Custom Built Rocker Right Size For Children

When it comes time for the kids to read, watch television or play quietly, it’s useful to have a comfortable rocking chair made just for them. This do-it-yourself version, built from oak, is designed to be extra safe and sturdy. It makes a nice gift when the holidays roll around, too.

Traditional in styling, this rocking chair for little people is only 25 inches tall at the back, with rockers that are 21 inches long. Its seat is 15 inches wide and sits 11 inches off the floor. There are no sharp points on any part of the chair that could cut or poke, not even nails or screws, and all the edges are rounded and smooth.

The project calls for eight board feet of 3/4-inch oak for the seat, sides, rockers and arms, and ready-made oak dowels for the back, lower crossbars and arm supports. Cutting the wood is simple, all the pieces are traced from full-size patterns, so there’s no guesswork.

Actually, the toughest part is chiseling the recessed area for the seat. The chair is assembled using dowels and glue, eliminating the need for hardware.

The Child’s Rocking Chair plan, No. 734, is $6.50 and includes complete directions with 12 step-by-step photos, full-size traceable patterns and a shopping list and cutting schedule.

Although it doesn’t include this rocking chair, a package of four plans that will keep kids rocking, No. C73, is $18.95 and includes plans for two rocking horses, a rocking dinosaur and a rocking airplane. A catalog picturing hundreds of do-it-yourself projects is $3.95. Prices include sales tax, postage and handling (for first-class mail, add $1 per item).

MEMO: To order, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409-2383. Please specify plan numbers.