A WILLOW BIRCH IS BORN

It has been some time since there has been a posting in the “Toys Are Born” series. This one is a simple make of a Willow Birch. The main material used is Salix alba, more commonly known as Common or White Willow. It is native to Europe and West Asia. If you want to know more about this tree, follow the link below.

SALIX ALBA – WIKIPEDIA

Through the winter and into the early spring, in the Northern Hemisphere, if you see people turning trees that look like this…

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Into trees that look like this…

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They are usually Willow pollarding and if you ask nicely, they will normally not mind you taking some of the finer, ends of branches. Just say that it is for Easter decorations 🙂

What you will need for this make

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Some freshly cut Willow twigs, of approximately the desired length. Make sure that the twigs are live and flexible, not dead and brittle. A roll of Gaffer (Duct) Tape. Some scissors and a pair of secateurs.

Getting started

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Roll out the Gaffer Tape, sticky side up, and place the twigs on the tape, about 2 to 3 centimetres (about an inch) apart. I used 9 twigs, you can choose how many you want in your own Birch.

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Then roll the Gaffer Tape over the twig ends, thus securing each individual twig and not leaving any loose ones to slide around in the middle of the bundle. Cut the gaffer tape about 10 centimetres (3 to 4 inches), after the last twig and roll this end piece around the whole lot.

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Getting the right splay

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Grasp the base of the Birch, in one hand and make a fist around the stems with the other hand, move that fist up and down the stems until you find the pinching point that creates the spread of the branches that you want on the finished Birch. At this point, bind the stems together with Gaffer Tape, as in the photo above. Bind the tape around three times to create a strong bond.

Making the handle

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Using Gaffer Tape, bind the end of the stems together for about 15 cm of their length. Bind the tape around until it is about 3 layers deep. This will be the main binding for the Birch and will form a comfortable handle for the spanker.

The final trim

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Decide what the final length and width that you want the Birch to be and trim off any excess, protruding twig ends, with a pair of secateurs.

Your Willow Birch is finished

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As you can see, this Birch is about 60 centimetres (2 feet) long and is in a moderately wide splay form, ensuring a wide area of impact, but not so wide that it will stray too far from the target area.

WARNING

Willow Birches, although not the most severe of Birches, are towards the more painful end for this type of toy. If this is your first time playing with a Birch, like this, make sure that all involved know the Safe Word. Just in case it is a little too much for the Spankee to handle or the Top needs to be asked to moderate their swing somewhat.

But enjoy

If you have never played with something like this, I would recommend that you give it a go. It is cheap and easy to make, so it is no big deal if it is found not to be of your preference and just gets thrown away. But in my humble opinion, this has a special, if somewhat challenging sensation that is worth trying, to see if you like it.

Prefectdt