On this page you can find three woodturning projects that you can use for making animal figurines, a wonderful gift for both boys and girls whether it's Christmas, birthday or any other occasion.
Within the plans, there are drawings with all the dimensions and views that will help you make these animal figurines i.e. those representing the sparrow, the elephant and the hippopotamus. The idea for their design was derived from the animal figurines by the famous Danish designer Gunnar Flørning. Our animal figurines can be used as decoration or children’s toys. Because of their small size they are not recommended for children under 3 years of age.
Elephant figurine: H = 122 mm (4 13/16''), L = 118mm (4 5/8''), W = 70mm (2 3/4'')
Hippopotamus figurine: H = 107 mm (4 3/16''), L = 145.5mm (5 3/4''), W = 44.5mm (1 3/4'')
Sparrow figurine: H = 107 mm (4 3/16''), L = 109mm (4 9/32''), W = 52mm (2 116'')
The dimensions of individual figurines and their parts are provided in each plan and if you like, you can easily customize the look and dimensions of any of them. Most parts can be made by turning, but all of them can definitely be made by whittling and in this case, the figurines will get a rustic appearance of hand-carved wood. Our animal figurines are very simple and the drawings within the plans show the dimensions and method of assembly. They can be painted with wood stain, which could be a very interesting task for school children as well. Certain figurine elements, such as the eyes and the like, can be completely excluded from the plan and merely painted afterwards. This construction principle can be applied to making figurines of various other animals, too.
The most practical approach to this project is to use up the small ends of wood left over from other projects. This also has the advantage of producing parts of different colors for interest and variety.
All the joints are doweled and glued.