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Why must our faithful companions be relegated to eating on the floor? This project will give them a stylish boost while helping to alleviate some potential health issues along the way.

The cells in a tree perform an intricate symphony, harmonizing water, soil nutrients, carbon dioxide, and sunlight into a living composition that produces habitat, oxygen, shade, and beauty. But the music dramatically changes when a tree transitions into lumber. Some of the tree’s previously hidden features can display incredible beauty, but the walls of some empty cells appear as prominent pores that can be completely out of tune with your project.

Your project’s joinery may be absolutely airtight. Every surface may be sanded to perfection, and every angle may be spot-on accurate. But after applying a finish, you’re disappointed with the result. For example, you make a small wall cabinet of white ash and lay down a coat of gloss finish. It initially looks great, but then the sunlight playing across its surface seems to magnify hundreds of tiny craters and dozens of shallow furrows. What’s going on?

Historical, utilitarian furniture is one of my favorite sources for design inspiration, and the vernacular fireside stools of Northern Europe are especially appealing for their dainty yet sturdy stances. Traditionally used as a perch for creeping close to the warmth of a hearth or tending to a fire, these simple stools’ short stature and splayed legs pack a lot of character and woodworking skills into a quick project. 

You may not realize you need a tenderizing mallet until you’re faced with transforming tough cuts of meat into something more palatable. This handy kitchen utensil is also useful for crushing nuts, garlic cloves, and other vegetables.

There’s a lot to be done in the weeks leading up to Christmas: decorating the tree, making sure the chimney is ready for Santa’s visit, and of course, counting down the days till his arrival. 

Be sure to include your router on your gift-giving list this year. It does a lot of hard work for you, so reward it with…well, more work. But with these accessories, you can make it work smarter, not harder.