Nathan Baller's DIY Christmas

This was my first Christmas with access to my own wood shop so I attempted to do some homemade gifts for the first time. I was motivated by the fact that I had recently acquired some sentimental wood from my parent’s property. My Dad introduced me to woodworking and continues to be my primary inspiration, so I was very excited and honored to put wood from his trees to good use. And they were nice trees. A mighty Bur Oak, a Red Oak and a gorgeous River Birch all needed trimming. I acquired about half-dozen 2-foot oak logs mixed between white (Bur is a type of white oak) and red oak, and two 6-foot sections of River Birch. I brought one section of River Birch to the mill and turned it into planks. The other section I have slowly been slicing off disks for decorations and sections to use for coffee cups and bowls.
The type of Oak I am working with is Bur Oak and Red Oak. Oak is an incredibly hard wood and was used to make ships like the USS Constitution. The wood from a Bur oak will look lighter in color. Red Oak wood has a very dark-reddish color, especially when placed next to the Bur Oak, which you can notice in the images below.
The River Birch is different than the common “paper” Birch we often see forests of around the United States. I think it is a prettier tree. The bark is more rough and interesting looking and can vary in color from grey to light pink. I learned through working with it, that the live edges of River Birch are great for adding handsome details to your project.
Some of the gifts I made using the Oak and River Birch include:
3 birch candle holders on birch disc
3 Oak Coasters
3 River Birch Ornaments with wood burned design
River Birch Picture Frame
1 Red Oak Teaspoon
1 Bur Oak Teaspoon
1 Red Oak Bottle Opener (my personal favorite)
Coffee tray with reclaimed palette board and River Birch details.
The two spoons in the middle of the tray were made with Basswood and Aspen