Like busy Christmas elves, whittling away on wooden treasures to fill stockings or to place under a tree, the Woodend Men’s Shed has been busy making special toys ahead of this year’s Woodend Primary School Carlsruhe Country Fair.
From small, wooden cars with wheels, bowls or even miniature festive trees created out of upcycled timber – shed president Kevin Davis said a range of knick knacks will be on show and available to purchase on November 26.
“We turn bowls and platters, little toy cars… my experience with it is kids play with them for years,” Mr Davis said.
“You give children one of the little cars, then five years later the child is still pushing the car around.
“Their imagination takes over… I’ve been making them for at least 20 years.”
There is a real focus on sustainability when it comes to everything the shed does, from reusing naturally felled timber found or donated by locals through urban salvaging, to reselling unused tools back to the community.
“We get lots of bits and pieces donated. Some of the tools we get donated are older, but they’re still good tools [even if] they’re not required by the shed,” Mr Davis said.
“We put them out [at the fete] for a dollar each or something… we’ll always recycle.”
At the fete there will even be an opportunity for little ones to have a go at making themselves a wooden plaything.
“We will have a little demonstration of some sort as well, where there will be little trucks kids can make. We pre-cut the pieces and they can glue them together… that’s always popular.”
Elsie Lange
