This is a toddler size sitting bench that my coworker friend commissioned me to build for him as a gift to his niece.

There are a couple of firsts for me on this project. I used milk paint for the first time and I’m really happy with the results. Poplar takes milk paint well. It gives color without a thick layer, keeping a nice “close to the wood” look. I also for the first time did carving using a trim router. After many practice pieces using a template and spray paint, I found the lines weren’t the most crisp. That’s when I went with adhering a printout to the board covered in blue tape, which I felt gave better results. Cleanup was done with a Dremel and then some sandpaper taped to a pencil’s eraser.