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A geometric holiday reindeer from the scrap pile — 2x4 body, 1x8 sides, 2x2 splayed legs, and a 4x4 face — with a leg-rotation trick that stops the wobble.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body One end cut at 15° off square, long point measurement — the chest lean. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 20 3/4" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Neck, front | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 17 3/4" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Neck, top Attached LAST so the body sits flat during assembly. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 14" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Body block | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 6 1/2" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Ears | 1 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 11" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Sides | 2 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 20" | 1x8 | ☐ |
| Legs Long point 10° off square — the splay. | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 21" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Face | 1 | 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 7 1/2" | 4x4 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x2, 8 ft Legs and ears. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x8, 40" The two side slabs. Any similar-width scrap works. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 2x4, 8 ft Body and neck. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 4x4 scrap, 8" The face. Two 2x4 offcuts sandwiched together substitute. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping wood screws, 2-3/4" | 15 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping wood screws, 1-3/4" | 15 each | ☐ |
| Paint (optional) White for modern, raw for rustic, red dot for the nose. | 8 oz | ☐ |
Overall cost: $. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Miter Saw. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, 2-3/4"
Screw the body, block, and front neck pieces together with the 2-3/4" screws per the diagram's geometry — the 15° cut leaning the chest forward.
Leave the TOP neck piece off for now, on the source builder's advice: attached early, it keeps the assembly from lying flat while you work everything else.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 1x8, 40", Self-tapping wood screws, 1-3/4"
Center the two 1x8 sides over the body core and attach with the 1-3/4" screws — these slabs give the deer its mass and hide the core's screws.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x2, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, 2-3/4", Self-tapping wood screws, 1-3/4"
Attach each 10° leg with a SINGLE screw. Stand the deer up. Rotate legs on their pivots until all four feet sit flat and the stance looks right, then drive the second screw in each.
This is the build's best trick and it transfers to any splayed-leg project: one screw is a negotiation, two screws is a verdict.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 2x2, 8 ft, 2x4, 8 ft, 4x4 scrap, 8", Self-tapping wood screws, 2-3/4", Paint (optional)
Screw the 4x4 face on from the back, add the 2x2 ears, and NOW attach the top neck piece.
Sand if it's a gift, paint if it's modern, leave raw if it's rustic — and make two more, because a lone reindeer on a porch reads as lost, but three read as a design decision.