If you want to design simple scroll saw patterns, you don't need to invest in expensive graphic design software, such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. All you need is a copy of Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word is especially useful if you want to create scroll saw ornaments that include text. You'll find that preparing a scroll saw pattern with text elements in Word is so easy that after you complete one, you'll want to make many more.
Step 1
Open a blank document in Microsoft Word.
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Step 2
Click on "View" and hover your mouse over the "Toolbars" option.
Step 3
Select "Drawing" from the drop-down menu that appears. After you click on this option, a toolbar with drawing tools will appear at the bottom of the screen.
Step 4
Click on the "Oval" tool. A box bound by gray lines will appear on the Word document.
Step 5
Click and hold your mouse on a point within this box and drag the mouse to create a circle or oval shape.
Step 6
Change the weight of the shape's outline. Select "Line Style" from the drawing toolbar, and when the drop-down menu appears, click on "More Lines."
Step 7
Type in a number between 10 and 15 in the box provided for weight when the "Format AutoShape" window pops up. Press "OK" when you've finished changing the line weight. Your shape should now have a thick outline.
Step 8
Insert text into your scroll saw pattern. Select "WordArt" from the drawing toolbar. When the "WordArt Gallery" window appears, select any of the options in the top row.
Step 9
Type your text into the "Edit WordArt" window; use all capital letters to create an simpler scroll saw pattern. Click on "OK" to place the word art inside your shape.
Step 10
Center the text inside the shape.
Step 11
Select "WordArt Shape" from the WordArt toolbar and adjust the bounding box around your text to make the letters fill in the interior of your shape.
Tip
Once you've mastered using Word to create a simple scroll saw pattern, try slightly more advanced patterns. For example, if you have a black-and-white image with bold lines, you can adjust it to fit in a shaped frame.
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