| Project by Brit | posted 04-06-2011 04:09 PM | 34622 views | 6 times favorited | 19 comments |  |
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I know it isn’t Christmas, but I found these photos when I was clearing out my garage and thought I’d post them. This is a project I built about 10 years ago. My wife told me one Friday evening that she was organising a Santa’s grotto for the Christmas fair at my daughter’s infants school and that she needed my help with a few bits (understatement of the year).
She wanted me to build a life-size sleigh that the children could sit on to have their photo taken. She’d arranged for the local lumberyard to sponsor it and supply four 1” thick MDF sheets and some 2×2” softwood which would be arriving in the morning. She wanted it to be ‘flat pack’ so it could be stored afterwards. So I sketched out a design on the MDF sheets and cut it out with my jigsaw. The two sides are connected with the 2×2” pine and some 3/4” dowels hold it all together. We painted it, added some glitter and twinkly stars, then covered the parcel shelf and seat in fabric. My wife got another company to donate the inflatable Reindeer.
Little did I know that the sleigh was just the first of many projects she had in store for me. The log cabin you see in the pictures was one of the other projects. That was made from thick cardboard tubes that you get in the middle of rolls of carpet which we collected from all the local carpet shops. I made a wooden frame to support the structure which the cardboard tubes slotted over. I think I also made a workshop for santa’s elves and some workbenches that went in it and also a train track for the Christmas Express train as it travelled through the grotto playing Christmas carols.
It was a lot of work on some very cold days, but well worth it to see the excitement on the children’s faces as they journeyed through the grotto to receive their present from Santa. You can’t put a price on that!
-- https://www.clickasnap.com/Andy61 - Andy - Old Chinese proverb says: "If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it."
19 comments so far
Dennisgrosen
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#1 posted 04-06-2011 05:36 PM
you are either late again Brit … or for once too early… LOL
thanks for sharing
Dennis
Brit
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#2 posted 04-06-2011 05:42 PM
I’ll be late for my own funeral Dennis.
-- https://www.clickasnap.com/Andy61 - Andy - Old Chinese proverb says: "If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it."
Dennisgrosen
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#3 posted 04-06-2011 06:31 PM
great to hear one that allso want to have the last party …. LOL
stefang
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#4 posted 04-06-2011 09:45 PM
Very nicely done Christmas stuff Andy. I’ll bet the kids loved both the sleigh and the log cabin.
-- Mike, an American living in Norway.
Tinnocker
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#5 posted 04-07-2011 12:42 AM
Very nice Brit, but it’s a little warm for the reindeer!
-- Ted, Browns Mills, NJ http://www.twhgrafx.com/blog/ Darn! I cut it 3 times and it's still too short! I get ideas for things that I can make to make things easier for me to make!
Brit
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#6 posted 04-07-2011 10:33 AM
Thanks guys. I thought I’d better post the pictures before I loose them for another 10 years :-)
-- https://www.clickasnap.com/Andy61 - Andy - Old Chinese proverb says: "If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it."
jerrells
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#7 posted 05-11-2011 01:28 AM
Brit – I loke yours also, I am not sure mine is practical, I told my daughter that it might break as my granddaughter plays with it but I would try to fix it.
-- Just learning the craft my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ practiced.
helluvawreck
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#8 posted 05-11-2011 04:56 PM
Even if it was a while back you still did a nice job on the sleigh and It was nice to see it. From the looks of the kids it looks like it did very well for a photo prop.
-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau
johnzo
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#9 posted 11-15-2011 11:55 PM
Brit,
My wife has me looking for a plywood sled as a Xmas lawn decoration. When I showed her your sled, she flipped! She fell totally in love with it! Now I have to do my best to copy yours. Problem is – I have no idea of the size and proportion – and although I’m a decent woodworker, I’m not an artist as you surely are. Question: can you give me the overall dimensions of your sled as well as the width of the stretchers – holding the 2 sides together. You really should sell plans of your sled. We’ve seen a few of these, but yours is really special!
John Z
-- 70 is the new 50!
Brit
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#10 posted 11-16-2011 02:08 AM
Hi John, it was a while ago now and I kind of made it up as I went along. To give you a rough idea though, it was about 36” wide (outside dimension) which would make the stretchers 32” long. I would estimate that from one end of the skis to the other was 5’ 10”. Height looks to be about 38-40”.
I’m afraid I never drew a proper plan for it, just made it up as I went a long. She literally told me one Friday night when I got home from work that she had a job for me, then went off to visit a friend for the weekend. The MDF and 2”x2” arrived early Saturday morning and I had it built by the time my wife came home Sunday evening. Then she painted and decorated it.
Sorry the pictures aren’t very clear. They were prints that I scanned in and uploaded rather than digital photos. Let me know if you need anything further, I’m happy to help.
-- https://www.clickasnap.com/Andy61 - Andy - Old Chinese proverb says: "If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it."
Brit
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#11 posted 11-16-2011 02:10 AM
I meant to say that when it was assembled it was very stable. I’m about 5’9” and weigh 13 stone and I could jump up and down on it.
-- https://www.clickasnap.com/Andy61 - Andy - Old Chinese proverb says: "If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it."
johnzo
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#12 posted 11-27-2011 06:59 PM
Brit,
Check out the new project list in LJ. Thanks again for your help. Ours doesn’t hold a candle to your masterpiece, but it certainly made my wife happy and that’s a good thing.
John Z
-- 70 is the new 50!
Rick
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#13 posted 12-11-2011 12:15 PM
HEY!! There you go! Even though yourPost is from 248 Days ago ….You’re right on time!!
Nice Sleigh Sir!!
Rick
-- Hope Everyone Is Doing Well! .... Best Regards: Rick
Brit
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#14 posted 12-11-2011 01:14 PM
Thanks Rick.
-- https://www.clickasnap.com/Andy61 - Andy - Old Chinese proverb says: "If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it."
SargeD
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#15 posted 10-26-2015 09:06 PM
Britt,
I am in dog rescue and we are doing a Paws and Claus event where people can bring their pets to have pictures taken with Santa and I would love to build this sleigh to be able to have Santa sitting in it and the pets getting their pictures taken with him. Would it be possible for you to send me the pattern or measurements or what you have to help me be able to build this? I really appreciate it and so do all the furbabies that will receive help from the proceeds of the donations collected!
Thank you!
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