Here at Albertsons Home Center, we think scroll saws are one of the most fun members of the saw family. No, they’re not going to build you a garage or a new deck. But they’re very handy for making decorative projects around the house and even creating unique gifts for friends and family.

Here are five neat projects to make with your scroll saw:

• Geographical art: Looking for a meaningful gift for someone who’s moved away? Scroll out the shape of their home province, including a little heart over their home town. Or if they’ve moved somewhere new within the province, scroll a heart over their old home and their new home. You could also do this with a silhouette of a whole country or even make a cluster of several different provinces or countries.

Source: SawdustandEmbryos.com

• A favourite phrase: You can buy wooden letters and pre-cut words at any craft store, but you won’t find anything much more original than “Love,” “Family,” or “Hope.” Design a phrase for your wall — making sure the words are all attached together at various points — print it out, and trace it on a piece of wood. If you have trouble seeing faint pencil lines, you can use a glue-stick to attach the whole paper directly to the wood and scroll straight through it.

Source: Pinterest

• A jigsaw puzzle: They might have been named jigsaw puzzles, but it’s actually much easier to make one on with a scroll saw thanks to the tiny, easy-to-navigate blade. Search online for a free puzzle template (there are thousands) or draw your own. The little ones in your life will love putting it together again and again.

Source: Avapriva.com

• Sweet silhouettes: Take a picture of each family member’s profile, print them on plain paper, cut them out, and trace them onto a piece of wood. Scroll carefully around the tricky parts — like wisps of hair and eyelashes — in order to preserve the details that make up their true likeness. Then hang the wood so your wall colour shows through or glue the silhouettes onto a darker board to highlight the contrast.

Source: SawdustandEmbryos.com

• Customized coasters: Whether you’re into Star Trek, comic books, Harry Potter, vampire love stories, or vintage video games, you can make a set of “geek chic” coasters that show your guests what you love to read or watch. We love these Mario mushroom coasters with felt bottoms and could imagine a whole set with Goombas, Koopas, and even Yoshi.

Source: Istructables.com

Happy scrolling!