“You could make a sledge and give it as a Christmas present, but I imagined a father and son or mum and daughter building a sledge together on Boxing Day, and thought it was a very romantic image.

I'm going to take mine apart and take it up to Scotland, where I go for Christmas, and we'll get my five-year-old son's Grandpa to make it with us.

It's fairly simple to make and costs about £15. We got the materials from B&Q, but you can get them all from your local wood yard or DIY store.

There's a great array of coloured rope. If you have two children you could make them one each with their favourite colours, or use white to make it minimal and very cool.

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I just screwed the sledge together, but you could use glue as well to make it extra sturdy, and use oil and varnish to protect it from water.

It doesn't have to be this size. You could just use a longer piece of wood for an older child - I don't think that sledging has an age limit.”

Instructions - Click above left for a gallery of illustrations and step-by-step guide

Materials

2 x 1.8 metre lengths 144 x 28mm pine or nearest dimensions. You may be able to get this cut to size (as steps 1 and 2 below) at your local hardware store.

2 x approximately 380mm length 50mm x 25mm pine (to be trimmed exactly to length later). This is the foot-rail and cross-brace.

1 x 2metre strip of aluminium 20mm x 2mm.

1 x 1.5 metre strong, brightly coloured rope.

24 x 5mm x 80mm countersunk screws.

48 x 5mm x 25mm countersunk screws.

Total cost (approx) £15

1.Take one of the 1.8m lengths of pine and cut it exactly in half, giving you 2 x 900mm lengths. These are the runners.

2. Take the other 1.8m length of pine and cut it into four equal pieces, giving you 4 x 450mm lengths. These are the cross-rails.

3. Take the cross-rails, measure 30mm in from the end and 30mm in from the sides, and make a mark for drilling. Drill a hole through each of the four corners of 3.5mm diameter. Make a countersink in each of these holes on the same side.

4. Cut the curve (130mm radius) and foot-rail indentation on to the runners (do this by eye, or click here for the template). Drill a hole just large enough for the rope. This end is now the front of the sledge.

5. Place one of the cross-rails on the top edge of one of the runners at the back end (without the curve and notch). Align the holes you have drilled through the cross-rail with the center of the length of the runner; this will make the cross-rail overhang the runner by 15mm on the outside.

6. Drill small pilot holes through the holes on the cross-rails, straight into the runners. Insert screws. Repeat step 5 at the other end of the cross-rail, fixing to the other runner.

7. Leave a gap of 10mm and place another cross-rail, make the pilot holes and insert the long screws.

8. Carry on until all four cross-rails are fixed in position.

9. Take one of the cross-brace or foot rail pieces approx 360mm long, turn the sled over and mark the exact length needed to fit tightly between the two runners, cut to length. Screw to the underside of the rear cross-rail. Attaching to the runners at each end: this is to brace the side rails. Take care to prevent the short screws from going through to the top of the cross-rails or outside of the runners.

10. Place the foot-rail into position at the foot-rail indentation. Drill two 3.5mm holes through the runner, and then pilot holes into the foot-rail end. Insert screws, repeat at other end.

11. Cut the aluminium strip in half. Drill a hole about 20mm from one end and then another 80mm away, and further holes at 80mm spacing. Countersink the holes. Starting at the top of the curve, put a screw into the first hole, then bend the aluminium slightly to allow you to put the second one in and so on, carefully bending the metal around the curve and ensuring that it stays in alignment with the bottom of the wooden runner.

12. Apply matt varnish or Danish oil, two coats minimum.

13. Wait for the snow.

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