Hellobee

I’ve been a fan of wooden toys for as long as I can remember. I’m sure it’s the result of growing up with wooden toys and good ones at that. Now, I’m not a woodworker, so I probably won’t be making anything too fancy, but this play phone is so easy that your kids can help make it!

It helps to have a friend or family member with a power saw to get you started, but after that, this project is just plain fun! It’s also VERY inexpensive. I used wood scraps, which cost me nothing. But if you had to go and buy a full piece of wood that would make enough phones for a classroom of kids, it would still be less than $5.00. That’s a pretty cheap project, which means if you child wants to make a whole bunch of phones (or other imaginative toys), you can let them create to their hearts content!

I’m showing two ways to decorate the phone. One is a little brighter and more like the wooden toys you might buy on Etsy. The other is more kid-friendly. Go with what is the better fit for you!

You will need:

4-inch piece of 1″x3″ pine trim board (actual measurements of this piece will be 4″ x 3/4″ x 2-1/2″)
Sand paper or old nail file
Pencil
Colored pencils
-or-
Wood burning tool and paints

First, the wood. I’m lucky to have a dad who does some projects around the house and had some extra wood pieces to share. You might know someone who can help you out with a piece or two. Or at the least, they could help you cut the wood.

Otherwise, head to Home Depot, Lowes, etc. and buy a 6-ft piece of trim board. Often they will trim the board for you for a small charge. Or…they might have some scraps to offer.

The edges and corners will be sharp, and you don’t want that. Sand down the rough and sharp areas with sandpaper or an old nail file. Kids are really good at this part and I’ve found that they love the process.

Draw some squares with rounded corners to be the apps and draw a circle at the bottom for the home button. These don’t have to be perfect, but if you want them to all be the same, find or make a template to trace.

The easiest way to decorate this is with colored pencils and kids can do this all on their own.

I filled in the “apps” in a rainbow of solid colors, then added a shadow. But they could have little icons in them, and I just know your little ones will want to customize at this point!

And if you’re using colored pencil, the phone is done as soon as the decorating is finished.

The more involved way to make your play phone is to outline the apps and home button with a wood burning tool. Obviously this needs to be done by an adult.

I’m still new to wood burning, so my outlines are a little wonky. Plus, the grain of the wood will have an effect on how these lines look. But that’s okay!

Now you or your kids can paint in the outlines. I used opaque watercolors, but watered down acrylic paints also work well. And if you want to avoid paint entirely, crayons work great on wood too.

The watercolor is not colorfast, so if you want it to be, spray it with a coat of clear sealer.

Two phones ready for play! Each decorating method has a different look, but they’re both fun.

This design is a much simplified version of an iPhone, but you can add as many details as you want. For example, my little brother felt that I really needed to add the camera to both the front and back. Since I haven’t sealed mine, there’s always time to add more!

Happy Crafting!

Note: Unless you know the details about the origins of the wood you’re using, I wouldn’t recommend this for children who are still putting toys in their mouth.