Tin Woodman

Inspiration

rowing up, I shared a bedroom with my twin sister Claudia. Our bedroom was a magnificent place for make-believe. A place where Tin Woodman would come to life. It was a nice size room, large enough to fit two twin beds, a large low antique dresser, and still have, between the two beds, plenty of area to play. The north wall was a half wall painted royal blue with windows that expanded from side to side. The south wall had a wall to wall and ceiling to floor built-in-closet. The east wall was white, and my bed was against it. The west wall was covered with light cherry paneling, and my sister Claudia’s bed was against it. Disguised by the wood paneling, there was a secret door to the bathroom. Our bedroom was far from ordinary, as it welcomed Tin Woodman from time to time.

The bedroom floor was tiled with large 16” by 16” square yellow tiles. Those yellow tiles were fantastic. They came very handy when sorting Barbie’s clothes, colored pencils, or blocks. They were perfect for playing hopscotch. And the tiles provided a nice surface for playing jacks, and pick-up sticks. But the best of all, was when we pretended to be Dorothy as we skipped across the bedroom following the yellow-brick-road. I remember, in the evenings after brushing my teeth, following my own yellow-brick-road, arms-linked with Tin Woodman, from the bathroom until I would reach my bed. I would crawl in bed, close my eyes, and imagine having reached Emerald City with my friend Tin Woodman. And then, my dreams would take over, transporting me to the magical worlds I used to draw with my color pencils. Until the next day, when I would trace back my steps into the bathroom, and into an ordinary world where there was only room for yellow tiles, and none for yellow-brick-roads or Tin Woodman.

How Dorothy Meets Tin Woodman

In his book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum tells us the story of how Dorothy meets Tin Woodman. After eating some of the bread she had packed for her journey to Oz, Dorothy hears a groan nearby. When she sets out to figure out who was making such an awful noise, she encounters Tin Woodman. Tin Woodman had been left outside, and the inclement weather had taken a toll on his joints. Dorothy oils all his joints and saves his life. Tin Woodman is then the second character to join Dorothy on her journey to Emerald City. So, Tin Woodman accompanies Dorothy with the hope that the Wizard of Oz would help him get the heart he is missing.

Tin Woodman Figurine and Ornament Design Process

To make Tin Woodman’s torso, I covered a cardboard tube with silver wrapping paper. Then, I assembled his body using a wooden peg and wooden door knob that I had previously painted with silver paint. I used metal fasteners as buttons and trimmed his body with silver metallic ribbon. Then I painted his face giving Tin Woodman a friendly but robotic smile.

Representing the heart that Tin Woodman was expecting to receive from the Wizard of Oz, I placed a glittery red heart on his chest. As you may already know, he indeed, receives his heart in the end. I made a metal funnel from cardstock covered with silver wrapping paper. And just like in the book, I gave Tin Woodman a red bowtie made from red metallic ribbon.

I had a hard time figuring out how to make Tin Woodman’s iconic oil can. I thought of several ways to make it by using silver beads, but it did not seem to work well. It was not until I saw a silver jingle bell when I figured it out. So, I made the oil can from a jingle bell that I threaded with a metallic silver elastic cord which made for a perfect handle and spout.

To complete the figurine, I gave Tin Woodman an ax to carry. Same as Dorothy, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and Toto, I placed Tin Woodman standing on a yellow base that represents the yellow-brick-road. The yellow-brick-road that, just like me, you might have dreamed of following, once upon a time.