Every build on this site is one of Chris's actual workshop projects. We test each plan with a real kid, fix what doesn't work, and re-write until a beginner with a hand saw and a drill can follow it. Start with the door hanger if you've never made anything before — 20 minutes, two cuts, you'll be hooked.
Start with the door hangerFirst build idea? Get the printable plan.
Drop your email and we'll send you the one-page printable plan for our most-popular beginner build — the wooden "Sleeping/Awake" door hanger. 20 minutes, 2 cuts, no experience required.
Get the free planAbsolute beginner
Wooden Door Hanger
20 minutes · Beginner · $5–$10
Two cuts, one hole, two coats of paint. The simplest project on the site and the perfect introduction to every technique you'll use in the bigger builds. "Sleeping" on one side, "Awake!" on the other.
Painted Peg-Doll Family
2 hours (painting) · Beginner · $10–$25
Buy unfinished peg-doll blanks, paint a custom family. The perfect family workshop afternoon. Kids from age 3 can sand and paint alongside.
Beginner — your first real toys
Wooden Push Car
2 hours · Beginner · $15–$25
A solid wooden push car with four fat wheels. Your first dowel-axle build. Heirloom-grade with the right wood.
Wooden Stacking Blocks Set
3–4 hours · Beginner · $10–$20
A heirloom 28-piece unit-block set. Cuts simple, finish properly, lasts a generation. The single most-used toy in our test households.
Intermediate — for the second weekend
Personalised Name Puzzle
3 hours · Beginner–Intermediate · $15–$25
Jigsaw-cut a name puzzle from a single piece of birch ply. The perfect heirloom baby-shower gift.
Brio-Compatible Train Cars
3 hours per car · Intermediate · $15–$25 per car
Custom wooden cars that couple to your existing Brio set. Magnet-pocket inset work and precise axle-fit. Every kid wants their train collection extended.
Wooden Balance Board (Wobbel-Style)
6–8 hours over 2 days · Intermediate · $35–$50
Bendable-plywood lamination over a curved form. The $150 Wobbel for $50 in materials.
Wooden Rocking Horse
10–12 hours over a weekend · Intermediate–Advanced · $60–$90
The build that earns you bragging rights. Silhouette template, matched rockers, faux mane and tail. Heirloom-grade.
Before you start: a few essentials
Two short guides every toy-maker should read before their first build:
Beginner Tool Kit
The under-$200 starter kit that covers every build in this series. Plus the "once you're hooked" upgrade path. By Tom — 20+ years of hobby builds.
Child-Safe Finishes
Which finishes are genuinely safe for toys a child will mouth. Beeswax, milk paint, ECOS — what we use and what we avoid. By Jess, our finishes specialist.
Don't want to build it yourself?
Every MAKE guide includes our recommended ready-made alternative. Or browse our hand-tested wooden toy picks across every age, type, and budget.
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