Where'd you get that tie? The workshop

Where'd you get that tie? The workshop Impractical but delightful, wooden neckties bring a twinkle t the eye this season. Who cares if they're not too flexible, limited to natural colors, and heavier than almost any cloth cravat? They're easy to make and fun to give.

Start by cutting out the shapes with a saber or band saw. To position the 3/8inch-deep, 1/4-inch-diameter holes, make a paper template for two rows (1 inch apart), each with 5 holes (1/2 inch apart on center). Mark the template 6 times along each edge of lizard or whale (on snake, trace single rows along sides), then 2 more times for score-keeping areas. Drill holes. Pegs are 1-1/2-inch lengths of 1/4-inch dowel. Sand and slightly round the boards' edges, then paint or stain and seal the wood. (We used a semitransparent white stain for the lizard, blue shoe polish to color tbe upper part of tbe whale.)The straight tie gets its traditional look from diagonal stripes of different hardwoods. We used strips from a square of oak parquet flooring and mixed in narrower bands of black walnut and zebrawood (these were ripped on a table saw to match the thickness of the parquet, then cut into 1/4- and 1/2-inch-wide strips).3. CRIBBAGE CRITTERSWe made a cheerful polka dot tie and a more earnest striped one from wood scraps. If there's a woodworker in your family, you may already have most of the necessary supplies on hand.Following the diagrams, make full-size paper patterns (use a 2-inch grid), position them on the wood, trace, and cut out shapes (remember to cut multiples of some shapes). Glue and nail the bottom to the silhouette ends, then add the crosspieces. Set the nails and fill wood putty. Sand and paint.Cutting Santa to size

Obviously the tie cannot be adjusted for length, so remember to consider the heights of the potential wearer. Ours measures 18 inches long, good for an average adult, but taller men may need a longer tie, and children shorter ones.