Bunny DeLorie from Fe Fi Faux Finish designed and demonstrated how to make these charming projects out of scroll-saw apples.
Materials:
Aleene's primer
Aleene's acrylic paints in deep sage, yellow ochre, white, true red, burnt umber
Aleene's satin varnish
Zona's 1" sanding stick
Zona's hobby clamps
1/4" birch plywood*
1" x 2" pine*
scroll saw
220- and 150-grit sandpaper
metal bookends
apple pattern (drawn or traced from a book)
four 1" l-brackets
wood screws
wood glue
measuring tape
transfer paper
pencil
assorted artist brushes: 1/4" wash, round and liner
1/2" foam brush
transfer tool (optional)
*Purchase enough wood to make the quantity of your choice of holders. For each napkin holder, you will need a 8" x 12" piece of plywood and a 3" long piece of pine. The planter needs a piece 8" x 26" and bookends need 8" x 18" pieces of plywood.
Steps:
Napkin/Letter Holder
1. Use transfer paper and pencil or heat transfer tool to transfer your apple pattern onto wood. For each holder, you will need a front and back fruit design ( figure A).
2. Use a power scroll saw to cut around the design. Remember to wear safety glasses.
3. Sand the sides, front and back of each piece with a sanding stick or 150-grit sandpaper.
4. Measure the bottom length of the apple cutout to determine the length of the center block. Cut wood block and sand smooth.
5. Place a bead of wood glue along the sides of the wood block (figure B) and position apple cutout on each side of block (figure C).
6. Place glued pieces on a flat surface to make sure all bottom edges are level. Use clamps to securely hold wood until glue dries, usually overnight.
7. Remove clamps and paint with primer using foam brush. When dry, lightly sand with 220-grit sandpaper.
8. Paint the apple as you wish. When dry, clear coat with Varnish.
Bookends
1. Cut two larger apples. Follow instructions for the Napkin/Letter Holder for cutting, sanding and painting.
2. Then apply wood glue to the front of metal bookends and glue and clamp apples in place (figure D).
Planter
1. Cut four larger apples. Follow instructions for Napkin/Letter holder for cutting, sanding and painting.
2. Cut a 1/2-inch cube of wood in half diagonally, forming two right triangles (figure E).
3. Cut two more triangles. Attach one triangle to each side of an apple. Repeat with another apple, being sure that the triangles line up across both apples (figure F).
4. Stand apples up in a square. Place the apples with the triangles opposite each other and place the apples without triangles in between (figure G).
5. Use a square to be sure the planter is even. Apply wood glue to the triangles and clamp the apples together until the glue dries.
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