Playful Woodworking: Create Wooden Art Toys

Art toys allow us to discover new creative spaces, explore galaxies and ancient civilizations, and let our imagination soar with rockets, robots, monsters, and aliens. In hopes of embodying all these ideas in 3D objects, Eduardo Castanheira and Natália Rocha founded the Popoke Brasil carpentry workshop, which combines their love of art and woodwork.

In this course, learn how to make an original wooden art toy. Join Eduardo and Natália and explore your inner fantasy world and transform your ideas into a unique and fun piece.

Start this creative journey by getting to know your teachers Eduardo Castanheira and Natália Rocha. They'll tell you about their creative adventures, their biggest influences, and how they opened their workshop, Popoke Brasil.

Explore the colorful world of wood. Take a closer look at the protective equipment, machinery, and tools you need for the course. Before getting diving into carpentry process, make some sketches to design your toy

It’s time to get to work! Natália and Eduardo show you how to use your sketches to bring your figure to life. Get Natália and Eduardo's tips on how to choose the right wood, cut it and assemble it properly. Learn to use cutting machines like a band saw for creative and efficient results. Don't forget to sand your piece before assembly!

Learn how to drill, mark measurements, and sign your art toy. Then, assemble your piece with a specialist glue. Natália and Eduardo wrap things up with some tips on how to give your toy a designer finish using mineral oil and beeswax.

Make a customized wooden art toy, from creating your first sketch to finishing the final product.

Anyone interested in art toys, carpentry, and designer wooden toys.

Previous carpentry experience is recommended for this course.

In terms of materials, you need blank paper, A3 graph paper, a pencil, pens, a ruler, a triangle, and a protractor. For tools and accessories, you need a hammer, needle-nose pliers, a Japanese hand saw or standard hand saw, a carpenter's square, small nails, dowels, wood adhesive, a two-component sealant, beeswax, mineral oil, brill bits, solid wood, wooden slats, dentistry tools, a selection of wood files, and T-track hold-down clamps. You should also have access to a table saw, a miter saw, a bench or standard drill, and an orbital sander.