How to Make a Wooden Santa "Pushee" Toy

Materials:

natural pinewood
leather (or rubber) for the feet and backs
red felt material
white fuzzy fabric for hats
red, white and black acrylic paints
lacquer
paintbrushes
band saw
belt sander
router
drill press with 1/2" bit and 2" hole saw
glue gun and hot glue
nail gun
white glue or wood glue
scissors

Figure A

Steps:

1. Draw out the body on a piece of wood (figure A).

Figure B

2. Cut out shape with band saw (figure B).

Figure C

3. Sand the body on a belt-sanding table to smooth out any imperfections (figure C).

4. Run the body through the router to round off the edges.

5. Sand everything smooth at the sanding table.

Figure D

6. Drill a hole for the axle of the wheels and a hole for the stick (figure D).

7. Cut a slot for the back on the band saw.

Figure E

8. Cut two pine circles for wheels using a 2-inch hole saw attachment on a drill press (figure E).

9. Sand the wheels on the sanding table.

Figure F

10. Cut a slot for the feet in the wheels with a band saw (figure F).

11. Cut a short length of dowel rod for the axle.

12. Drill a hole in a round wooden ball for the top of the dowel rod.

Figure G

13. Paint the body, head and beak using red and white acrylic paint. Paint the facial features with black acrylic paint (figure G).

14. Glue one wheel and axle together.

Figure H

15. Push the axle through the duck and glue on the other wheel. Make sure wheels are glued on so that the slots for the feet are opposite each other and the ducks will waddle (figure H).

16. Free-hand cut a pair of feet and back for each unit out of leather or rubber. Tip: Cut the feet in the shape of a heart.

17. Paint on the feet for a webbed appearance (figure I).

Figure J

18. Paint a pattern on the back that resembles feathers (figure J).

19. Using a nail gun, shoot nails through the feet so they are secure to the wheels.

Figure K

20. Use a nail gun to attach the wings to the back of the body (figure K).

Figure L

21. Roll a rectangular piece of red felt into a cone and hot glue for the Santa hat. Use white fuzzy fabric to add a trim around hat and fuzzy to top of hat. Also hot glue a strip around the duck's beak for a beard (figure L).

22. Glue in the dowel rod to the hole in the back.

23. Glue the wooden ball on the top of the dowel rod.

24. Seal with a clear coat of lacquer and/or sparkles.