Last year I was asked to make a toy box for my grand-daughter and, as usual, I got a bit carried away with the project (interlocking drawers, nice bit of inlay, …)

Then I discovered how hard it is to get old style veneer at a sensible price (yes, there is some but it all seems to be 3m lengths by 0.5mm thick. Ooh, posty's going to love that!) So I bought some iron-on, self-adhesive stuff that comes in rolls and is 250mm wide by 2 or 3m long.

The trouble is, it shrinks when applied and it's a devil of a job keeping edges straight (I needed three widths). The advice is to iron on the first piece then stick the next piece to it with old-style gummed parcel tape. But that doesn't really allow for inlay so I cheated.

I finished the veneer on the whole box and spent ages trying to wash off the gum from the tape. Then I traced the outline of the result I wanted and very carefully cut along the lines so that I cut all the way through the wood grain. After that, using the end of a pickle stick which I'd filed to a spatula I applied stains to the different areas. It took quite a while but the result was worth it.

I ought to admit I practiced a lot before the final version and I had lots of mis-shapen owls in the firewood box.

In case it's of any use to others, it can be done.