Looking at a small block of wood and wondering what's hiding inside? Every whittler has experienced that moment of staring at a piece of basswood, trying to visualize what could emerge from those sharp corners and flat faces. It's exciting! For me, as a beginner, the possibilities in that moment are endless, until I begin carving and remember that I'm still at least a little constrained by my skill level. Part of the magic of whittling is transforming something ordinary into something extraordinary using nothing more than a knife and your imagination. In this article I'm going to try to inspire you with some fun whittling projects that come from the humble cubes. Most of these were done using a...
Why is Spoon Carving So Popular? My kitchen is filled with mass produced wooden utensils: spoons, slotted spoons, scoops and spatulas. But a hand carved wood spoon hits different. It looks and feels...more bespoke. There's something remarkable, almost magical about a handcrafted wooden spoon. In a word, its art. And functional art is really cool. If you stop reading this article right here, that's my working theory on why spoon carving is so popular. Functional art is really cool! Apparently, the world agrees. Social media is flooded with spoon carvers. From Instagram feeds filled with beautifully carved utensils to YouTube channels focused entirely on spoon making. This summer at a renowned Southern California arts festival we saw a booth dedicated...
You don't always have to have a plan to begin whittling. Sometimes I'll grab a piece of wood and just try to see where the knife and the natural shape of the wood take me. More often than not however, I'm the type of person that likes to know what I'm carving ahead of time (or at least, what I'm attempting to carve). Either way, transforming a piece of wood into a charming creation with just a sharp knife and your imagination is magic. If you're like me, and a little wood carving inspiration is helpful to get you started, you've come to the right place. These 5 whittling ideas for beginners, using common 1x1x4 inch basswood blocks, will help...
Is Spoon Carving Hard? A Beginner's Experience Carving a Wooden Spoon For the First Time. My friend told me about a camping trip she went on where her boyfriend, Martin, carved a wooden spoon in about 10 minutes, and the only tool he had was a pocket knife. He found a piece of wood, whittled down the handle and shaped the end. Then he pressed the rounded end down on a hot coal from their campfire, burning out the concave bowl of the spoon in a few seconds. They even used the spoon later for dinner. After hearing that story, I became intrigued by spoon carving. Functional woodworking has always appealed to me - carpentry, live edge wooden tables and...
Have you ever found yourself at a grocery store, looking at the 20 brands of crackers, that all seem almost the same, and not knowing which brand to choose. I just want to eat crackers, and now I've just spent 5 minutes staring dumbly at boxes. I think we've all experienced something like this, and beginning a new hobby is not different. Starting your wood carving journey feels exciting, but walking into a tool store or browsing online can quickly become overwhelming. Amazon listings with dozens of different knife sets, each claiming to be "perfect for beginners," can leave you wondering: which wood carving knife set is actually the best choice for someone just starting out? You're not alone...
