Wooden Toy Soldiers

This project began as a Christmas gift for my Grandmother. 40 years a go my Grandfather made her a set of 6 wooden toy soldiers for the front walkway. They each held part of a string of lights that ran along both sides of the walkway. Well, as you can imagine, after 40 years they are pretty well worn down. So I decided to replace them. It wasn’t as much woodworking as it was painting, but it took quite some time. I was able to cut all 6 soldiers from a single sheet of ply. After that it was just a matter of painting and cutting the slots/ holes in the hands to accept the string of lights. I used strips of pressure treated lumber to secure them to the ground. They are only screwed on so that I can replace them as they wear.

Overall it was a time consuming but rewarding project. My Grandma was thrilled and the tradition of the toy soldier lawn ornaments continues.