Last Minute DIY Log Home Gifts

Christmas is only four days away, so if you haven’t finished your shopping time is running short. If you were looking to buy a gift that needs to be shipped, it may already be too late. But fear not, for there are many gifts that you can make yourself that have more charm and convey deeper meaning than gifts that can be bought from a store. If you are even remotely talented at woodworking, then you can construct many gifts that would especially suit a friend or family member that owns a Real Log Home. Here are a few gift ideas that would be a great addition to the log home.

Bird Feeder or Home

A basic bird feeder or house is relatively simple to construct, with a box at the bottom and simple front-gable “roof”. With a few modifications, your birds can live or eat at a log home of their own! Since constructing a true bird log feeder would be difficult, a better approach is to build a conventional bird feeder and then attach “half timbers” of small branches to make the log walls.

A Wooden Bowl

So this one may not be so “last minute” but is still a great  DIY gift. If you have a tree on your property with an appropriately sized burl, you can remove the burl and use it to construct a bowl. After you have the burl in your woodworking shop, you can use a plane to remove the bark and create a flat bottom surface. Then, you can use a chisel to hollow out the bowl area and a rasp to smooth the surface. Once you stain the wood, the unique grain pattern of the burl wood will make a gift well worth the effort.

Place Settings

Now that you have a wooden bowl, your place settings wouldn’t be complete without wooden placemats. One popular choice is to cut a disc about three-quarters of an inch thick out of a trunk around twelve inches in diameter. If you want a more rustic look you can leave the bark on the wood, or you can remove it for a more polished appearance. Sand both faces of the wooden round and stain if desired, and you will have a perfect wooden place setting. Pine and Aspen are popular species for this project.  It’s a beautifuly rustic twist on the often overly glitzy chargers often used during the holidays.

Pencil Holder

If your house is anything like ours, your pens and pencils are constantly going missing. This simple gift creates great looking storage for these oft-misplaced items. You can choose a cylinder of wood in a size that works for you, maybe four to eight inches across and three inches tall (not so deep that the pens get lost in the holder). Sand all surfaces of the disk, and then drill holes about two-thirds deep in the top of the block to hold your pens. Now you no longer have an excuse for your disappearing pens!

Of course, one of the best gifts you can give the log home enthusiast is to call Real Log Homes today or fill out the form below for more information.  Not only can you work to plan out your ideal log home or cabin, but you can also work to design an addition to your existing log home.  If you’d like to give the gift of log home design, contact the design team at Real Log Homes to coordinate the timing of your gift.  After all, our team is happy to play Santa.  Happy gifting!