04/29/2026
Here is my final piece for the 2026 Scroll Saw Challenge!
I created a floating bookshelf inspired by The Boxcar Children book series. It has the red boxcar (of course 😁) WITH the sliding door, and the trees in the back to give it the forest setting, just like in the books.
The train tracks actually sit down in the shelf so the books would sit nicely on the shelf without rocking or tipping out.
The book ends at the end of the shelf were made to look like train buffer stops to match the train theme of the shelf.
The boxcar itself also serves as a book end to hold the books up anywhere on the shelf. There's a little flipper guy (that's my name for it and I'm sticking to it 😅) at each end of the boxcar that braces it against the railroad ties to keep it from moving while holding the books up.
In addition to the sliding door on the boxcar, the top also opens up because kids like compartments and things that open (and you never know when something might get crammed in there 😅).
AND I also added lights 🔦. The boxcar has underglow lights and the shelf itself has lights underneath and behind the trees that give it a really cool affect. They have an endless number of fun patterns for a dance party 🕺💃 or a steady glow for a night light 😴
I had so much fun creating this piece and figuring out all the components and moving parts of it. From the wheels and axles, to the little flipper guy (which I used a nail for as the pivot point 😅), to the sliding door, it was a lot of fun and really got my creative gears turning.
I also had to learn how to use spiral blades to cut the trees out. What better time to learn, ya know? 😅
