Pine board Christmas tree

I know it’s a little early in the season, but I do my wood carving in a workshop that is unheated, uninsulated, and pretty much subject to whatever the temperature is outside. Thus, with winter arriving, I need to crack on to get my Christmassy things carved because when (not if) the mercury drops below zero, I’ll have to pack up my Dremel rotary tool, wood varnish, beeswax, white spirit and all the other bits and bobs, and bring them into the warmth of the house. And you can bet that Mrs. James would not appreciate me carving in our home.

This week’s project began with a large plank of shuttering wood. I got this from a new neighbour at the end of the road when he built his house three years ago and dumped all of the shuttering on the street with a helpful “Please take” sign:

With my chainsaw, I cut it into lengths of around 50cm (20′) and formed the basic outline. I sanded off the dried cement:

Then it was time to carve the Christmas tree, daub it in beeswax, and give it a nice coat of varnish:

And then it came into the house to occupy a cubbyhole in our living room wall unit:

And then I switched the lights on…

…and the unit lights off:

That one length of shuttering board has given me enough pieces for another five Christmas trees, and the Canadian YouTuber from whom I got the idea (and, actually, the whole design), says he sells these things in Vancouver for $100 a pop. As book sales tail off and with The Repulse Chronicles finished, do I see the glimmer of a new career on the horizon?