Making A Daisy Doorstop


Fred & Julie Byrne use their scrollsaw to make a useful but attractive item for the home

Wooden daisies sculpture on wooden base.
Table of Contents

Most doorstops are purely functional items, but there is no reason why they should not be made attractive as well, and this daisy design will certainly not go unnoticed. We have included a poppy design as an alternative to the daisies. You could also make a mixture of both types of flower and display them in a vase.

Safety notice

  • Understand your tools and machinery; always read the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Eye and ear protection are essential.
  • Dust can also be a hazard to your health: wear a dust mask or respirator. Investing in a dust extractor or some form of vacuum cleaner is also a good idea.

You will need

  • Hardwood for the wedge, 178 x 44 x 25mm
  • Small piece of pine for the daisies, 305 x 102 x 19mm
  • 6mm hardwood dowel, 610mm long
  • Scrollsaw and No. 7 blade
  • Disc sander
  • Drum and mini flexible-shaft sanders, with selection of sanding sleeves
  • Sanding block and sandpaper, 120–320 grit
  • Pillar drill and 6mm drill bit
  • Photocopied patterns
  • Scissors
  • Masking tape
  • Cling film
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Good-quality wood glue
  • Glue stick
  • Acrylic paints: white, yellow and green
  • Acrylic matt vanish
  • Artists’ brushes
  • Wax polish and soft polishing cloth
  • Tack cloth

Making the flowers

Craft materials: scissors, paper, glue, wooden board
1. Each flower has a supporting piece at the back to which the petals and centre are glued. Start by making a photocopy of each back support, and two copies of each daisy-head pattern. Note how the grain runs approximately along the length of each petal. For the first (central) daisy, cut one of the patterns so you have three petals at the top (petals 9, 1, 2), the flower centre, and two petals at the bottom (5, 6); cut the second pattern to give the remaining petals on either side (3, 4, 8, 7). Align the petals with the wood grain, then glue-stick the patterns to the wood. Do the same for the other daisies
PlanDownload
Scroll saw cutting flower shape in wood
2. Set up the scrollsaw with a No. 7 blade. Cut the main part of the daisy first, leaving the petals attached to the centre for the moment. Cut into the V-shape between the petals, then back the blade out just enough to turn the work round to cut the next petal
Scroll saw cutting paper bunny shape
3. Return afterwards to remove the waste. Keep a piece of 180-grit sandpaper handy to remove the burr from the underside of the cut line as you go
Wooden flower carving in progress
4. Place this centre piece over the side petals to check that the shape still matches; if you have wandered from the line, trace the shape onto the next piece to be cut, then cut this piece following your new line. When you have cut the pieces out, check that they fit well together
Crafting wooden flower using template and pencil guide.
5. Now cut out the individual petals. Before you remove the pattern, number each petal on the underside, quite close to where they meet the centre, so the numbers will be hidden once the back support is glued on. Also mark the position of the first petal on the centre piece. Cut out the other two daisies in the same way; it’s a good idea to label them straightaway, and keep the three sets of petals separate!
Drilling hole in wood with a clamp
6. Cut out the three back supports, leaving the patterns in place until it is time to glue. Cut the dowel for the stems to 230, 200 and 180mm. Fit the pillar drill with a 6mm bit. Use a clamp to hold the back support so that the drill lines up with the appropriate mark on the pattern and is set back approximately 6mm from the face of the pattern. Holding the clamp securely, carefully drill down 13mm
Hands sanding wood on disc sander
7. Using the disc sander, taper each petal down by 2 or 3mm towards the centre of the flower. Round over the three back supports as best you can, leaving the pattern attached; then move on to the drum sander to round them further
Hands sanding wood with disc sander machine.
8. Also use the drum sander to round over the petals, always sanding with the grain
Person drawing outline on wooden daisy petals.
9. Mark the height of each petal onto the centre piece, then round over the centre piece to this line. Hand-sand all the pieces to a smooth finish with 180-grit through to 280-grit sandpaper, and then wipe all the pieces with a tack cloth to remove the fine dust before colouring

Painting

Painting green wooden stick with brush on tray.
10. Still keeping each daisy separated, sort the pieces into small groups for colouring. The paints are mixed with medium as described on the following page. Paint the front, sides and the exposed part of the back of each petal, then wipe off the excess with a soft cloth to reveal the grain. Paint the centres a bright yellow and use green mixed with medium for the back supports and stems. Allow to dry, preferably overnight. Lightly nib down the pieces with 320-grit sandpaper, again remove the fine dust with a tack cloth, then varnish all the pieces and leave to dry. Polish (we used Liberon Black Bison neutral) and buff to a nice sheen

Assembly

Applying glue to wooden biscuit joiner
11. Tape a piece of cling film to the work surface to stop the flower heads sticking. Referring to the numbers on the underside, arrange the petals in order around the centre pieces. Glue the petals one at a time, firmly pressing them into place. If any glue has seeped out, wipe away with a damp cloth and an old acrylic artist’s brush.Glue all three flower heads, and leave to dry on the cling film
Hands holding wooden clock model and base.
12. When dry, attach the correct back support to each flower head, aligning the pre-drilled hole to the correct petal number as shown on the drawing. Apply a dab of glue, press firmly into place and leave to dry thoroughly
Drilling a hole in wooden block template.
13. Any available hardwood can be used for the wedge. Make a copy of the pattern top and attach it to the wood using the glue stick. Use the same bit as before to drill the stem holes. The centre hole is vertical; the other two are slanted outwards by placing a small piece of 6mm plywood under the side of the wedge before drilling. Wetting the paper with a damp cloth will help the pattern to peel off

Making the wedge

Person using coping saw on wood
14. Mark the wedge shape with a ruler and pencil, then remove the waste with the scrollsaw. Sand the wedge smooth with a sanding block and 120-grit sandpaper, then use 280-grit paper for an all- over smooth finish. Wipe with a tack cloth, varnish with an acrylic matt varnish, and allow to dry. Polish will give the wedge a nice sheen. To assemble, just push the three stems into their respective holes

Using an acrylic medium

For most of our projects we use a medium in the colouring process. The purpose of this is to slow the drying of the acrylic paint, which gives you a longer working time. The amount of medium you add determines the translucency of the paint as well.

Our method is simple: we mix the medium with our chosen colours, paint onto the wood, leave for no longer than a minute, then wipe off the excess paint with a lint-free cloth to reveal the wood grain beneath without loss of colour.

Applying acrylic paint on its own to the wood surface would leave you with an opaque finish, whereas adding the slow-dry medium will thin the paint and at the same time enable you to remove the excess easily. The more pressure you apply when wiping the wood, the more grain you reveal. This will give each project uniqueness, as no two pieces of wood are the same.

Wooden daisies with green stems, black background.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRED & JULIE BYRNE

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