It is the holiday season, so it is time for a holiday project. The Plywood Reindeer. This is an amazing project for beginners. The bulk of the work is done with a jigsaw and some sandpaper. After it’s finished, any minor (or even a little more than minor) imperfections don’t matter. Why? Because this holiday project is meant to be viewed from the sidewalk or the street. Younger children will get a kick out it and it gets you out in the shop for some quality time with your tools.
I found some inspiration for this project on the internet and in some old photos and made it super easy to do. You can print out the template and lay it out on your plywood. The pattern will cover one half of a sheet of 4X8 ply so you can make two reindeer if you like.
I included page numbers to make things nice and easy. My original printout did not have numbers and you will get a good chuckle watching me sorting it all out after the pages got shuffled. Click here to watch the video.
Once it is all taped together, position it on your plywood so the entire drawing is on it. There will be some overhang on three sides. Raise the pattern on one side and spray the plywood with some spray adhesive. Lay the pattern back down and repeat on the other side.
Now it is time to cut out the reindeer. I left the entire sheet of ply intact and used an adjustable roller to support one side. Make sure you remain aware of where you positioned the roller as you cut. Take your time and start cutting. I did not cut the assembly slots during the initial cutting.
The slots need to be set to the width of your plywood so the marks on the template are for angle only. As you cut the slots, only cut them about four to five inches deep for the legs and body and as wide as your plywood.
It is time to paint! I went with a simple white, but you can unleash your inner artist and make this fit your décor and level of creativity! Or you can keep it simple, like I did. I’m more of a technician than an artist.
After the paint has dried, it is time for assembly. I think you can figure out how it is supposed to go together.
I had a great time with this project and I made a PDF file you can download. To layout the full template, you will print about 30 pages, but do not worry. It is a line drawing and you will not use all of your printer ink to print this. I numbered the pages so you will have an easier time with the layout. My pages got mixed and I wound up putting together a large puzzle.
Click here to download this plan! – Tiled Print Reindeer It won’t be available for long!
