Given my avatar is a set of wooden snowman I really should have created a video on how I turn them before now!
Over the years I've turned many hundreds of both painted and polished wooden snowmen for family and friends. One recently asked me if I had a video of making them, i didn't but do now......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjOnhMfKIwY
It's 13minutes long and shows the making of both the snowman and tree
Its my first video attempt and filmed using just a mobile phone in selfie mode. The occasional shake is because the phone is in a suction mount on a length of perspex that is taped to the lathe speed control (it was the best viewing angle)!
As you can see in the video, I really need to sort out the toolrest clamp as it keeps slipping and rubbing on the chuck.
The timber used in the examples is English beech sourced from a national trust woodsale, but as the photos at the end show, my early years examples (the ones we actually put out at christmas) were turned from any available softwood offcut.
A good thing about snowmen and trees is its actually better for each to be unique, so 'turn the shape the wood calls to you'.
Dave
PS - I didn't deliberately wait until after Christmas to post this, I only got asked last week to make it!!!