Make Easy-to-Store Holiday Yard Reindeer

Brian Patrick Flynn
Materials Needed:
- 1 sheet of 4X8' pressure-treated plywood per reindeer
- jigsaw
- pencil
- drill
- 1/2" exterior screws
- quart of exterior latex paint in semigloss finish
- roller handle and sleeve
- paint pan
- angled paintbrush
- drop cloth
Freehand Reindeer Body Silhouettes
Lay 4X8' sheet of pressure-treated plywood on a flat, level surface. Use pencil to trace a freehanded silhouette of a reindeer body and head. Note: For the most impact, create three different reindeer body silhouettes in different sizes.

Brian Patrick Flynn
Cut Out Body Panels
Using jigsaw, cut reindeer body silhouettes out from plywood, using the freehanded lines as a guide.

Brian Patrick Flynn
Freehand and Cut Antler Panels
Use pencil to freehand outline of antlers to pressure-treated plywood. Next cut antlers out from plywood using jigsaw.

Brian Patrick Flynn
Freehand and Cut Leg Panels
Freehand U-shaped legs directly to plywood using pencil. Use jigsaw to cut legs from plywood.

Brian Patrick Flynn
Add Notches to Body Panels
Trace 1/2"-wide by 6"-tall notch along the bottom of the plywood reindeer body, approximately 10 inches in from each of the two outside edges, using pencil. Use jigsaw to remove wood, creating notch.

Brian Patrick Flynn

Brian Patrick Flynn
Attach Antlers
Attach antlers to the top of the reindeer head with drill and exterior screws.

Brian Patrick Flynn
Assemble Reindeer
Once paint is dry to the touch, fit body panels to leg panels.

Brian Patrick Flynn
Add Paint
Lay drop cloth out along a long, flat surface with plywood lying on top. Using paint roller, cover entire front and back surface of each panel with two coats of paint, allowing one hour dry time between coats. Next add paint to the sides of each panel with angled paintbrush.

Brian Patrick Flynn

Brian Patrick Flynn
Storing the Reindeer
When the holidays are over, simply remove the leg panels from the bodies and store flat until next year.

Brian Patrick Flynn