The first is a rattle I made for Micah. I started it on a youth conference trip and finished it at home. It is made of basswood, which meant that it has already needed repairing twice. I'm not sure how much use he has gotten out of it, but it was fun to make. It makes a satisfying wood-clunky noise that I love.
The second is a puzzle box that I made for my cousin Michael. There is a spring-driven locking mechanism inside that makes it so that the letters have to be in the right order and all pushed down at once in order for the box to open. I will be posting my build notes on Instructables at some point with more photos. It was one of those things you make in a flurry while neglecting other things like presents for the people you actually live with.
The third is an accordion folder I made for my wife this past Valentine's day, which shows just what a classically romantic sort of man I am. Come to think of it, I've made a few homemade Valentine's Day gifts with super-elegant materials. I should put pictures of them in here sometime. Anyway, this is designed to hold cash envelopes and receipts for different budget categories. It is made of poster board covered with duct tape. You can't tell from this picture how nice the design is, but I promise it is well made and durable. All the hinge points are reinforced. This was my first real use of my X-Acto set I got for Christmas last year (thanks, Mom).
So, there you go.
