7/7/14

DIY Wooden Toy Camera + Giveaway!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July Weekend! We spent ours staying close to home. We hosted a fun BBQ while hanging out blow-up pool side in the backyard. I also found time to create a fun little toy for McKenzie. I've been eyeing these adorable wooden toy cameras for a while now, I just couldn't bring myself to spend the pretty penny that it would cost to own one. Though they are high quality with stellar craftsmanship and worth the extra $$, I decided to roll the dice and see if I could find a time and cost efficient How-To. Luckily I came across the wonderful blog Naptime DIY and used talented mommy, Ashley's easy to follow tutorial as my guide! Although I took my attempt one step further and added a pop color to dress it up a bit,  Ashley kept hers natural and finished so beautifully! I had so much fun creating this cute little camera and little did I know we would be happy with our first attempt or I wouldn't have bought so much extra back-up materials. With that said, I have a little surprise for you below following my tutorial! :)


Supplies:
  • 1 Bass Wood Plank - Michaels
  • 3 Wooden Pegs 1/4" - Michaels
  • 1 Small Wooden Wheel 1"- Michaels
  • 1 Large Wooden Wheel 1.5"- Michaels
  • Small Spring - I used one from an old pen
  • Wood Glue
  • Cordless Drill (1/4 & 3/8 drill bit)
  • Optional: Circular Saw


Instructions:

I found these planks of bass wood at Michaels already cut pretty close to size, however they were just a tad too big for my little one's hands to hang on to, so we used the measurements from the Nap Time DIY  for the perfect fit. 

1. First Step - Cut wood 2.5"h X 4"L & 1" thick.  (You will later cut wood lengthwise creating a .75inch top and 1.75inch bottom. I recommend doing this after your holes are drilled.)


2. You will then want to mark your drill sites for your shutter button, mode dial and lens. 

3.  I enlisted my husband for this portion of the tutorial. We used a 1/4 drill bit to drill holes for the shutter button, mode dial and lens.  When drilling holes for your shutter button, be sure not to drill too far down, as you want the tip of your peg to poke out of the top of your camera. Hopefully the photo below will give you a better idea of what to aim for when assembling your shutter button.


4. Cut your wood plank lengthwise creating a .75" top and 1.75" bottom to your camera.

5. Use a 3/8 drill bit to create a wider hole on the bottom portion of the camera to accommodate your spring and peg combo. 

6. This is optional. My husband decided to drill a little indention in the peg cap for the spring to rest in. I eventually glued them together.



7. Next, assemble and add your mode dial and lens in their marked areas.

8. When you press your mode dial and lens pegs into their holes, make sure not to press too far, leaving a little room for both the mode dial and lens wheel to turn.

9. If you choose to leave camera a natural finish, then here is where you will use wood glue to attach all the pieces in place. 

10. I then lightly sanded the rough edges creating a smooth surface and added a thin layer of non -toxic Mod Podge over entire camera sealing it and creating a glossy smooth surface. THAT'S IT!!!

If you would like to add a pop of color to your camera:

10. I would first paint the pieces that you want to brighten up. Then let dry.

11. Apply a layer of non toxic sealer over all pieces.

12. Assemble your pieces then apply small dots of wood glue to attach all the pieces to wood planks. Be sure not to use a lot of glue as you do not want it to leak through the seams. If it does, I would wipe away as much as you can, sand  your seam then re-apply sealer.


Here are a few photos of Kenzie perfecting her camera skills. 



This was such a fun and quick toy to put together.  I bought several pieces of wood just in case we had a little "uh oh" and needed backup. We actually ended up loving our first attempt and now have a lot of extra materials on hand. With that said, I have enough to make three more, soooooo….how about a fun giveaway to make things even more exciting?! 

GIVEAWAY TIME!
Help bring out the mini photographer in your little by presenting them with their very own Wooden Toy Camera with Moveable Parts! 
  • THREE LUCKY READERS will receive a wooden camera painted color of choice from the color options posted below! 
  • Enter using the Rafflecopter form Below with Options for Extra Entries !
  • Be sure to leave comment before moving on to extra entries. Each entry will be verified.
  • WINNERS will be randomly chosen and announced Friday, July 11th!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

46 comments :

  1. Wow! I've seen wooden toy camera's available to buy but never knew you could DIY! I'd pick colour number 6 for my little boy. x

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    1. I thought the same thing! I'm so glad I stumbled upon an easy tutorial!

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  2. What a great alternative to the pricey wooden camera toys I've seen! Love this DIY.

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  3. These are adorable!

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  4. Wow I never thought to try to DIY something like this. Great idea! Would love in mint.

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  5. Yellow is such a fun and happy color, which reminds me of my happy baby boy! He also loves and claps to "If you're happy and you know it..." so color number 4 would definitely be my choice! I love how fun and thorough this tutorial is, thanks for sharing!

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    1. Yellow is certainly a bright and happy color Marissa! Thanks for your kind words and for entering our fun little giveaway! :)

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  6. Bower and Groover wanna wiiiinnnnn!! So stinkin cute!

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    Replies
    1. They definitely need one to round out their awesome toy collection :D

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  7. Super cute ! Would be a great prop.

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    1. Thank You Tristen! It would make the perfect prop for a little's photo session!

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    1. That would such a fun color! Thanks for entering Anne!

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  9. Such a cute idea! I have looked for a toy camera for my daughter but there is not a lot out there that isn't crazy expensive or has bad reviews!

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    1. Thank you Chrissy! These are really cute and a perfect fit for my little. I know you will love it!

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  10. i am loving the mint and lavender colors, but i think i would have to pick #10 for our sweet baby girl! we don't have very many girlie colored toys so this would be the perfect addition for her. i absolutely love this little tutorial and absolutely adore the simplicity of the toy!

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    1. The pastel colors always have my heart! The pink is so adorable and will be perfect for your little princess :)

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  11. Oh gosh I adore these!! I might just have a sweet little future photographer on the way soon... I'd like to pick pink #10... but with how it goes in my family... better pick adorable #4 just to be safe (boy or girl!!) Love my boys, but I need some more pink in my home!! Thanks for the sweet giveaway!

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    1. Thank you Melanie! #4 is a cute gender neutral color! Good Choice!

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  12. Love it!! And so would my baby girl♥

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  13. So cute!! What a great giveaway. I would totally add straps maybe like headband elastic to the sides so my baby girl could wear it around her neck. I would go for either the light pink or white. :)

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    1. That is a great idea Acsa! Thanks for entering! Good Luck!

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  14. I pinned this and I am having a hard time pasting the URL. I hope it went through.

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  15. I would choose the darker blue (#7)! These are so cute! :)

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  16. I love this!!! I can't wait to try this project out! :)

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  17. Oh, these are adorable! I think the light blue (#7) would be perfect for my boys--pretty yet boyish :) I am impressed with your skills--when I see "saw" or "drill" in the list things I need, I usually get intimidated and move on! I'd love to take a wood working class if I could ever find one :)

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    1. 7 would be so cute for a boy! Good Choice Debbie!

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  18. Number 6 - that sweet soft mint is just perfect for any sweet baby! Thank you!

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    1. I love mint! I don't think I could ever get tired of it! Good Choice Kaitlin!

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  19. My twin two year olds would love one of these in #6 or #7!

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    1. Green and Blue are adorable colors for boys! You can't go wrong with either color! :)

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  20. Replies
    1. I would actually love to see that color! Fun choice Janet!

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  21. This is soooo cute! I think I might make another trip to Michael's! LOL

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    1. Do it Tori!! They do take a little bit of time but the outcome is worth it! :)

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  22. wow!! I'm so impressed with his project!! What a cute idea. Wooden toys are my favorite!

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    1. Mine Too Annie! There is something so timeless about them! :)

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  23. This is adorable! I love that the button is a spring, super cute! That bright pink (#1) would be perfect for my little lady!

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