Santa Claus Christmas Ornament Inlay Kit EZInlays

Santa Claus Decorative Inlay Kit

$75
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Dimensions:

5-1/2" Tall, 4-1/4" Wide

Instructions to build the Decorative Inlay Kit Santa Claus

Basic Inlay
Instructions

Walnut Santa

Image of the Santa inlay built on Walnut

Brazilian Cherry Santa

Yellow Heart Santa

What's Included in the Kit

For $75 you'll receive a decorative inlay kit containing 7 templates. The first six templates builds each layer of Santa Claus. The seventh template allows you to cut out the design as a Christmas Ornament.

Best of all you don't need to be a master crafts-person, much less a woodworker, to build this ornament. All you need is a few basic tools that are inexpensive as well as safe and easy to use. Click here review the Router Based Inlay Tool List.

Never built an inlay before? Click here to Learn How To Build Any Wood Inlay.

Select the Inlay Materials

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This video explains the process used to select the inlay materials for this build of the decorative inlay Santa Christmas Ornament.

When selecting the inlay materials for Santa you'll want to focus on grain patterns, or a lack of for his face, and similar yet slightly different colored woods.

This design was created to honor childhood memories of the claymation Christmas special: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Always makes me smile when I watch that show! :)

INLAY MATERIALS THIS BUILD

    * Walnut 7" x 7" x 5/8" - Base material
    * Pine 4" x 4" x 1/8" - Face
    * Rosewood 6" x 3" x 1/8" - Santa's Hat
    * Birds Eye Maple 4" x 3" x 1/8" - Fur on Santa's hat
    * Wenge 3" x 3" x 1/8" - Eyes
    * Oak 3" x 3" x 1/8" - Nose and Ear
    * Red Heart 3" x 3" x 1/8" - Mouth
    * Quilted Maple 4" x 5" x 1/8" - Beard and Eyebrows
    * Figured Maple 3" x 3" x 1/8" - Mustache

GENERAL GUIDELNES

In this build four different types of woods that all had a similar color were used. The beard and mustache had to be made from different materials or else they would have blended together. It's the same story for Santa's nose and ear. You'll need a color similar to the face but different enough to show contrast.

The eyebrows came from the same piece of wood that the beard came from, just a different area of the board that was different from the beard but still worked great for eyebrows.

Cutting an Inlay Procedures

Configure your router by taking the BUSHING OFF and setting depth of plunge to cut all the way through the inlay material.

Align and, using double sided tape, affix the template to the inlay material.

Clamp the inlay assembly securely to the workbench

Position the router inside the cutout shape, turn it on, and plunge it into the inlay material. Carefully guide the router around the perimeter of the shape keeping the bearing in constant contact with the template wall. After the pass is complete turn the router off, un-plunge it, and set it aside.

Ensure you cut all the way through the inlay material. If not readjust the depth of plunge and make another pass.

Carefully remove the template and the inlay from the backing material.

Click here review how to Cut Inlays.

Layer 1 Piece 1

Layer 1 Inlays

Layer 1 provides the background for Santa's face. When selecting this material look for a piece of wood that has very little grain pattern.

Keep in mid the colors of the woods you'll be using for the eyebrows, ear, nose, mustache, ears, and the fur lining. When building an inlay contrast is everything so consider all of the materials that will be incorporated into your design.

Layer 2 Piece 1

Layer 2 Piece 2

Layer 2 Piece 3

Layer 2 Inlays

Layer 2 Piece 1 is Santa's ear. For this piece I prefer to use a slightly darker piece of wood than was used for the face. I also like to have a horizontal grain patter over a vertical one. As this is an accent piece I prefer to find a section of the material that has a subtle grain pattern too.

Layer 2 Pieces 2 and 3 are Santa's eyes. About the only wood material I've found that works for the eyes is Wenge. I like it because it's a dark wood and the grain kind of fades away. Still if using wood make sure the grain direction is top to bottom and not left to right. Santa looks a little demented if your eyes grain pattern is going horizontal. :O

A better choice for the eyes is to mix up a little epoxy and add some glitter to it to get the desired color. Adding a little Glow in the dark powder never hurts either!!!

Layer 2 Piece 4 is Santa's mouth. For this piece I prefer to use Red Heart. Actually I've never built a Santa ornament where Red Heart wasn't used as the mouth. On this piece a horizontal grain patter looks best.

IMPORTANT!!! Mark the orientation on each of these pieces!!! Because they are somewhat round it makes it much easier to assemble the inlay into it's void when you know what the orientation of the piece is.

IMPORTANT PART 2!!! Because small like to move during the routing process it's imperative to get good adhesion between the material and the spoil board. I like to sand the back side of the inlay material and the spoil board to ensure good adhesion.

Layer 3 Piece 1

Layer 3 Piece 2

Layer 3 Inlay

Layer 3 piece 1 is Santa's beard. This is one of the focal points of your design so choose it carefully. Select a grain pattern that runs top to bottom because... well hair in a beard grows that way!!! :)

In the Walnut Santa (at the top of the page) I chose a piece of pine that didn't have much of a grain pattern and then I used a highly figured piece for the face. The main thing is to have contrast between the face and beard.

Layer 3 piece 2 is Santa's nose. I like to use the same material for the nose that I used for the ear (L2P1). For the nose I prefer to have the rain pattern run vertically although I've had luck when I could use a piece of wood that has a a circular type of pattern too. Whatever direction you choose make sure it blends in with the other pieces because it's an accent type of piece that can detract from the design if it sticks out to much.

Layer 4 Piece 1

Layer 4 Piece 2

Layer 4 Inlays

Layer 4 piece 1 is one of Santa's eyebrows. I was able to take this piece from the same board as the beard was cut from but I selected an area that had less quilting and a more pronounced grain pattern. Because it's an eyebrow I selected the grain pattern to flow from the left to the right. because unlike the beard eyebrows tend to grow horizontally.

Layer 4 piece 2 is half of Santa's mustache For the mustache I like to look for a grain pattern that flows up to the corner of the mustache I would recommend looking for a piece of material that is similar in color to that of the beard but different enough that it stands apart. For this piece I selected another piece of figured Maple. It's just the quilting on these pieces aren't as pronounced as the pattern on the beard. After all contrast is everything to an inlay! Yeah I know... I know... Beating a dead horse here!!! :)

Layer 5 Piece 1

Layer 5 Piece 2

Layer 5 Inlays

Layer 5 piece 1 is Santa's hat. I prefer to use a red colored wood for this piece. One of the first inlays I built I used Padauk for the hat. While it looked awesome for the first year or two Padauk tends to brown over time so eventually the hat just kind of blended into the background material. I even used a poly coat with a UV inhibitor in it to prevent the browning but it just didn't help.

Now I recommend using Red Heart for the hat. I know it browns a bit over time too but it's not as pronounced as Padauk.

In this build I chose a section of Rosewood. Understanding that it too will brown over time I made sure the grain pattern conflicted with the grain pattern of the base material. The walnut has a vertical grain direction and the hat is running horizontally. So when it browns a bit the grain pattern conflict will provide the needed contrast so the hat doesn't blend into the background.

Layer 5 piece 2 is Santa's other eyebrow. When selecting the material for the eyebrows select them both at the same time to ensure conformity between the two pieces.

Layer 5 Pieces 1 and 2

Layer 5 Piece 3

Layer 6 Inlays

Layer 6 pieces 1 and 2 are the fur for Santa's hat. In this build I used a Birds Eye Maple because... well... I had some laying around and I thought it' would look pretty cool. :)

I've made a few builds where I poured the fur using epoxy and glitter. If you go this route I'd suggest finding a white coloring agent to add to the epoxy. Make sure you dump a bunch of glitter into the epoxy too. Otherwise the fur will be translucent and experience tells me it won't look that good.

Layer 6 piece 3 is the other half of Santa's mustache. When selecting the material for the mustache select both pieces at the same time to ensure conformity between the two pieces.

Cutting Voids And Assembly

Configure your router by putting the BUSHING ON and setting depth of plunge to cut a void as deep as the inlay material without cutting all the way through the base material.

Use the circular alignment marks to align the template to the base material, then use double sided tape to affix the template in place. Use quick release clamps to secure the assembly to the workbench.

Position the router inside the shape, turn it on, and plunge it down. Guide the router around the perimeter of the shape and then move it back and forth to remove the material. After the majority of the material is removed turn the router off, un-plunge it, and set it aside. Clean out the debris then make another pass to get clean edges for the inlay to fit into and to remove any remaining knobbies.

Carefully remove the template from the base material.

Pre-fit the inlay into it's void and sand to fit if necessary. Once the fit is satisfactory smear glue on the bottom of the inlay and in the void. Place the inlay in it's void and use a soft mallet to tap the inlay until it's fully seated.

Click here review how to Cut Voids and Assemble the Inlays.

Position the Design

Layer 1 Assembled

Layer 1 Voids

Use the Ornament Cutout template to position Santa on the base material. After positioning the template, trace the two circular alignment marks and then trace the outline of the Santa cutout. Review template alignment procedures here.

Align the Layer 1 template to the base material, using the two circle alignment marks and the secure the template to he material with double sided tape. Route the void for Santa's face using the Cutting a Void procedure. DO NOT ROUTE THE ALIGNMENT MARKS!!!

After the voids have been routed, use a paint scraper to gently pry the template off the base material.

Assemble the the inlay piece into it's void. When finished the inlay should look similar to the Layer 1 Assembled picture.

After the pieces are assembled let the glue dry for fifteen to twenty minutes. The drying time isn't required, just a recommendation. The voids routed on Layer 2 will cut into the glue mixing with the sawdust created by the routing process. If this happens make sure you clean the glue off the router bit prior to routing the next piece!!!

Layer 2 Tape Pattern

Layer 2 Assembled

Layer 2 Voids

Layer 2 adds some features to Santa's face, specifically the ear, mouth, and eyes.

Using the registration marks, not the template outline, position and secure the Layer 2 template to the base material. Route the voids using the Cutting a Void procedure. DO NOT ROUTE THE ALIGNMENT MARKS!!!

After the voids have been routed, use a paint scraper to gently pry the template off the base material.

Assemble the inlay pieces into their respective void. This may or may not apply to the eyes. If you plan of filling the eyes with epoxy and glitter then just leave the voids empty.

If you're using wood material the eyes make sure you note the orientation on the inlay pieces. It's a whole lot easier to assemble the eyes if the orientation is correct! When finished the inlay should look similar to the Layer 2 Assembled picture.

Let this layer dry for fifteen to twenty minutes because the next layer removes almost half of Santa's mouth. You don't want the piece to shift during the routing process so letting the glue set up for a few minutes is a good idea.

Layer 3 Tape Pattern

Layer 3 Assembled

Layer 3

This layer grows a beard for Santa and gives him a nose so he can smell the freshly baked Christmas Cookies!!! :)

Using the registration marks, not the template outline, position and secure the Layer 3 template to the base material. Route the voids using the Cutting a Void procedure. DO NOT ROUTE THE ALIGNMENT MARKS!!!

After the voids have been routed, use a paint scraper to gently pry the template off the base material.

Assemble the inlay pieces into their respective void. When finished the inlay should look similar to the Layer 3 Assembled picture.

After you inlay the pieces in this layer you can proceed to the next layer without waiting for the glue to dry. The next layer only takes a small amount of material away from Santa's nose and beard.

By now you're should be getting a good feel for how well the contrast between the various pieces of similarly colored woods will look. Hopefully there's enough contrast to make you ornament pop!!

Layer 4 Voids

Layer 4 Assembled

Layer 4 Voids

Layer 4 adds an eyebrow and half of a mustache to Santa's face

Position and secure the Layer 4 template to the base material. Route the voids using the Cutting a Void procedure. DO NOT ROUTE THE ALIGNMENT MARKS!!!

After the voids have been routed they should look similar to the Layer 4 Voids picture.

Assemble the two inlay pieces into their respective void. After assembling the inlay your design should look similar to the Layer 4 Assembled picture.

There is no need to let the glue dry after assembling this layer before proceeding on to the next layer. Layer 5 doesn't cut into any of the pieces just added to the design.

Layer 5 Voids

Layer 5 Assembled

Layer 5

Layer 5 puts a hat on Santa's head, after all it's cold at the North Pole! You will also add the other eyebrow to Santa's face

Position and secure the Layer 5 template to the base material. Route the voids using the Cutting a Void procedure. DO NOT ROUTE THE ALIGNMENT MARKS!!!

After the voids have been routed they should look similar to the Layer 5 Voids picture.

Assemble the two inlay pieces into their respective void. After assembling the inlay your design should look similar to the Layer 5 Assembled picture.

If you want to let the glue dry after assembling this layer before proceeding on to the next layer it's not a bad idea but not a requirement. Layer 6 removes almost the entire bottom portion of the hat but it has a weird enough shape that it's unlikely to shift when routing the voids for layer 6.

Layer 6 Voids

Layer 6 Assembled

Layer 6

Layer 6 adds the fur to Santa's hat. You'll also add the finish off the mustache making Santa's face complete.

Position and secure the Layer 5 template to the base material. Route the voids using the Cutting a Void procedure. DO NOT ROUTE THE ALIGNMENT MARKS!!!

After the voids have been routed they should look similar to the Layer 6 Voids picture.

Assemble the inlay pieces into their respective void. After assembling the inlay your design should look similar to the Layer 6 Assembled picture.

There is no need to let the glue dry because the next step is to cut out the ornament as an inlay.

Cutting Out the Ornament as an Inlay

Click twice to play

Prior to filming the video I had prepared the router by taking the bushing off and set the depth of plunge to cut all the way through the base material. I also positioned the template, using the alignment marks built into the template, and securely fastened it to the base material using double sided tape.

To cut out the ornament three passes were used with a little cleaning out of dust and debris before the final pass was made. After I was sure I had cut all the way through the base material, and all the way around the shape, I was able to remove the template.

All that's left now is a little sanding and adding a few coats of Tung Oil and then a Poly finish

Final Sanding and Applying Finish

To fix any gaps in the inlay smear a small amount of glue into the gap, wipe off the excess glue, then sand over the area. The sanding action will cause sawdust to mix with the glue in the gap blurring it out.

After all the gaps have been filled sand the entire inlay until it's flat. This process is best done after the glue has completely dried!

Once sanded apply the finish of your choice. Personally I like to apply three coats of Tung Oil followed by three coats of a polyurethane finish that has a UV inhibitor in it. The UV protection will help keep the woods from changing color over time.

Click here for more information about Sanding and Finishing Tutorial.