny Thompson]

I recently made a Padauk bench for under $100.

Features:
Simple, straightforward design
Simple elements--seat, shelf, and 4 legs
Simple materials--Constructed from a single 8/4 x 12" x 8' board
Simple joinery--8 mortices and tenons
Intentionally uneven surface--less prep required

[Don Bullock]

This is an easy one. Make them a $100 check and put into an nice envelope with a nice card. When I got married about 20 years ago my favorite gifts were checks because that's what we really needed. ... Cash says it's from both of you. That's how I would do it anyway.

Bruce

You guys are all much nicer and much harder workers than I am. If I was working 60 hours a week I'd send my wife with the $100 somewhere to go buy her brother something and hope that she came home with enough change for beer and pizza. ...

I'm with Bruce or Todd on this one. If you're working those long hours you need time for yourself, including projects you want to do, and your immediate family.

I found out the hard way that once I started dropping all my projects to make things for other people, they started expecting you to do it all the time. That's one of the reasons I stopped woodworking in the past. Now that I'm back at it some of those same people are hounding me to make them something. This time I've decided to do my projects first and something for them if I have the time later. Those same people that want me to do something for them today don't have any of the things that I made for them in the past.

Sure I'm a giving person. I truly enjoy doing things for others and giving presents. But, taking care of my own family and their needs as much as I can is more important. They come first.

[Raymond Fries]

I made this for my wife. The wood construction only took about 5 to 6 hours. All of the wood, including the flourishes, was purchased at Lowe's. We upholstered it in less than two hours. Total cost was only about $50 as I recall.

If interested, PM me and I will send you the template to cut the parts and a brief description of the construction.

[Art Mulder]

I already suggested a cutting board but my wife shot that one down by saying neither one cooks

Just because they don't cut, does not rule out a cutting board. you don't just cut meat and chop onions on them!

1- a small cheese cutting/serving board.
2- a long/skinny cutting board for cutting bread

Either of those ideas would be smaller than a big meat chopper.

This is an easy one. Make them a $100 check and put into an nice envelope with a nice card.

However, I do agree with Bruce. Money is a very very good suggestion.
My wife and I also greatly appreciated money gifts. We pooled some of that money and bought a chest freezer. Very useful, very needed, but not at all the sort of thing to arrive, giftwrapped, at a wedding!!

[Bruce Page]

I third the clock idea. Clocks are fun to make!
Here's one that I made out of Koa for my sister a few years ago. It was less the $30 to make.

[Todd Jensen]

No offense, but I've gotta throw another reality check on the pile: Victorian foot thingy/Cutting board/birdhouse/bench/clock/etc etc....

Or

CASH??? and not running yourself ragged building a space shuttle...

(we call projects 'space shuttles' that cost too much, take too long, and still have a high percentage of self-destructing)

And the cash thing doesn't need to be large to be thoughtful; a nice card and your presence at the wedding is very generous of you in the first place. and EVERYONE loves CASH. especially as has been said, Newlyweds.

Anyways, I can appreciate your a thoughtful hardworking guy; I'm not recommending being less thoughtful or less hardworking, rather just recommending ways to be both those things and still have your sanity and energy.

[Lance Norris]

Do you have a bandsaw? A nice bandsawn box is a great project. All you need is a thick piece of interesting wood, or you can glue up something to get some thickness. There are several books on bandsawn boxes, my favorite is Making Wood Boxes With A Band Saw by Tom Crabb.

[Alfredo Rodriguez Garcia]

Raymond
very nice project.
I like it. Do you have additional information ?
Regards
Alfredo

[Tim Lynch]

Well, not sure if anyone cares anymore, but I took a quick picture of the serving tray I mentioned in my earlier post...

[Dave Dionne]

Tim

That tray is beautiful

I mentioned the idea to my wife and we may go along that line of thought, both my wife and 9yr daughter paint ceramic tiles at a local shop so they may paint some for me to make a tray for. The 9 yr old is the flower girl so she is all for the idea.

Thanks for the idea and again nice work.

Dave

[Tim Lynch]

Thanks for the kind words Dave. I hope it works out well for you.

[Gail O'Rourke]

Each christmas, I made mirrors for my kids teachers, I use left over stock from doors that I have made lying around. I rabbet the back - put the finish on - drop it off at the glass place - they install the mirror and put on a paper backing (like for a picture) I install the hanging hook - and it's done. It is just a few hours and less than $40.00 total. If you make it lets say - 15 by 24 - the proportion is nice and makes for a nice accent anywhere. Buy yourself an extra week and hand deliver it when they get back from their honeymoon.

Good luck,

[Larry Fox]

What I would make is a promise to build something at a time when you are in a better position (both financially and time-wise) to do so.

[Bruce Benjamin]

What I would make is a promise to build something at a time when you are in a better position (both financially and time-wise) to do so.

An IOU? "Uh, sorry but I didn't have the time and I'm too broke to buy or build you anything. I'll get back to you as soon as I can though." Yeah, that wouldn't be awkward at all. I think a hundred bucks in cash or a check placed inside of a beautifully worded hand written card is a fine gift to any newly weds. Unless they are well off financially they can use the money for something special and even if they don't really need it it certainly won't get shoved into a closet or returned to a store for a refund like so many wedding gifts. A handmade gift is great but unless you're truly inspired and don't make them wait, give them the cash.

Bruce

[Phil Thien]

An IOU? "Uh, sorry but I didn't have the time and I'm too broke to buy or build you anything. I'll get back to you as soon as I can though." Yeah, that wouldn't be awkward at all. I think a hundred bucks in cash or a check placed inside of a beautifully worded hand written card is a fine gift to any newly weds. Unless they are well off financially they can use the money for something special and even if they don't really need it it certainly won't get shoved into a closet or returned to a store for a refund like so many wedding gifts. A handmade gift is great but unless you're truly inspired and don't make them wait, give them the cash.

Bruce

I'm w/ Bruce on this. Give 'em some cash now. If you want to make something for them later, when you've identified a real need, then fine.