Favorite Projects 2025 - Scroll Saw Challenge

[Travis]

I hope everybody had a great Holiday season and can finally catch your breath.  As we're stepping into a new year, January is always a time for reflection, looking back on the memories, milestones, and moments spent enjoying our hobbies. For this month’s challenge, think about the projects you created over the past year and share a pic of some of your favorite scroll saw projects.  Tell us what made it stand out in your mind. Was it made for a gift or for a special occasion? We always enjoy hearing the stories behind your work and look forward to seeing your favorite project.  

[barb.j.enders]

This is a challenge to figure out which one was a favorite.  This is one of my favorites.  Designed by our own @FrankEV.  

[BadBob]

I spent some time last year looking at making bandsaw boxes. It seemed to me that cutting all the layers with a scroll saw and gluing them together would be easier. I learned a lot from making this. Unless you love sanding, cutting precisely is important. Make sure that all your sanding tools will fit into the areas you need to sand; otherwise, you will be doing a lot of hand sanding. I think it turned out pretty well, and I definitely plan to make more.

[ChelCass]

I think these two were my favorites.  Hubby is a Marine and very proud of it and I am very proud of him. 

[BadBob]

I made doll cradles for my girls and nieces many years ago. They were small to fit the small dolls they had. I decided to make a full-size cradle for my granddaughter. The design comes from the old Shopsmith "Hands On" magazine. The patterns were printed on a grid that was about 3 inches tall and had to be scanned, cleaned up with Gimp, and traced and enlarged. I had to figure out how to print a usable pattern that spanned multiple pages. I cut all the curved pieces with my scroll saw and made plywood templates for next time. I had some problems to overcome, not the least of which was being interrupted by other things. The finish isn't as good as I had hoped, but so far, no one seems to notice it but me. All of the joints are butt joints as the design called for, and it was a pain to clamp without the pieces moving. Next time, biscuits or dowels, or some other method of holding things in place until the glue sets.

 

[Scrappile]

I think this was my favorite, because I made a total of 8 of them as sent them to family in lieu of Christmas Cards.  They were very much appreciated.  the second picture is from my daughter showing me where she displayed it on her fireplace hearth.

 

[Archer]

 

This one has to be my favourite. Steve Good design cut in pine with a black painted backerboard. The frame is made of paddle-pop \ popsicle sticks.

[preprius]

I used the search tools and filter in bragging rights menu to remind me of my posts.

In 2025 i posted 6 projects in bragging right area. 

My most replied was my model toy space shuttle. 

But the most I liked was making and delivering a black "Wenge" wearable wooden cowboy hat. 

My second runner up is making a name block out of 2"x2"x8" purple heart turners block.

 

The both customers liked my work. 

The customer for the model toy was me.

Me. Mark Eason

 

Edited January 9 by preprius

[Wichman]

My favorite for 2025 was the pencil organizer that I based off of a Charles Hand pattern:

[Roberta Moreton]

This was one of the most difficult fretwork portraits I ever did.  It’s also one of my favorites!

[Mike Crosa]

My favorite for last year was hard to determine but finally I went with this one.

[jerry walters]

Although not all are not scroll saw projects one is one of my satisfying projects I have ever done.  That is the refinishing of an old clock my parents had.  In the 50's pink was a favorite color of many people, mostly my mom.  She painted it pink.  This old clock was in a house we moved in the early 40's.  Mom asked the owner about the clock that was left.  He said we could keep it.  I remember watching my dad wind it about once a week.  The ticking and the chimes (bangs) on the hour and half hour are sound memories I recall fondly.  When my mother passed away in 1997 my brother wanted it.  Well, he boxed it up and never did anything with it.  When he recently divorced, I asked him if he still had it, would he be willing to let me finish it.  This year that was my project, one of the most satisfying projects I have ever done.  Took me most of the summer.  The clock is about 125 - 130 years old, and yes, it still works.  Still love the sound.   Also, are attached two Christmas scrolling projects I did that gave me great pleasure.

[Sycamore67]

My best for the year was this horse and rider Intarsia that was made for my Granddaughter.

 

[alexfox]

This is my favorite project of 2025. It's not the most popular, nor the most difficult project, but if you like dinosaurs and puzzles, you simply can't pass it up   

[Gonzo]

On 1/9/2026 at 10:45 AM, Roberta Moreton said:

This was one of the most difficult fretwork portraits I ever did.  It’s also one of my favorites!

I had to do a double take on this. Very cool! Congrats on the blue ribbon. Where did ya get it?

also, where can one get the pattern?

The frame is really cool also!

[RabidAlien]

It wasn't one that I started in 2025, my old 16" saws couldn't handle the size of the bottom two layers.  But I was able to upgrade my saw at the end of 2024, and after a couple of small bookmark-sized pieces (which I'm using as bookmarks, oddly enough) to get a feel for the saw, I did a larger cut, and then finished off the bottom two layers of the owl.  Definitely a time-consuming project, but that feeling when it all got stained and I was able to start stacking the layers....

 

[Scrappile]

2 minutes ago, RabidAlien said:

It wasn't one that I started in 2025, my old 16" saws couldn't handle the size of the bottom two layers.  But I was able to upgrade my saw at the end of 2024, and after a couple of small bookmark-sized pieces (which I'm using as bookmarks, oddly enough) to get a feel for the saw, I did a larger cut, and then finished off the bottom two layers of the owl.  Definitely a time-consuming project, but that feeling when it all got stained and I was able to start stacking the layers....

 

How many layers?  It is surely beautiful!

[RabidAlien]

1 minute ago, Scrappile said:

How many layers?  It is surely beautiful!

10 (had to look it up)

 

Pattern was found on Etsy (seller has temporarily closed shop) as an "owl mandala" papercutting pattern.  There were one or two spots that had islands (including the bottom layer...definitely had to modify that on the fly!), and I think I printed it out at 150% size since at the time I bought it (2021...again, had to look it up!  Memory sucks.) the smallest drillbit I had was a standard DeWalt 1/16.  I found BearWoods' scrollsaw bits after that, and that helped greatly with the smaller parts of the bottom two layers, so if I did this one again, I'd probably leave it at 100%.

[jerry walters]

6 hours ago, RabidAlien said:

It wasn't one that I started in 2025, my old 16" saws couldn't handle the size of the bottom two layers.  But I was able to upgrade my saw at the end of 2024, and after a couple of small bookmark-sized pieces (which I'm using as bookmarks, oddly enough) to get a feel for the saw, I did a larger cut, and then finished off the bottom two layers of the owl.  Definitely a time-consuming project, but that feeling when it all got stained and I was able to start stacking the layers....

 

WOW!!! quite the project.  10 layers, magnificent!.

Jerry

[rafairchild2]

I would say finishing my Venice inspired chess set, compound cutting, walnut and ash.  Oh and i will NEVER use ash again for this type of cutting! Started at the end of 2024, then finished cutting before I had surgery in May of 2025.  Then in June I sanded and dipped it in finishing oil.

 

Edited January 11 by rafairchild2

[Gonzo]

9 hours ago, RabidAlien said:

It wasn't one that I started in 2025, my old 16" saws couldn't handle the size of the bottom two layers.  But I was able to upgrade my saw at the end of 2024, and after a couple of small bookmark-sized pieces (which I'm using as bookmarks, oddly enough) to get a feel for the saw, I did a larger cut, and then finished off the bottom two layers of the owl.  Definitely a time-consuming project, but that feeling when it all got stained and I was able to start stacking the layers....

 

Wow is right!!!!

[Gonzo]

I too would have to say the chess I made set was my favorite 

 

[Kris Martinson]

• It was difficult to choose, but I think my personal favorites from 2025 are these two. 

[sst17]

This anniversary sign that I created was my most satisfying project of the past year. A friend had a special saying they wanted created to hang in there bedroom and I designed it, cut each letter with the scroll saw, sanded each letter, painted all of the letters and finally glued them to a sign board and trimmed it in antique barn siding.

[Wichman]

Bravo, sir, bravo.