Weekend Whittling For Kids and parents

Beginner Guide with 31 Easy Projects for

Digital Detox & Family Bonding

Stephen Fleming

Bonus Booklet

Thanks for purchasing the book. In addition to the content, we are also providing an additional booklet consisting of a Monthly Planner and Project Schedule template for your first project.

It contains valuable information about woodworking and leather craft.

Download the booklet by typing the below link.

http://bit.ly/leatherbonus

Cheers!

Copyright © 2020 Stephen Fleming

All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Chapter Name

1. Introduction

2. Tools

3. Process and Techniques

4. Thirty Beginner Projects

5. Online Resources and Conclusion

Word of Caution

Woodworking can turn dangerous as I've personally seen and heard about many unfortunate accidents; therefore, the utmost priority should be given to safety and security while practicing this rewarding activity.

Specifically, I'll share all my experience in this book, but it's essential to remember that woodworking is naturally risky, just like various other kinds of practices.

Failure to use devices and tools appropriately or not adhering to recommended safety standards could result in significant injury.

It's your responsibility to make sure that you fully understand your tools and devices and how to use them properly before attempting a woodworking task.

Thoroughly read, recognize, and adhere to your tools or devices' most current guidelines and safety precautions.

Any book, video, or other learning means can't replace learning physically from an expert. These forms of information offer only additional guidance to be used along with practical demonstration and training from an experienced woodworker.

Kids should practice it strictly under adult supervision, and a first aid kit should be kept nearby in case of any cut.

All the projects mentioned reflect my unique way of doing it. The same projects can be executed differently by other woodcrafters. So use any technique at your own risk.

In sum, the first and foremost tip is to wear all the safety equipment and follow protective guidelines every time you practice woodworking. The author is not responsible in any way for an injury caused by practicing woodworking.

PREFACE

Are you a parent looking for ways to engage with your kids, bond with them, and have fun?

Are you looking for ways to help turn off the smart phones, tablets, and television and still have your kids and teens occupied with a fun activity?

In an ever-changing society, there aren't a whole lot of activities that are geared towards children, teens, and parents. Marketing strategies have become so specific that they target the exact age ranges.

Fortunately, if you take a step back from "modern" society, you can get involved in some age-old crafts and practical skills that are fun for the whole family!

Wood carving and whittling are two such crafts. Not only are there projects that range in difficulty for different skill and age groups, but there are some projects that can be completed by two people, giving you a chance to interact and bond with your children face to face. Without the input of noise and visual stimulation from screen entertainment, you and your children can talk to each other and create something together.

Wood carving and whittling are detail-oriented crafts, so it is best to unplug completely, removing distractions like phones and screened devices while participating. It is a good excuse for you and your children to step back and develop a different set of skills.

By utilizing this book, you'll learn why wood carving and whittling are important skills. You will be taught basic techniques and be introduced to the proper tools and materials for these crafts. Additionally, you'll have several beginner projects with step by step instructions to get started on with your children. This is a great place to start you and your children's digital detox and bonding activities!

Stephen Fleming

1. Introduction

Father and son starting to whittle

Woodcarving vs. Whittling:

Carving involves using a knife, a chisel, and a club to develop a figure or sculpture; whittling is easier than carving. It applies only a knife and wooden piece to make artistic creations. So, whittling is the simplest form of wood carving.

Why are wood carving and whittling relevant today?

There are many reasons that wood carving and whittling can come in handy. When considering taking up wood carving or whittling with your children, it is best to look at it from an educational standpoint. What do whittling and wood carving provide for the crafters?

First, whittling and wood carving is detail-oriented crafts that require concentration and attention. This means that both you and your children have a chance to step away from screen time, gaming, and television. Your eyes get a rest from the constant blue light that screens produce, and your mind begins to exercise different skill sets. It is also an engaging activity that requires the hands and eyes to be involved. Therefore, children with ADD/ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or who like to keep their hands occupied will thrive on a craft like woodwork.

The Whittling Boy Painting: Winslow Homer / Public domain

While many schools remain closed due to the current global pandemic, kids worldwide aren't getting out as much. (This book is written during Corona/Covid pandemic in 2020. If reading after that, I hope all is well!)

They are isolated from their friends and their education, and it is so easy to get sucked into added hours of screen time if they feel bored. An activity like woodworking gives you a chance to bond with your children and learn a new skill together. This helps reduce feelings of isolation, gives them socialization, and can even contribute to their education.

By learning a new skill and exercising their creativity, their body and mind continue to grow. Additionally, kids can learn a lot just by interacting with their parents regularly. When you take up a craft together, they will watch you and listen to you and learn new things unrelated to woodworking.

The benefits of practicing wood carving and whittling for children, teens, and even you, parents, are focus and concentration, imagination, and paying attention to detail. It might not seem like it, but those skills could also vastly improve your child and teen's academic experience once they return to school.

Impact of creative skills on kids’ growth

Take a look at the two charts below to see the advantages of your kids learning a creative craft or skill and the effect of too much screen time on human brain development.

Importance of creativity in learning

While it might not be a widely practiced skill today, wood carving is one of the oldest craft practices for humans. Back when a human first shaped a piece of wood decoratively with a stone, the wood carving began. However, whittling didn't come about until later when sharpened metal knives were available.

In the US, whittling became most prevalent in the years between 1865 and 1965. During the Civil War, men from all across the country were coming together due to the conflict. As a result, they would look for ways to entertain and amuse themselves in camps and around campfires.

Man Whittling (Pic Credit: State Library and Archives of Florida [Public domain]

File URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Man_Whittling-_Sarasota%2C_Florida_%288147479321%29.jpg

Additionally, at the time, folding jack knives were a common commodity among soldiers. Whittling became a common pastime in these camps, and more proficient men would teach beginners new skills and techniques. A soldier from Ohio might teach a soldier from Massachusetts, and they would continue to pass their skills along as soldiers rotated in and out.

Some favorite projects at the time were walking sticks, wooden chains, a wooden ball in a wooden cage, animal and human figures, spoons, and puzzles.

Once the war was over, men that learned whittling would return home and show their children as a means of education and entertainment. Thus it has been used as a bonding and education tool from parent to child for over a century! Whittling is considered an American folk art.

As a lot of folk arts do, woodworking did start to become obsolete with new technology. It also evolved, though. Many artists and crafters use woodworking practically to make handmade wood furniture, wooden jewelry, and beads, and even for practices like wood-burning designs on utensils and as decorative pieces.

Wood carving and whittling on their own have begun to make a comeback, though. A lot of folk arts have begun to reemerge in modern society. Many people are looking for ways to be more self-sustaining, cut back on plastic use, and recycle and reuse materials so that there is less waste. As this movement grows, crafts like woodworking are becoming popular again.

Knife,Woodpiece and shavings

Whittling Clubs

There has even been a resurgence of wood carving and whittling clubs and organizations across the US and UK. Almost every state in the United States has at least one wood carving club.

Some of the wood carving clubs in the US include:

● North Alabama Woodcarvers Association (NAWA)

○ President Riley Monroe, email: relzasmith@home.com

● DWCA (Decoy Wildflower Association)

○ President John Greer, website: www.dwca.net, phone number: 909.927.1721, location: CA

● Manatee Woodcarvers School

○ Director Bill Thorngren, location: Port St. Lucie, FL

● North Suburban Carvers Club

○ Contact Marcy Samat, phone number: 773.763.1788, email: fmsamat@comcast.net, location Chicago, IL

● Cape Ann Wood Artisans Guild

○ Clerk Mary E Spinney, location Gloucester MA

Some wood carving clubs in the UK include:

● City and Guilds of London Art School

○ Lecturer Dick Onians, phone: 020.7735.2306, email: info@cityandguildartsschool.ac.uk, location: London

● Essex School of Woodcarving

○ Phone number: 01.277.623063, email: bencarve@talktalk.net, location: Essex

● Oaklands Wood Carving Club

○ Contact Graham Limburn, phone number: 07.771.47352, email: grahamlimburn@gmail.com

As you can see, there are many wood carving and whittling clubs and programs that are even making their way back into schools. If you'd like to get yourself and your children involved in a club or introductory program, contact information for the clubs and organizations has been provided.

The benefits of joining a group of woodworkers are the resources. More than that, a lot of clubs and organizations host events for woodcarvers. They might participate in agricultural and craft fairs, art shows, and other events that you and your children could find exciting and fun, and get away from screen time. It also allows you both to branch out of your traditional social circles.

Best practices for kids practicing whittling:

Kid learning to use a knife

They are to make use of the knives under grown-up guidance. Make sure to keep the knife back in its sheath when not being used.

The knives are to be kept in a unique drawer and also always put away after usage.

Never cut in the direction of their hands (they've seen what happens if this policy is damaged on Alone).

Always sit down when making use of the knife.

Constantly keep their eyes on what they are doing. If they need to avert, placed the knife away first.

Practice your knife on vegetables or a dry bar of soap before you begin on wood.

Use a push stroke. This indicates removing from your body or the hand holding the piece of wood.

Have patience and slice off a tiny bit at once. In case you push too hard, you might lose control or get it stuck.

Never hold the wood in your lap as the knife will be too close to the large blood vessels in your upper legs.

Don't walk holding the knife.

Have an emergency treatment package helpful just in case.

Benefits of Whittling:

It helps them find out knife abilities, which are critical life skills generally.

They locate boosting as well as challenging.

It can be extremely relaxing despite the focus and job entailed.

The children are getting exposure to nature.

They are examining and also taking care of danger in maintaining themselves as well as others safe.

Their all-natural curiosity is being channeled into something beneficial.

It aids foster independence. We are helping them to come to be a lot more qualified and evaluate threats.

It assists with hand eye coordination.

Whittling a wood stick in forest

What is the right age for Whittling?

If the child listens to instructions, is patient, and does not struggle with hand-eye coordination, 7 is the right age to begin. Some kids are a lot more accident-prone than others and have some issues with hand-eye coordination, though, so it is best to maintain an eye on them until they get the hang of it and show better usage.

Kid in camping site learning whittling

Let’s discuss the experience of Jim (my friend who started whittling as a child). I started as an adult, so my experience would not help much here!

Jim’s experience:

I remember being six or so and being handed a knife by my grandfather; he'd just shown me how to do it safely. If I keep in mind right, it was basically "Hold the stick strongly; be relaxed with your left hand, with the right hand hold the blade. The blade enters the front of the fingers when carving. Carve thin slices."I did exactly what he taught, and I was carving that stick like a pro! Later on that evening, I went and grabbed the knife and whittled on my very own. However, I chose not to follow his advice and cut myself in the palm of my hand.

I discovered 2 points.

Focus, when experienced people are explaining things and follow them.

When you fail, take note of why and adjust as necessary.

2. Tools

Knife and Chisel

When it comes to the tools required for wood carving and whittling, you have many options, and it is hard to know what you really need to get started. As previously mentioned, some woodcarvers that make very large projects, like furniture, and require construction sized chisels. We will not be covering tools of that size and complexity in this book.

This chapter will guide you in what tools you'll need, safety gear you should consider getting, and the best brands for your tools. It is important to have tools that will stand up to the projects you'll be doing and deliver the kind of results you want.

What is equally as important as the tools is the wood material you will be using. Not all woods are created equal, and educating yourself on the best woods for different kinds of projects will make a difference. Not only will it improve your project results, but it can also contribute to the safety of a project.

Essential Whittling and Woodcarving Tools

Whittling is a fun woodworking craft that is meant to be easily picked up during your "downtime" or "free time." Since it is a time passing craft, the tools are pretty basic, which can easily be carried in a pocket for easy access.

Wood carving gets a little more complicated as it ventures into more detailed work with chisels and different shaped tools. We are going to focus on the basic tools needed for wood carving. Please keep in mind that there are variations, different sized tools, and slightly different shaped tools for different details within each tool category. This is a good tidbit when browsing through "Starter tool Kits," as they might consist of several sizes and shapes of a specific kind of tool. You don't want to end up paying for additional tools that you might not use.

Sanding

Tools: Descriptions and How to Use Them

Since the tools for whittling and wood carving differ, it is important to go over them separately.

Tools required for whittling:

● Carving knife

● Sharpening stone

Traditionally, whittling was done with a simple pocket knife. However, as the craft developed, knives specific to whittling were put on the market. A carving knife designed for whittling is recommended for beginners as it is more comfortable to use. They can also be safer for beginners to use as they have a fixed blade that won't inadvertently collapse on inexperienced fingers. The handle is longer and often shaped for comfort when held and used in whittling strokes.

When you use a knife for carving through the wood, it will start to dull the blade. Fortunately, you won't need to purchase a new knife every time the blade dulls. You can get a sharpening stone and prolong your blade use. Having a properly sharpened knife is vital for your safety. The process of sharpening your knife can be somewhat meditative and relaxing and can help you get familiar with your knife's feel.

Knife holder in a workspace

Contrary to their name, a sharpening stone doesn't have to be a stone. You can get a flat, rectangular, ceramic "sharpening stone" that will be suitable for your needs.

When you first get your carving knife, it is a good idea to sharpen it. Many tools come pre-sharpened, but the act of sharpening can help you get used to the feel of the handle and how the blade feels against a harder surface. Depending on how old your children are, you might want to handle the tool sharpening. If they are of a suitable age to learn about sharpening the knives, it is recommended that you learn it first, and then you can help direct your children with the proper technique and safety as well as keep an eye out for the correct handling of a sharp object.

Hold the blade's hand in your dominant hand and lock your wrist when you are sharpening your knife. Hold your sharpening stone with your free hand with the broad, flat surface facing up. Rest the blade on the stone at a 10 to 20-degree angle and bend your elbow to maintain that angle. Rapidly move the knife blade back and forth on the stone, towards your body and away from your body. You'll want to flip the blade and repeat the motion on the other side so that both sides of the cutting edge are equally sharp.

Shaping beard using a gouge knife

Wood carving tools are a little more involved than whittling. A beginner's wood carving set comes with between 12 and 24 tools.

The basic wood carving tools for your starter kit include:

● Carving knife

● Bench knife

● Chisel

● Gouge

● Veiner

● V-Tool

● Riffler/File

● Carver's mallet

● Corner or Skew chisel

● Coping saw

● Long bent tool

● Fishtail

● Short bent tool

● Sharpening stone

Carving Tools

As you can see, the wood carving basic tools are a bit more intricate than what you need for whittling. If you are interested in taking up both, you might want to look for wood carving "starter kits" as they could have the carving knife and sharpening stone needed for whittling as well. Then you can get everything you need with one purchase.

To see details on the carving knife and sharpening stone, return to the topic of whittling tools as they are interchangeable.

A bench knife is a specialized knife with a short scalpel-like blade. It has a large, easy to grip handle and allows you to work more closely with the wood. Please note, this is not the same as a kitchen bench knife. The bench knife allows you to dig out wood and can be used for both detail work or removing larger pieces of wood.

Chisels come in innumerable shapes and sizes. Classic handheld chisels are good for beginning woodworking. You might want to have a couple with different widths for detail work. Chisels are generally a flat, rectangular piece of metal with a sharpened edge all the way around. They can be used by pushing through the wood or using a mallet to dig deeper into the wood. Chisels need to be properly sharp to be effective.

Gouges are necessary for both beginning and advanced wood carving. While it looks similar to a chisel, the main difference is that the gouge has a scoop-like shape, a curved cutting edge, rather than a flat surface. You'll use your gouge for creating deep or shallow holes in the wood, as well as creating curved edges.

Veiners are small gouges that have a U shaped cutting edge. While it has similar functions to a gouge and can be synonymous with a gouge, the veiner has a much smaller diameter to the blade than the typical gouge. This makes it more useful as a fine detail tool.

The V-tool is basically a veiner or gouge, just with a very small diameter cutting blade. However, rather than having a U-shaped edge, it has a V-shaped edge. This is a great tool for detail work, and they do come in various sizes.

Other than cutting tools, you'll want to have a riffler. This is a long, double-edged file that has a grip between the two filing ends. The filing ends have curves in them. A riffler is used to get into tight or hard to reach places, so they can be filed down to the desired smoothness.

Another non-carving tool is the carver's mallet. This is a rounded mallet that is usually made of hardwood. The mallet is used to tap on the handle end of chisels and gouges to get deeper into the wood. They can be made of plastic too.

Another type of chisel you'll want to consider is a skew or corner chisel. This chisel has the top of the blade cut at an angle. It is used in similar ways as a regular chisel and can also be useful if you are shaping wood with a woodturning process.

When it comes to saws, it is recommended that parents use the saws, unless your children are in their mid to late teens and understand proper saw safety etiquette. The coping saw is a small handheld saw with a thin blade. It can get into tight spaces and can help cut shapes and angles that other saws can't. This makes it an excellent tool for sculpting wood.

Two more gouges are the long and short bent tools, which can be used as such. These tools have an upward bend along the edge of the cutting blade. The long bent tools are good for relief carving. The short bent tool is best used for reaching into corners of a carving pattern or shaping recesses.

The fishtail is a chisel or gouge with a thin, light blade but a cutting edge that is wider than the blade's shaft. It is a fine-tuning, detailed tool.

When you put together your wood carving kit, it is a good idea for both you and your children to hold the tools in your hands and move them slowly and safely in the positions they would be used. This helps you both get a feel for them and find a comfortable way to hold them that works with their function.

Safety Gear

Since wood carving and whittling require knives, saws, and sharp objects, safety is definitely a top priority. When whittling, you should wear a glove on the hand that isn't holding the knife. Leatherwork gloves are adequate, although they might feel clumsy when holding the wood and knife.

My Collection of Gloves

You can get gloves explicitly made for whittling to help protect your hands while working with sharp blades. You should get gloves that are a comfortable fit for both you and your child and still allow for nimble finger movements.

When wood carving and whittling, it isn't a bad idea to wear safety goggles. This will help prevent any chips, slices, or pieces of wood from getting into your eyes. If you are sawing wood, definitely wear safety goggles as the dust can get in your eyes.

When whittling, there will be times when you pull the blade towards you. Having a thumb guard to prevent yourself and your children from cutting themselves is highly recommended.

Safety Tips and Considerations

A couple of considerations when it comes to safety go beyond just having the proper gear. Always have properly sharpened blades and tools. Unsharpened equipment will be less effective and might prompt the crafter to apply more force. This could lead to injury.

Cut with the wood grain and always make cuts and strokes away from your body. The wood grain is the easiest to work with because it gives the least resistance. When cutting away from your body, you are less likely to have blades and cutting edges come into contact with any part of you.

Make sure to stencil your patterns on the wood to give you and your children the outline and angle for your cuts. A visual representation will help eliminate guesswork, slips, and overcompensating. It is both a safety measure and helps with the perfection of your projects.

Eliminate distractions for the area that you are working. It might even help to have a designated "workshop," even if that is an end of your dining room table or a specified desk for woodworking. This helps keep both you and your child-focused. Working with knives and sharp edges requires attention and a distraction-free environment.

We also recommend that parents watch safety videos and methodology videos. That way, you can help instruct your children. You also become an educated pair of eyes and help correct them if they are implementing unsafe methods.

Tools: Brand Comparisons

Knowing what tools to buy and to fit into your woodworking kit is only part of the process. Not all tools are created equal, so you'll want to know what brands are recommended and some of the pros and cons of those brands. There can be a balance between cost-effectiveness and quality tools. The brands we will be reviewing all have a starter set of some kind on the market.

While Pfeil is considered top-notch, premium hardware, they do get rather expensive. They have an octagonal handle shape, which is great for comfort and grip. Their chrome-vanadium steel blades are hard, and it can take longer to sharpen them. On the plus side, the tools do come pre-sharpened.

A good midrange wood carving tool manufacturer is Schaaf. They are great for beginners, but you might find the tools lacking in a few ways as you advance in your proficiency. Like the Pfeil, they have octagonal handles and hard, chrome-vanadium steel blades. They also come with a satisfaction guarantee. Unfortunately, these blades don't come sharpened, and the differences in their quality are noticeable from a professional standpoint.

The Puli-Craft tools are the best pick for a budget! This is a good brand for beginners and casual hobbyists. They are good for exploring the art of wood carving to get a feel for it while not spending too much money. These tools come sharpened and ready to use. The steel is on the soft side and will need to be sharpened more often. Since the blades are softer, they aren't good for carving hardwoods.

When choosing your tools, you don't necessarily have to get a whole kit from one brand manufacturer. You can always mix and match, picking higher quality tools that you think you'll use more frequently, then going for the budget tools on items you might not need a lot. You can also put together your own kit of exactly what kind of tools you want to use first.

If you do it that way, you can add tools as you develop your skills and replace your beginner tools with higher quality tools as they break or as you decide if spending the extra money is worth it.

Wood Material

Wood of good quality

Just like the tools, you'll be using for whittling and wood carving, your material is just as important. Wood comes in many varieties. For as many trees as there are, there are that many types of wood. As a beginner whittler and woodcarver, you'll probably want to start with a softer wood that is easier to shape. There is more to the quality of wood than just hardness or softness, though.

Hardness, Grain, Shade, and Color

Some woods are considered "more popular" in whittling and woodcarving, especially for beginners or hobbyists. However, as you become more proficient, you might want to think of other wood qualities, like the grain and the wood color, because those can make a difference in your project's finished product.

Basswood is one of the most popular woods for beginners. It is soft and ranges in color from off-white to cream-colored. It doesn't warp after seasoning, so it can be great in large or small blocks. Additionally, basswood holds carving details well. It has a straight grain and an even texture. Basswood is a moderately priced wood.

Butternut is another softwood with a straight grain that is easy to work. It ranges from dead white to light brown with some pinkish undertones or some dark brown streaks. It is a lightweight wood and holds detail well.

Cherry is a popular and moderately difficult wood to work. It shrinks when it dries and darkens as it ages, but it holds its shape and detail well. The dark red color of cherry is a favorite among carvers and admirers of the craft.

While maple holds its detail well and finishes with a nice shine, it is a more complicated wood to work with. The grain isn't always straight, making carving more difficult and can result in blotches in a finished project.

Red oak is another difficult grained wood, but as a result, it can have a lot of attractive rays. It is porous and doesn't hold detail as well as some of the softer woods, but still holds detail. Red Oak is harder and requires well-sharpened tools.

Black walnut has the same grain and carving ease as Butternut. It is a harder wood though that stiffens when it dries and is shock resistant. It is a porous wood with a good natural finish and can range in color from dark brown to an even darker purplish color. It is a fairly high priced wood and is good for general use

How to Get Your Hands-on Project Wood

Softwood

There are a lot of easy and convenient ways to get your hands on blocks of wood for whittling and carving, as well as larger pieces of wood for bigger carving projects. One of the simplest ways is to order wood online.

If you do decide to order online, you might want to investigate a few things first. Check out the reviews and the credibility of where you are purchasing from. Without seeing the product, you don't want to end up with something low quality. You should also check on the return and refund policy for damaged items.

When ordering online, it is also a good idea to double-check the average cost of the type of wood you are purchasing. That way, you won't accidentally over-spend on sites that try to inflate their own prices.

A lot of craft stores also carry carving wood and wood carving tools. Stores like Hobby Lobby have crafting wood options. You should also check with your local hardware stores. If there are any wood artisans or wood product stores in your area, you might be able to buy wood from them or get hooked up with their supplier(s).

In the interest of getting free wood, since craft wood can get expensive pretty quickly, there are a few ways to go about this. Free wood can come from construction sites, as they are one of the largest sources of unused lumber. You might even be able to pick up old wooden furniture off the side of the road or from a dumpster and salvage the wood to repurpose. Networking with local artisans is another way to come buy free, or inexpensive material.

Always confirm with a construction site or dump that you can take unused wood or lumber before assuming you can take it.

Wood Grain

When I started with woodcraft and struggled to recognize the concept of wood grain at first, one old-time whittler informed me, "Think about the grain-like petting a cat."

When you pet it head to tail, the fur all lies down, and the cat purrs. If you try to go from tail to head, it rises, and the pet cat is agitated. Keep the cat pleased.

This example has remained with me since then. Lastly, let me go over several attributes of the wood grain. 

Basswood on working table

First, wood grain is beautiful, so do not hesitate to carve timber with a grain. As mentioned above, carving throughout grain frequently requires using an alcohol mix, unless it's greenwood. 

Some years back, I heard an Indigenous American carver notify a group of beginners that the timber tells him which way to carve.

When one is carving and also the blade "attacks" right into the wood, stop. Please don't go ahead; it's time to quit. The resistance or attacking is telling you to quit as well as carve in the opposite instructions. In most of the woods, the grain does not run straight; it's often "ribbony," as well as a carver needs to deal with its instructions before carving.

3. Process and Techniques

Once you have all your tools, safety gear, and materials, it is time to get started with whittling! But wait, there are some important notes on the process and technique before you dive in. There are even some kid-specific considerations and processes that will apply when you and your children are working together.

Since the projects in this book are geared towards whittling (check out wood carving projects with your kids in my book Woodworking for Kids), the processes and techniques in this chapter will focus on getting you ready to whittle.

Types of Cuts and When to Use Them

The four basic cuts you'll be using in whittling are the straightaway rough cut, the push stroke, and the pull stroke.

The straightaway rough cut is your cut to get a basic outline for your project. You'll push the knife into the wood and slice with the grain, away from your body. These can be long, sweeping cuts. This is a gradual shaping process, so don't be hasty and cut too deep. Shave the wood away one slice at a time.

Straightway rough cut

When it is time to refine your project's shape, you'll be switching to the push stroke. This stroke gives you a high level of control over the knife. You'll still be pushing the knife away from you with this stroke. The push stroke is a two-hand process. You'll place the thumb on your non-cutting hand (the hand not holding the knife) on the back of the knife blade, or the back of your cutting thumb. This gives you more power to slice into the wood while your cutting hand steers the blade for more precision. Push cuts create small, smooth cuts.

The third cut is the pull stroke. This is the only cut that you pull the knife towards you. If your children are younger, you might want to be responsible for the parts of projects that involve pull strokes. This is another controlled, detailed cut. To set yourself up for a pull stroke, place the thumb of your cutting hand (the hand holding the knife) at the end of your woodblock. This thumb acts as a clamp. Pull the knife towards you, with the grain of the wood. When doing pull strokes, it is good to wear a thumb guard as the thumb might be needed to stop some of the strokes. Thumb guards are especially a good idea for children and teens who might not have perfect control over the force of their pull strokes.

Push Stroke Pull Stroke

The final cut is the stop cut. This is a straight cut into the wood, often used as a marking point for additional cuts and detail work.

So this cut comprises three steps, as shown in the pictures above:

- Make a straight cut.

- Take the push action below it until the cut and stop (Come up to it).

- Remove the wood.

Cut in and come up to it. A stop cut makes the bottom of a nose or hat.

V-Cut-- This cut is terrific for including detail to your wood, typically made use of when developing the look. The V-Cut is also helpful when cutting unique lines to differentiate functions. Cut at 45 degrees from both sides to make a perfect V cut.

V Cut

Pyramid Cut

This cut looks like a triangle or pyramid. Your handgrip should be a pencil grip for this cut.

Holding the knife

Before we start with whittling, let's discuss holding the knife properly.

In case you’re right-handed, your left hand should hold the piece of wood, and the right hand should hold the knife. The left thumb should be on the back of the blade, as well as will be offering the cutting force. Never press the blade ahead with your right-hand; you won’t be able to move the blade with precision.

Notice that the fingers should run out the path of the blade.

Don’t be silly:

Never push hard on the blade. If it’s stuck (since you carved too deep right into the wood or the grain positioning changed), quit as well as backtrack. If you attempt to force the blade, it might slip and also cut your finger.

There's no demand to go fast. Rate doesn't aid you to carve better. Take your time until you feel comfortable.

Listen:

The noise, as well as the feeling of your cuts, is essential. You can listen to the distinction between Carving with, against, as well as across the grain. It’ll undoubtedly be useful in establishing instinct concerning the direction you’re cutting in.

Technique

So let's figure out what occurs when you carve: You'll be making a scooping activity. First, the knife needs to dig into the surface area of the wood a little. The knife needs to be then pushed through the wood; it's all about the angle!

As you push with the wood, angle the knife up, and you will undoubtedly have slashed off a little bit of wood. With lots of wood, the shavings will crinkle; this is an indicator that you’re entering the appropriate direction.

You must eliminate the wood in skinny layers; if you go deep, you'll end up tearing out your en route backup.

A great way to learn knife control is to attempt keeping the knife handle at an advised angle; see how long of cutting you can make in one cut. The more you carve, the more you’ll recognize the grain. It's rather tough to explain in a paragraph with a few images. However, it’ll certainly make sense as you experience it first-hand. Start with delicately curving objects that enable you some space to make mistakes. As you get better, add details regardless of the orientation of the grain; there’s always a method to make the right cut. Most importantly, have fun all the way.

A note about whittling: Never force your knife: if your knife gets stuck in the wood because you cut too deep or the grain changed, backtrack and try a shallower cut. If you force it, you could lose control, slip, or injure yourself.

Always wear a Thumb Protector

Sample Project

Sumac Pocket Whistle:

● Carving knife

● Straight sumac or willow branch (or other soft pitch wood) 3-4" long with ½" diameter

● 3-4 twigs, stripped of bark ¼" diameter

● Hacksaw

● Hand pruners (if harvesting fresh wood material)

● Drill with 1/4" drill bit

● Safety gear

● Ruler or measuring tape

● Pencil

● Sandpaper (optional)

Hollow out the branch using the pitch in the middle of the branch as your guiding point and drill a hole lengthwise through the branch. Take your time to avoid splitting the wood. Keep the drill bit centered as much as possible. If your drill bit is shorter than the branch, drill as far as you can from the one end, and then drill in from the other end, so the holes meet.

Strip the bark off the branch with shallow, straightaway rough cuts. If your branch is fresh, there will be a green layer coating the wood once the bark is removed. Peel this layer off.

Use your hacksaw to cut halfway through the branch, placing the cut about half an inch from one end of the branch. Saw slowly so that the cut remains clean, straight, and doesn't go too deep.

Measure half an inch away from the cut. The initial cut is going to be towards the top of your whistle, so measure down towards the bottom—mark the point. Slice out a notch starting shallow at the pencil mark and cutting towards the hacksaw cut. Slowly slice deeper until you reach the depth of the hacksaw cut and the drill hole.

The angle of your notch should be between 35 and 45 degrees. This notch can easily be made with either the push stroke or the pull stroke.

Use the twigs to make plugs for the whistle. Cut one of your twigs until it measures ⅜" in length. You'll be using the push and pull strokes to carefully whittle the plug down to fit snugly into the drill hole at the bottom of the whistle. This is the hole at the opposite end of the notch. It might take a couple of tries to get right, so be patient and take it slow.

Make a second plug for the hole at the top of the whistle. Follow the same steps as you did to make the first plug. Each plug needs to be custom made for the hole it will fill to have the snuggest fit.

Once your second plug is made, cut ⅖ off the plug. This will make a little slot for air to escape when you blow.

You can decorate your whistle by carving out rings around the whistle circumference or carving other designs into the exterior. When carving, draw the design pattern first and then take your time to cut it out. Be careful not to cut deep enough to penetrate the drill hole at the center of the whistle. If the exterior is a little rough, you can also sand it down for smoothness. That's it, now enjoy and make great music!

Sharpening Tools and Finishing Projects for Kids

When you begin whittling with your kids, impart some of these rules on them for added safety:

● Only whittle with adult supervision.

● The knife should be stored in a sheath, closed, and kept in a specific place when not in use.

● Never cut towards yourself (this rule can be altered depending on your child or teens' age and your comfort level with their cutting proficiency).

● Always sit down when using the knife.

● Always keep your eyes on what they are doing. If they need to look elsewhere, put the knife down first.

As a parent, you'll want to lead by example with these safety measures. You'll also want to take on responsibility for pull strokes and tool sharpening techniques, especially in the beginning. You can teach your kids the push stroke and sharpening, but take it slow.

Slow down each movement to demonstrate how it is done, and then slowly increase your movements to the appropriate speed. Then, have your kids do the same thing, start slow, and once they are comfortable and the motion feels natural, increase the speed slightly. Always supervise these actions.

Taking on the role of teacher and instructor to your children offers additional bonding and interactive opportunities. The first few projects you complete together might require your involvement to finish the finer details of the project. Always let your kids watch you, and take it slow so they can really see what you are doing.

Sharpening strope

Explain as you go to put words to your actions. As they become more knowledgeable and experienced, verbally guide them through the steps and oversee what they are doing to help them.

Sharpening stone

If the project is going to be finished with a wood finish or even painted, this can be a fun project for you and your child to carry out together. You could break up the steps of painting so that you each get a chance to add some color. Please keep in mind that some paints and wood finishes are toxic. Keep an eye on your children and make sure they aren't consuming any left on their hands.

Always keep the containers securely closed when not in use and store according to the directions

You and your children should get in the habit of washing your hands thoroughly after you finish a project to completion or after you are done whittling for the day.

4. Thirty Beginner Projects

Wood carved elephant

The following whittling projects are fun and easy projects for you and your kids to get started with. There will be specific designated work that should be done by steadier adult hands and some tips for making each project a collaborative, bonding experience. So, turn off the television and put away the smart phones. It is time to get back to the basics of entertaining, crafting, and bonding!

Please note safety gear is always recommended for any project, even if it is not listed under the materials needed.

1. Simple Toy Dog

Materials

● Sharpened carving knife

● Block of softwood about 1" to 1 ½" thick

● Pencil

Instructions

Use your pencil to draw the side profile of a dog on your block of wood. A simple outline of the dog will do. This project was designed with a dog with floppy ears and a tail sticking up in the air.

Next, you are going to cut away the excess wood. Using some long, rough strokes, begin whittling down the profile of the dog. Depending on how big the block of wood is, you might have to cut a fair amount away, making this portion good work for a child.

When you get closer to the dog's outline, you'll want to use more focused, detailed cuts and leave about ⅜" between the edge of the block and where you drew your pencil outline.

Mark the lines for the dog's floppy ears on each side of the wood. Then, take your carving knife, trace a cut along the ear lines and slice a 'V' shape along the line. Do this on both ears to make them 'pop' out of the dog's body. You might want to make the cuts for the first ear while your child watches and then supervise them on the second ear.

Look at the top of your dog's head and draw two lines, connecting the back cuts and the front cuts of the ears across the dog. Start to shape the head with push cuts at the front and the back of the ears, adding more definition to them.

On the dog's back, use a slightly scooping push cut to cut away the excess wood on each edge. This is a long cut that would be easy for a child to make. Draw a line across the dog's body at the base of its tail on both sides. Make a straight cut along the newly drawn lines and then slice from the tail's topside to create a notch on that line. Do this on both sides of the tail. Slim the tail down. This is good work for a child.

Turning to the dog's belly, shape the sides by scooping out around the dog's middle to give it a waistline. To shape the dog's face, draw a triangle under the dog's chin, with the wide bottom towards its nose. Remove the edges. Make more defined cuts around the dog's head from the front of the ears.

Shape the dog's nose by cutting the snout and cheeks, narrowing the snout. Alternate sides to get an even angle. Smooth out the edges of the face and correct any inequalities on either side. This detailed work is probably best performed by the parent.

Draw lines that connect the ears in the direction of the dog's body. Lower them down on the side of the head by cutting away at the top. Thin the tops of the ears, bringing them in closer to the head.

Round out the back with a few more long cuts going all the way to the tail. Deepen the definition of the front legs with 'V’ cuts to the chest.

At the front of the dog’s face, draw a downward triangle for the nose. The nose is small, so it is a good job for the parent. Make a cut along each side of the nose, and then use a push cut to ‘pop’ the sides of the nose out. Shape the muzzle more smoothly around the nose.

Using the brow as a reference, begin to cut the head down. Narrow the tail to a point, alternating from side to side. Finalize the shape of the tail. The tail is a good part of the project for children to do.

Smooth out the lines from the back to the tail and hind legs. Shape the hind legs, hips, and feet. Bring them down and shape them proportionately. You’ll want to do the same to the front legs. Both you and your child can work on the legs together.

At the chest, draw a line directly between the center of the ears. Cut on that line, and then use a triangle cut from both sides to separate the ears. Trim the ears down in the center cut to open the chest.

On both the front and the back of the legs, make a line to designate the feet. Carefully and slowly make little ‘V’ cuts on that line. This is a good portion of the project for a parent.

Go over the whole dog and smooth out the edges and bring the shape down a little more. Finalize the shape and distinguish the lines.

Under the nose, draw a line down the center, then split the line into a triangle to either side of the dog’s muzzle. Open the lines making a thin groove to give the dog’s face more detail. For the final touches, go over the dog again and shave and trim off any sharp edges while also smoothing out the lines. Your toy dog is complete!

Other dogs

2. Wood Chain

Materials

● 2” by 2” block of wood that is as long as you want the chain

● Carving knife

● Pencil

Instructions

Begin by cutting notches into each corner of your block, cutting them along the entire length. These long cuts are a great starting place for a child or teen. When the notches are made, your wood will look like a cross instead of a block.

Using your pencil, draw out the shapes and sizes of the chain links that you want. It is recommended that you pick one shape for your first chain, usually a circle or oval. You can make hearts, squares, or a combination of shapes for each link for more advanced chains.

Using the lines you make, start to rough out the shapes of the chain links. This is a good project for a child. When they form a shape, work on hollowing out the inside, which is a good portion of work for the parent as it is a smaller carving space. As you shape and hollow out, make sure you don’t cut through the links’ interlocking portions.

Refine the shapes of each link and smooth out the edges. You can make them thinner if you want or keep them thick. Your chain is all done!

3. Smiling Wood Spirit

Materials

● Pencil

● Sharp carving knife

● Small triangular block of wood

Instructions

Start by smoothing the sharp corners with some pull cuts. This could be good practice for kids to get more familiar with pull cuts. Make a straight cut right in the middle of the wood block for the nose.

Traveling about a half-inch up, put another straight cut. Starting below the first cut, use a push cut to make an angled notch up to the “nose” line. Do the same for the second line to make a point of the nose. These are good practice detail cuts for children.

With the pencil, mark a centerline from the top of the block to the bottom. Using the centerline for reference, mark the outline of the nose with a triangle. On either side of the nose lines, cut notches to define the nose. Use the pencil to mark the nostrils at the bottom of the nose and carefully cut them out. A parent might want to do these delicate, detailed cuts. Use pull cuts to give the nose some shape.

Above the nose, flatten what will become the forehead with some straight away rough cuts. Leave a small ridge over the nose. Round out the portion under the nose with pull cuts, another good point for children to practice.

Round under the nose carefully so you don’t cut the nose off. Draw the “smiling lines.” Using the tip of the knife, cut deep, straight cuts along the smiling lines. This is good work for parents with steady hands. Put similar cuts underneath the nose.

Using the push cut technique and the knife's tip, cut up to the stop cuts you made, hollowing out the area between the lines. Draw the smiling mouth in the hallow and carve it out with the tip of your knife; round the forehead corners out. Using the ridge you left above the nose, make stop cuts on either side, and push cuts into the stop cut to make the eyes.

Refine the shape of the face and features with the tip of your knife. Mark the eyes sockets on either side of the nose and deepen the hollow around them so they ‘pop’ out. Use your pencil to mark strands of hair and the beard with ‘S’ shaped lines. Use the tip of the knife to make ‘V’ cuts around the ‘S’ lines. A parent or an experienced teen should cut the more detailed features of the wood spirit. That’s it. Your wood spirit is complete!

4. Spiral Walking Stick

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Carving knife

● Pruning saw

● Fresh cut stick about 1” diameter - length based on the height of who will be using the stick

● Pencil

● Sandpaper

● Wood Finish

Instructions

For this project, you’ll want to harvest a fresh stick from the woods, which can make a fun outdoor adventure for you and your child. Pick a stick that is sturdy but also soft for easy whittling. A parent should use the saw to cut the stick.

Use the carving knife to peel the bark off (a task suitable for children with supervision). When the bark and any green fibrous coverings have been removed, use the pencil to draw a spiral line around the stick from top to bottom.

With your carving knife, cut stop cuts along the entire spiral and then use push cuts from the top or bottom to hollow out a notch about a ¼” wide to the stop cut. Since walking sticks can be long, you might want to alternate cutting with your child, so neither of you gets tired.

When the spiral is cut out, wrap the pencil in sandpaper, sand down the spiral, and give it a smoother look. Let the stick dry out and then finish with a glossy wood finish to protect it and give it a nice, rich color.

5. Whittled Owl Bookmark

Materials

● Pruning saw

● Whittling knife

● A stick about 1” in diameter and about 4-5” long, knot-free

● Mallet

Instructions

Take your child out into the woods to find a stick. Split it into quarters by placing the stick vertically on a hard base and inserting the knife blade into the center. Use a larger stick or mallet to hit the blade deeper into the stick. Move your mallet to the end of the blade, hammering it all the way through. Repeat the process on the two halves until you have four quarters. A parent should be responsible for the splitting process.

On the top inch of the stick, smooth down the flat surfaces with straight rough cuts. From one corner to the other, cut shallow straight cuts to form an ‘X’ across the stick. Alternating from side to side, cut up towards the top cut in the ‘X’ and form a notch. Then do the same up to the bottom cut line. You’ll have two hallowed V-shaped ones: one facing up and one facing down.

On each side, cut small ‘V’ cuts between the top line and the bottom line to create a rounded section for the eyes. A parent should do these. Next, flatten out the edge above the top cut to make the forehead.

On the very top of the stick, cut a shallow, light cut at the center. Then, with pull cuts, start to scoop out the area on either side of the cut. This part is best done by a parent.

The owl shouldn’t be more than ¾”, so make a cut below the face to mark the length of the body. Begin to shave down the wood below the owl’s body, thinning it out. This is good work for a child.

The finishing touches include rounding out the tail (the bottom of the bookmark) and cutting little ‘V’ cuts directly below the body and down the tail to give it a feathery look.

6. Wooden Spoon

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Straight wooden block about ¾” thick, 12” long, and 3” wide

● Pencil

● Sandpaper (optional)

● Wood finish (optional)

Instructions

You’re going to want to draw the design for your spoon first. This is a good project for you and your child as you can play around with sizes and shapes to see what you both like. Use the pencil to draw the outline of the spoon on one of the broad sides of your wood.

The easiest way to get a symmetrical spoon is to draw a straight, centerline down the block and then sketch half the spoon on each side, adjusting for consistency.

The spoon’s handle should be around ¾” around and 8” long while the bowl should be about 2” wide and 3” long. Make sure to mark the center of the bowl, so you know what to hollow out and leave a lip around the edge.

Start from the inside out, using stop cuts to mark the inside of the bowl and then using push cuts to hollow out the bowl. Work slowly, deepening the hollow one cut at a time. This is good work for a parent.

Next, the child can use rough straight cuts and push cuts to shape the outside of the bowl and the long handle. When the spoon is shaped, smooth out any sharp edges. If you want to use the spoon for food, consider sanding it down and getting a food-safe wood finish to protect it.

7. Viking Chess Piece

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Saw

● Green branch with 1 ½” diameter and 2” long

● Pencil

Instructions

Choose a fresh branch, preferably a softer wood. Cut the branch and strip away the bark. Bark stripping is a good job for your children.

Split the branch into quarters by setting the branch upright on a hard surface and placing the knife in the center of the top. Carefully push the knife down and cut the branch in half. Repeat this process to the other halves until you have quarters.

n,;.

Round out the top of the stick for the viking’s head and helmet. Put a stop cut about a ½” down from the top. Push cut up underneath the stop cut to make a flat nose piece. Make a stop cut on either side of the nose at the brow. Push cut around the nose and under the new cuts to define the nose and make eye hollows. This detailed work is good for parents to cut out.

Mark circles in each hollow of the eyes and cut out around them to make eyes. About ¼” under the nose, draw an upside-down ‘V’ and put stop cuts along the line. Shave up underneath the ‘V’ to define a mustache. Then, make a curved line and outlining stop cuts to mark the beard. Make notches underneath to define the beard.

Lastly, you’ll carve out the body by using push cuts under the beard to flatten out the sharp edge and push cuts along the sides of the beard for the neck.

8. Dolphin Jigsaw Puzzle

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Pencil

● Sandpaper

● Woodblock about 1” thick, 4” wide, and 5” long

● Sandpaper

● Wood finish or paint (optional)

Instructions

Begin by drawing the side profile of a dolphin on your woodblock. You want to use softwood for this project. It just needs to be an outline. You and your child should participate in the design process, especially when drawing the puzzle pieces.

Throughout the entire dolphin, make jigsaw puzzle pieces with your pencil. For a beginner project, make them big and simple. Let your child work on shaving the excess wood away from around the exterior of the dolphin. The parent should then use more detailed strokes to trim the dolphin right down to the pencil line.

Using slow, careful, precise deep cuts, follow the jigsaw lines and cut out one puzzle piece at a time. Use sandpaper to smooth out the edges so you don’t accidentally shave off too much with the knife. You want the pieces to fit together snugly but not too tight or too loose.

Finish the puzzle pieces with a wood finish or paint to give it some color. Once dried, you can assemble and disassemble the puzzle or display it as a piece of art.

9. Ball in a Cage

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Pencil

● 2” by 3” block of wood that is 3-4” long

● Chisel/Gouge (if you have one)

● Ruler

● Circular paper or object

Instructions

On all six sides of your wood block, draw a square or rectangle ½” from the edges. Using a piece of round paper or a circular object, trace the shape of the circle on all six sides, making sure it is the same distance from all the edges, but also choosing a size big enough that it overlaps the square and rectangle lines.

Begin to hollow out the spaces between the straight edge lines and the circle. You might find it easier to alternate between parent and child to make the work less tedious. A chisel or gouge, in conjunction with a whittling knife, can make the process go faster.

When you’ve created open space all around the circular form, begin to shape the ball carefully as it is in an enclosed space. As you shape it, slice through the wood where the ball is still connected to the cage pieces, loosening it, so it is free moving.

Finish shaping the ball to a smooth, roundness, and shave away the cage's sharp edges to make it look more appealing.

10. Toy T-Rex

Materials

● Whittling Knife

● Block of wood - 2” by 3” and 4-5” tall

● Pencil

● Paint (optional)

Instructions

Outline a T-Rex on the broad side of your block. For simple arms and feet, use ovals or the general outline of their shape. To keep it simple, make it with its mouth closed.

Your child can use straight rough cuts to shape the block into the T-Rex form. When it comes to the arms and feet, a parent should take over for the detail work and smaller cuts to distinguish them from the body and separate them into defined limbs.

Take some time to really refine and smooth the dinosaur’s shape, narrowing the nose, making the tail into a point, etc. Then, make a stop cut along its brow and hollow out the area slightly. Draw circles for the eyes in that hollow and use push cuts to cut out around the eyes so they ‘pop’ from the dinosaur’s face.

Draw a line for the mouth and use the tip of the knife to carve it out. A fun conclusion to this project is to paint the T-Rex with your child and really bring it to life.

11. Mystery Locking Puzzle

Materials

● Whittling knife

● 2 basswood blocks of wood - 1” by ½” and 2-3” long

● Pencil

● Bowl of water

● Weight

● Mallet

Instructions

Near the center of one block, trace the end of the other on the broadside. Flip it over, and trace a corresponding rectangle. Make a hole in the rectangular opening, leaving the pencil marks visible. The hole should be too small to fit the end you traced through it.

Whittle down the end of your uncut block until it is a narrow enough wedge to fit into the hole. An inch below the wedge, cut two stop cuts ½” apart in the side of your block. Draw lines across the flat part to connect the stop cuts to the opposite edge. Repeat this step on the back of the block.

Using stop cuts and push cuts, shave several layers away between the pencil marks. Now, put both pieces of wood in a bowl of water and weigh them down, allowing them to soak for 45 minutes.

Insert your wedged end into the rectangle hole and push it in as far as you can. If needed, prop up the wood and hammer the wedged wood through the hole until the narrowed part of the block is sitting in the hole. A parent should perform this task. The crossed wood should be movable in the hole but not removable.

Let the woodblocks dry. Cut off the wedge end and the opposite end and even out their lengths. Give the edges of both blocks a rounder, smoother look. Your wood blocks are forever intertwined.

12. Egg

Materials

Tools Required:

Whittling knife

Strop

Wood: 2 1/2 inch wood piece with a thickness of 1 1/2 inches

Safety gear – Gloves or Thumb guard

Sandpaper

Pencil

Instructions

Whittling an egg typically is risk-free. It can quickly be done with minimal risk.

Never cut toward your hand or fingers and continually take advantage of a sharp knife.

If your hands get tired, discontinue, and relax.

The first step is finding the right wood piece. You can search for scrap wood at construction sites. For your first egg job, you can take a wood item of size 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 2". It will offer you a great sized egg that does not likewise take longer to carve.

Cut a scrap of wood right into a form in which the length and dimension are even. Additionally, the deepness is rather longer (regarding a third longer or size times 1.33).

Cut both completions into a round shape. Carve away the sides to make it round. Mark a line at the center to symbolize the best part of the egg. See the complying with images.

Chip the round wood to make it egg-shaped, as received the picture.

As a next step, you can take the sandpaper and begin raveling all the tops. It starts with rough paper to cut faster (relating to 100 grit) and later use better grit paper to attain the preferred degree of smoothness.

After that, you can use the finishing coat on the egg by using paint, oil, clear coat, marker, and so on.

13. Floating Toy Boat

Materials

● Whittling Knife

● Block of pine wood - 3” by 3” and 5-6” long

● Chisel or gouge (optional)

● Pencil

● Wood finish (optional)

Instructions

Shape the block so it has a slightly rounded bottom, pointed front, and flat top, and square off the back of it. Refine the shape by making the back end slightly more narrow and the front more pointed while also further rounding out the bottom and smoothing out the rough edges.

Mark an edge around the entire perimeter on the top of the boat that is about 4” to ½” inch thick. Draw a horizontal line ½” from the back most pencil line, and one about a ¼” from the front pointed pencil line. Somewhere in the middle of the boat, mark a horizontal bench with two pencil lines.

Using stop cuts and push cuts, begin to hollow out the space between the perimeter lines and around the bench lines. This is good work for a child and can be alternated with a parent if their hands get fatigued. The use of a chisel can make this work faster. Don’t chisel down all the way through the bottom.

Even and smooth out the interior edges of the boat and the seats. Bring the tops of the seats down so they are inside the boat rather than level with the edge. To protect your boat long term, finish with a waterproof, buoyant wood finish.

14. Whittling Entwined Hearts

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Flat board, about ½” thick

● Pencil

Instructions

Draw two hearts on your wooden board. Make sure that a portion of the heart’s edges intertwines around each other like chain links. Moving to the interior of the hearts you drew about ½”, draw the line that will designate the heart’s width when it is carved from the wood. Make sure there is a gap where the hearts intersect, giving it a “Venn diagram” like appearance, just with hearts.

Your child can work to whittle away the wood around the heart outlines with rough straight cuts. Whittle down to the pencil line. Then use stop cuts and push and pull cuts to begin hollowing out the hearts. Depending on how large the hearts are, you and your child both can work on opening up the hearts.

A parent should carefully carve out the small hole where the hearts entwine with steady hands.

The finishing touches for your entwined hearts should be cutting away any rough or sharp edges and refining the shape both on the inside and outside the heart. They can look very smooth and complete if you make the outlines appear round and cylindrical.

15. Small Snowman

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Block of basswood -1 ¼” by 1 ¼” and 2 ½” long/tall

● Pencil

● Ruler

● Power drill with ⅛” bit

● Superglue

● Paint

Instructions

At the center of the block, draw a horizontal line all the way around the block. On the four long sides, draw vertical lines at the center to make a cross with the horizontal lines.

Choose a side for the front and make a horizontal line ½” from the top. On the back, make a horizontal line ¾” from the top. On the sides, mark the block ¾” of an inch at the back half and ½” at the front half. Connect them with a diagonal line.

Take the corners off the edges and bottom of the three sections, the body, the head, and the hat. Take some of the top corners off the back of the hat, making the top slanted.

Draw a 3/16” rim around the base of the hat. Make new stop cuts along the hat rim and then pull cut down from the top to make it thicker. Shape the hat above the rim, rounding out the corners and edges until it is rounded without flat spots. This is another good task for a child.

With little, shallow slices, round out the face and the body sections, removing flat spots.

About ¼” below the ‘V’ cut of the neck, draw a line around the body. On the snowman’s front, make two lines above the scarf line for a knot, and draw a dangling portion of the scarf down.

Make stop cuts around the scarf line, excluding the front, and use push cuts from underneath to make it ‘pop’ out. Using the knife's tip— a parent should do this—slice along the sides and bottom of the dangling portion of the scarf and the knot. Shave away a small divot on the sides and the bottom.

Redraw the scarf lines under the neck, and add a small tail crossing underneath the knot. Use stop cuts and push cuts to bring the rest of the scarf and the tail out.

On the center of the face, draw a small cross. A parent should drill a small hole at the cross for inserting the nose. Draw circles for the eyes and a line for the mouth. A parent should use the knife's tip to carve out the lines around the eyes and mouth.

Go back over the snowman and smooth out all flat and rough spots, making the seams and lines flow together. Whittle the end of a narrow piece of scrap wood to fit into the nose hole. Trim it down to the rough length you want. Superglue the nose into the hole and let it dry.

Since it is a small piece, a parent should shape the nose to a point. Both the parent and child should participate in the painting aspect of giving their snowman life and character.

16. Wooden “Rubber” Duck

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Cube of wood - at least 1 ½” square

● Pencil

● Saw

● Paint

Instructions

Draw center horizontal and vertical lines on all six sides of the cube. Choose a side and draw a half-circle from the top half of the vertical centerline on the right side. In the same grid square, in the bottom right corner, mark a diagonal line from the horizontal centerline to the edge of the cube.

In the bottom right grid square, in the bottom right corner, make another small half circle arched to the block's edge. On the left bottom grid square, make a similar, shallower mark. These lines make the bottom of the duck.

In the top-left grid square, make a small horizontal line just under halfway between the top of the cube and the centerline. This is the opening of the beak. Use simple lines to make a rough outline of the beak. Connect the various lines you made to outline your duck.

A parent should use a small saw and carefully remove the wood between the back of the duck’s head and tail. Take the rest of the corners and edges off with the whittling knife.

Round out the edges of the bottom of the duck, making it more circular. Make a ‘V’ cut between the duck’s chest and head, all the way across the cube. Make ‘V’ cuts on all sides of the cube for the neck of the duck. Thin the head down on both sides until it is narrower than the body, rounding out the shape. This is a good task for a child.

Make ‘V’ cuts at the top and bottom of the lines you drew for the beak, making it ‘pop’ from the duck’s face. Round out the front of the face as needed, and a parent should work on this part. Round off the corners of the body, leaving the bottom flat.

Narrow the tail into a tip keeping the body shape round and smooth. On the back, at the base of the tail, make a notch to make it stand out. Underneath the beak, use small ‘V’ cuts to add a smile to the face. A parent can make these details.

On each side of the duck’s body, draw a curved line to mark the wings, and ‘V’ cut underneath them to make them stand out. Once the duck is fully shaped and smoothed, it is time to paint it!

17. Whittled Valentines

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Wooden squares - no more than ½” thick

● Paper

● Pencil

● Scissors

● Gouge (optional)

● Paint

Instructions

These valentines are quick and easy to make. Make as many as you’d like in all different sizes. Trace your wood square on a piece of paper and cut out the square. Fold it in half and draw half a heart on the paper. Cut it out and unfold to have a full heart.

Trace the heart outline onto your woodblock. Using a tailored heart for each block will ensure it is the right size.

With ‘V’ cuts, carve out the outline of the heart, which a parent should do this. Then, your child can shave off layers around the heart to really make it stand out. Play around with different techniques on different blocks, make the heart indented, or only carve out the outline without changing the woodblock's depth.

If you have a gouge, use it to add some texture to the background behind the heart. Trim off the corners and give the edges some shape. Paint your valentine’s and give them out!

18. Whittled Jack - O - Lantern

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Pencil

● Basswood block - 1” by 1” and 2-3” tall/long

● Ruler

● Paint

Instructions

Three-quarters of an inch from the top of the block, draw horizontal lines on each side. On the top side of the block, draw an ‘X’ from corner to corner. Use ‘V’ cuts to take out the corners where you drew your line and continue around the entire wood perimeter. As you go, cut off the corners of the top section. Then, in the center of your X, make a small circle for the stem.

Trim the top ‘stem’ area down, then round out the corners of the body section. Choose an edge and make a stop cut. Push cut underneath to make the nose. Round off the rest of the pumpkin body, leaving the bottom flat, and further round off the pumpkin’s top and bottom, leaving the very bottom flat. This is a good child’s task.

On the edge of the pumpkin where you carved the nose, draw a line from top to bottom. Repeat that step on the other three edges and then again on the broader sides. A parent should use the knife's tip to cut the lines out, except for the line on the nose, making deep creases in the pumpkin. At the tops and bottoms of the creases make a deeper notch.

Cut back on the top and the bottom of the nose point to make it larger. Carve out curved lines on either side of the nose and round the point out. Draw “smile lines” under the nose, where the mouth will me, all the way to the bottom. Carve out those lines and make them broader at the bottom. Make a ‘V’ notch at the base of the pumpkin between the smile lines.

Draw a half-circle over the nose and make a cross through it. This detailed work is good for a parent to do. Stop cut around the circle, slowly and carefully carve out that small line and the crossing lines within the half-circle for the eyes. On either side of the eye circle, cut creases down from the top of the pumpkin.

Draw a line for the smile within the “smile lines” and carve it out. At the section designated for the stem, trim away the excess and shape the stem's curve. Add notches in the curve to give it a more realistic look.

Refine the shape and the details, and then paint your pumpkin!

19. Painted Santa

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Pencil

● Basswood block - 1” by 1” and 4-5” long/tall

● Paint

Instructions

On one edge of the block, make a pencil mark about 1 ¼” from the top. Then put another mark another ½” directly below that. Follow the bottom line to the next edge on the right and put a mark that lines up with it, and drop down another ½” for a second mark on that edge.

Connect the lines diagonally. Then repeat the process on the left side of the original edge. Underneath your original marks, make a nearly complete circle. Drop another ¾” of an inch and make a mark below that circle. On both the left and right edges, make a mark ¾” below the first set of marks, and then connect your three new marks with a dipped line. Half an inch below this new line, draw the same shape and angled line. About a ½” from the edges, draw vertical lines to enclose the circle within a rectangular space fully.

On the outside edges and corners of the shape you drew, stop cuts and notches to help mark the wood lines.

Make a stop cut on the highest lines you drew, and a pull cut to open Santa’s hat area. Remove the corners and edges of the hat and give it a preliminary shape. On the backside of the wood, use ‘V’ cuts to follow the lines and angle for the hat's brim, making it go all the way around the block.

Make stop cuts on the lowest lines you drew, Santa’s arms, and shave up underneath them. All this detail work is best done by a parent while shaping the hat and body are good projects for children.

Using stop cuts on the bottom brim of the hat, and trim up to meet the cuts. Continue this line around the backside of the wood to complete the hat brim. Redraw the circle under the hat brim to make the nose, and use little, detailed cuts to bring the round nose out. Shape the nose.

Flatten the edge at the front of the arms and use the knife's tip to cut along the upper lines of the arms. Put ‘V’ cuts along the lines and round out the space between the arms for his beard's shape.

Cut the hat down to a point. Down ½” an inch from the top of the hat, make ‘V’ cuts around the circumference to mark the hat pom-pom. Shape the pom-pom into a circle.

On the front of the arms where the hands should be, make a vertical line on each side, put a stop cut on those lines, then cut into them, separating the hands from the rest of the arms.

Shape Santa’s body by rounding out the edges and trimming down his width. Draw a line inside the beard for the mouth, and carve it out. From under Santa’s hands, cut an open ‘V’ to the base for his coat. About ½” outside the V, make another matching cut on each side for the fur lining.

Fully refine and smooth out Santa’s shape. Use the tip of your knife to carve the lines of hair on his beard. Now, it is time to paint Santa!

20. Whittled Guitar

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Power drill with ⅛” to ¼” drill bit

● Pencil

● Wood block - 3” long, ¼” thick, and 1” wide

● Sandpaper

Instructions

Draw the shape of your guitar on a broad side of the wood. Make the fretboard hangover the body of the guitar, draw a circle for the acoustic center, and include a small rectangle for where the strings would attach on a real guitar.

Your child can whittle away the excess wood around the guitar outline with rough straight cuts. They should also thin the neck of the guitar to be slightly thinner than the body. Sand the edges of the guitar.

Thin the guitar neck between the body and the very end, leaving the end of the neck slightly broader. Cut stop cuts in the fretboard overhang and the rectangle in the body of the guitar. Shave away the areas around the stop cuts, lowering the guitar body. This is a job for a parent.

Parents should use the power drill to drill a shallow hole in the center of the guitar body and sand the whole guitar and the hole to finish it off.

21. Simple Mushroom

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Ruler

● Pencil

● Basswood - ½” by ½” and 1” long/tall

● V tool or gouge

Instructions

Pick which end you want to be the top of the mushroom and draw an X from corner to corner. Then sketch a circle as close to the edges as you can.

Roughly ⅛” to ¼” from the top, draw a horizontal line around the block. Within the horizontal line, draw the mushroom cap's profile, and below it draw the mushroom stem.

Cut the corners of the mushroom cap and shape it by following the circle and profile you drew. This is good work for a child. Leave a small flat part at the top. Shape the sides of the cap.

Make a stop cut around the entire base of the mushroom cap. Using your stem for reference, cut away the corners, and keep narrowing the block down to the stem lines. Both a parent and child can work on this to prevent hands from getting tired.

Use push and pull cuts to refine the stem fully. Finish rounding off the mushroom cap and adjust the shape as desired.

Use a narrow ‘V’ tool or gouge to add texture lines to the mushroom cap. Finalize the shape of the steam and the base.

22. Spiral Puzzle

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Pencil

● Basswood block - 1” by 1” and 3-4” long/tall

● Sandpaper

● Wood finish

Instructions

Starting ½” from the top and bottom, draw a horizontal line around the circumference of your block. This is going to mark the base and the top. Cut ‘V’ cuts at the corners of the base and the top.

In the area between the base and top, draw spiraling lines with a generous width, so they don’t break or snap.

Using ‘V’ cuts, begin to develop the spiral shape. Cut deeper and deeper between the cords, working your way from top to bottom. Shape the cords at the top and base to blend smoothly but are narrower than the top and base sections. Both parent and child can work in this circular pattern. Take turns to keep the rhythm going.

The deeper you cut, the more you will see the distinct formation of two different cords opposite of each other. Work into the widdle, hollowing out the space between the spiral cords. Refine the roundness of the cords and clear away any debris from between or inside of them.

Cut the corners and edges of the base and top, giving them a little shape. You can add carved designs to the top and base for a more artistic touch.

Sand the exterior of your spiral, and then fold it in half and sand between the cords. Finish the carving with a nice wood finish to give it a different color and some gloss.

23. Smiling Dwarf/Gnome

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Pencil

● Basswood block - 1 ½” by 1 ½” and 3-4” tall/long

Instructions

Choose a side for the front and draw a vertical centerline. Divide the front into thirds with horizontal lines. Split the bottom third in half with another horizontal line. Continue the bottom line all the way around the block for the boots.

Split the other three sides into thirds with vertical lines. Starting on the front, above the boot line, carve away the corners until the centerline is connected to the closest vertical line on the adjacent side.

Flatten the other corners between the adjacent vertical lines. Redraw the trisecting horizontal lines on the front if necessary. Divide the back in half with a horizontal line for the back of the head. Connect that line around to the front, connecting it to the highest horizontal line. It will be a diagonal line.

Make a cross on the top of the block and put a small circle in the cross center. Using push cuts, shape the head/hat above the diagonal line you drew. This is a good task for your child.

Shape the top into a narrower point with the width of the circle you drew. Draw a line around the point’s circumference and use ‘V’ cuts to make a notch along the line. Form the circle point into a rounded pom-pom for the top of the hat. Refine and smooth the shape of the hat and pom-pom. Redraw the diagonal line for the rim of the hat.

Make stop cuts along the line and then slice up under it to form the rim. This is a good job for the parent.

Shave off the corners around the entire block to make it more rounded. Above the boot line, shave off the flat surfaces, another good job for a child.

On the front corners of the boots, make ‘V’ cuts and smooth them out with the body. Make stop cuts along the remainder of the boot line, around the back of the body, and cut up towards it to separate them from the body. Make the cuts deeper around the back for the effect of a coat hanging down.

On the front of the body, draw arms coming in from the sides and meeting at the centerline. The bottom of the hands meeting with the boot line. Use the knife's tip to carve along the arm lines and slice down into the top lines and up into the bottom lines. Make deeper ‘V’ cuts between the arms and boot line. Make triangular cuts from the boot line behind the arms to make the elbows.

On either side of the centerline within the arms, draw curved lines to designate the hands. Make a stop cut along those lines and cut towards them to shape the hands. Shave off the center pencil mark from the hands.

Make a line at the center of the face for the bottom of the nose and a line below the brow/hat rim for the nose's top. Stop cut on each line and slice up underneath them. The face is good detail work for a parent to perform.

Make stop cuts connecting the top and bottom of the nose. Also, make stop cuts on either side of the top of the nose for a brow. Slice away the wood from those stop cuts making hollows for eyes. Carefully cut corners away from the nose, rounding it out.

Make rounded circles from the edge of the eye hollow to the bottom of the noses. Carve the circular lines out for rounded cheeks. Draw a line across the cheek circles and below the nose. Make a line for the smile. Carve out the eyes and mouth.

On the bottom of the dwarf/gnome, draw a centerline and then sketch the shape of the boots around it. Whittle out the boots' shape and put a vertical ‘V’ cut at the center front and center back of the boots to designate two different feet. Draw a line around the circumference of the base of the boots and carve it out.

Go back over your project to refine the shape, lines, and smoothness, and you are all done!

24. Fish Hook Pendant

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Pencil

● Necklace cord

● Dark wood that is about 1” wide and ¼” thick.

● Wood polish

Instructions

Parents and children can each make their own pendant for matching necklaces. Parents should always assist with the smaller, more delicate cuts.

Starting at the top of your wood, draw a curved fish hook. You can make it as artistic as you’d like or follow a more generic pattern.

Carve out the center of the fish hook. Start at the top of the block, and work your way into the center. This is a good job for parents. Your child can then carve out the exterior outline of the hook.

Round out the edges and corners of the wood, amplifying the look of the fish hook. At the top of the hook, cut ‘V’ cuts around the entire circumference. Finish your hook with wood polish, and when it is dry, tie the necklace cord into the Vcut around the top. Wear your necklaces together to show them off!

25. Whittled Fork

Materials

● Pruning saw

● Whittling knife

● Fresh cut branch about 1” to 1 ½” in diameter

● Mallet

● Carving knife

● Pencil (optional)

● Wood finish (optional)

Instructions

Cut your fresh branch and saw four slices from the top of the branch about 1” down. Split your branch into four thin slices by placing the branch upright on a hard surface. Put your pocket knife in the center of the branch, lengthwise across the cuts you made, and hammer the mallet over the knife to split your branch in half. Take one of the halves and repeat this splitting process again. Choose one piece to be your fork.

A parent should handle the saw and the splitting portion of this project.

Strip the bark off the sides, which is a good task for a child.

Narrow the fork's teeth, the initial four slices you made, by push cutting on the top and peeling some of the wood away. A parent should then use careful cuts to narrow each fork tooth. You can give them an artistic wave too.

You can outline the fork handle with the pencil or eyeball it. Strip away the excess wood and give the handle a nice round shape. This is another good project for a child.

For long term use and to protect your fork, finish it with a food-safe wood polish.

26. Carved Owl

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Basswood block - ½” by ½” and 1 ½” long/tall

● V tool

● Pencil

Instructions

Around the top of the block and bottom, about ⅓” to ½” from the edge, draw lines around the circumference of the block. Us ‘V’ cuts to cut the lines out.

Above one ‘V’ cut, shape what will be the head into a wedge. Scoop out between the corners of the wedge to make the ears.

Cut out a ‘V’ notch under the corner of the head you’ve designated as the front of the owl. This will form the pointed beak. Cut out another ‘V’ notch at the corner of the baseline on the front of the owl.

On the sides, use the ‘V’ tool to carve a curved line from under the neck to the back of the owl. Leave ‘V’ imprints with the ‘V’ tool to make a feathered texture.

On each side of the beak, use the ‘V’ tool to cut out the eyes. At the base of the owl, use the ‘V’ tool to make some notches for the owl’s feet.

27. Whittled Wooden Bird

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Pencil

● Basswood cube - 1” cubed

● Paint (optional)

● Sandpaper

Instructions

This is a small project, so if your child is too young to work on the small size, increase the cube size, and appropriately adjust the carving size.

Outline a bird’s profile on the side of your cube. On the top of the cube, do a rough sketch of the top of the bird.

Whittle down the cube to the drawn outlines with slow, careful cuts. Round out the bottom of the bird and shave down the back to give it more definition. Round out the head, and whittle the beak into a point. Narrow the tail and shape it.

Use shallow ‘V’ cuts around the bird’s neck to separate it from the body.

Black Walnut Pine and Sapele

Draw a curved line on each side to represent the wings and put stop cuts into them. Then push cut up underneath the stop cuts to make the wings visible. Once the shape is finalized, sand your bird. Add paint to give it some color and character.

28. Toy Otter

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Basswood block - 1” by 1” and 3-4” long/tall

● Black paint

● Saw

● Sandpaper

Instructions

Round out the top of your wood block. Half an inch” from the top, make a ‘V’ cut across the side of the front. Half an inch below that, make another ‘V’ cut.

Make a stop cut about ½” below the lower ‘V’ cut and then use pull cuts to flatten the space above the stop cut and below the ‘V’ cut. Another ½” down, make a second stop cut and use push cuts to narrow the space below that cut.

Underneath the first ‘V’ cut, make a vertical stop cut on each end about an ⅛” from the edge. At the bottom of each stop cut, remove a small chip to shorten the space's length within the stop cuts. Now, cut down the space between the two stop cuts, lowering the otter’s chest. Repeat this for the next ‘V’ cut down to make the bottom legs.

About ¾” below the lowest stop cut, saw the remaining wood off the block. A parent should perform this sawing action and whittle the narrowed portion into the otter’s tail.

Cut back the face of the otter, so it sinks back behind the arms and rounds it out. Round out the otter’s back and smooth out the corners and edges of the tail and legs.

On the head's sides, draw small curved lines for the ears and cut out around them, lowering the shape of the head so the ears ‘pop’ out.

Sand your otter until it is smooth. Use the black paint and a thin brush to add a face and small details like toenails on the arms and legs.

29. Christmas Tree

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Pencil

● Basswood block - ½” by 1 ½” and 2” long/tall

● Gouge

● Paint

Instructions

Draw a vertical centerline down the front and back of the block and across the top. Draw a horizontal line about ¾” from the bottom of the block and make vertical lines for the tree trunk.

Starting at the top of the centerline, sketch a triangle that extends to the edges of the horizontal baseline. After, whittle away the wood around the triangle and the tree trunk with rough straight cuts. This is good work for a child, but if their hands get tired, step in, and help out.

On the triangle’s edges, ¼” from the sides, draw straight lines from top to bottom. Cut the edges away until you reach those lines.

Make ‘V’ cuts on the corners of the trunk, under the tree. The trunk is a smaller surface area and can be worked more easily by a parent. Give the trunk a flared base by narrowing the portion directly under the tree and taking less away from the base. Round it out.

Draw a horizontal line across the front of the tree about an inch from the bottom. Draw another line ¾” of an inch above that, and a final line near the top ⅝” above the central line. On the sides of the tree, put notches up to the lines you drew, making the tree boughs. Round out the tree’s base's pointed corners and then shape the top into more of a point.

Workaround the tree to remove all sharp edges and corners with smoother lines.

Use a gouge to make varying cuts along the trunk to make bark texture. On the front, back, and sides of the tree, use the gouge tool to make cuts that slant at the boughs' angle for the texture of the pine.

Paint your tree!

30. Willow Whistle

Materials

● Whittling knife

● Pruning shears or saw

● Fresh willow branch - ½” in diameter and 6-7” long

Instructions

Cut your fresh branch and size it appropriately. Choose an end to be the top and slice it off at a slanted angle.

About ½” from the top of the branch, on the side with the higher slant edge, cut a stop cut and slice a small notch into the stop cut.

Remove the bark by slicing a shallow cut around the branch's circumference about 2” below the notch. Make sure to slice through the bark but not deeply into the wood. With the knife handle or another object, tap quickly and repeatedly over the whistle. This can be fun for both you and your child to engage in.

After a few minutes, wrap your hand around the bark and twist the stick, holding the bark in place. The fibers will loosen, and you’ll be able to pull the bark off in one piece.

Flatten out the portion of the branch above the stop cut by shaving a few layers off. This is a good task for a child.

Next, begin to deepen the groove under the stop cut, making a scooped out space about 1” long that is as deep as the center of the branch. Flatten out additional edges above the stop cut.

Put the bark casing back on the branch. Where you flattened the wood, there should be a sliver of a hole between the bark and the wood. Here is where you blow on the whistle. The divet you made inside pushes the air through the notch on the bark, making the whistling sound.

You can cut off the extra inches of the willow branch to shorten your new musical instrument.

5. Online Resources and Conclusion

Online Resources

Go to Foxchapelpublishing and download free issues.It contains one free pattern.

Pinterest is one of the best places to find free patterns

Central Texas Woodcarvers website has got many categories of patterns available

Jemome.com- 12 Photos of Easy Whittling Patterns

The Woodcarvers cabin: Duck Decoy Pattern and Process

Conclusion

Whittling and wood carving are two folk arts making a comeback across the US and the UK. Where screens and technology can rule adults and children's lives and children, sometimes it is necessary to step away and exercise different skills and different parts of the brain.

Since whittling and woodcarving require attention, creativity, and focus, they are great for keeping restless minds and hands occupied. The skills learned when you take up a creative folk art go far beyond the carving and whittling of different objects and tools. These are skills that your children can take into their educational environment and expand on their learning.

Now that many schools are closed and children are isolated from their friends, boredom can creep in. Even though the world seems to be in chaos, it is such an excellent opportunity for you to help yourself and your children through a digital detox and work on something together. The process of being creative and crafting with your kids opens up doors for a deeper bond. It also gives you a chance to interact with your children without distractions as your focus is on the same goal.

Use the information in this book, and the 30 whittling projects, to slow yourselves down, explore new activities, and get to know your kids. It might be easier to give them more screen time, but screen time doesn’t help them burn physical or mental energy. Instead, it gets pent up, often leading to acting out and hyperactivity.

Whittling and woodcarving are two crafts that require both mental and physical energy. Some of the projects require fresh branches, which is a great opportunity for both of you to get outside, get some fresh air, and be together in nature. It is really easy to get started with essential tools and projects. If you have some scrap wood lying around, you can begin there to refine your skills and practice.

Please remember that whittling and woodcarving require sharp knives, tools, and sometimes power tools. Take note of the safety guidelines, safety gear, precautions, and recommendations we have outlined throughout the book so that you and your children can focus on enjoying the projects safely.

While all the projects in this book are considered beginner projects, they vary in their material requirements, the time they take, and complexity. By starting with some of the most basic, such as the Wooden Chain, Whittled Valentines, and Carved Owl, you can get a good feel for the process, and your children can practice their techniques. Not only will you be learning to make art, but you will also have the chance to make functional tools and utensils as well as games and puzzles.

There are even seasonally oriented projects to keep your children entertained all year round and get them to help with the holiday decorating!

You might not get a chance like this again, to spend enough quality time with your children to take up a craft together and provide them with an alternative to excessive screen time. While this pandemic has hit a lot of people hard, focus on your home and your family. Bonding with each other and detoxing from the onslaught of screens and digital media. So enjoy!

References

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The Beginner’s Essential Guide to Wood Carving & Whittling. (22, March 2015). BegginerWoodCarving. http://beginnerwoodcarving.com/

Wood carving clubs in the USA. (n.d.). Scott Carvings. http://www.scottcarvings.com/wood-carving-clubs-in-the-usa/

Carving Course Directory Archive. (10, February 2010). Woodworkers Institute. https://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/wood-carving/features/courses/carving-course-directory/

Christakis, D. A., Rameriez, J. S. B., Ferguson, S. M. Ravinder, S., & Ramirez, J. (2, October 2018). How early media exposure may affect cognitive function: A review of results from observations in humans and experiments in mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115(40), 9851-9858. https://www.pnas.org/content/115/40/9851

Contact Us on. (n.d.).Oakland’s Wood Carving Club. https://oaklandswoodcarving.org.uk/contact/

Fisher, S. (12, August, 2020). How to Find Free Lumber for All Your DIY Projects. The Spruce Crafts. https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-find-free-lumber-3571907

Greencraft. (3, September 2019). Simple Stick Projects - OWL BOOKMARK [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVujI2osX1A&t=132s

Holmes, J. (n.d.). Whittling for Beginners: A Guide to the Basics. Cool of the Wild. https://coolofthewild.com/whittling-how-to-whittle/

Home Wood Spirit. (14, January 2018). How to Make a Mini Wooden Boat that Floats - Gift for Kids [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXwZIn6q-hA

Home Wood Spirit. (14, May 2019). How to Whittle a Smiling Wood Spirit - Easy [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR-7VrMxjv8

How to Whittle a Chain Out of Wood. (8, October 2020).wikiHow. https://www.wikihow.com/Whittle-a-Chain-out-of-Wood

Jefferson, S. (n.d.). 50+ Whittling Project Ideas - Full Tutorials. Woodcarving4u. https://woodcarving4u.com/50-whittling-projects-ideas/#Wood-Rabbit

Lazy watchsmith. (10, May 2015). How to Make a Traditional Willow Whistle/Pajupilli [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCu1JVDKCCs

Linker, D. (25, January 2018a). Woodcarving How To: Carve a 2 piece Mystery Locking Puzzle [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqbU5Fff1Bk

Linker, D. (19, January 2018b). Woodcarving How To: Carve a simple snowman from a block of wood -Full tutorial [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyXoKAkN1G8

Linker, D. (28, November 2018c). Woodcarving How To - Carve Larry’s Happy Christmas Tree [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6oQ3CDwdXg

Linker, D. (30, December 2018d). Woodcarving/whittling a “Ball in a Cage” High Speed [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMJca1T4AEk

McClary, R. (8, September 2017). Whittling with Kids. Right from the Start. https://rachelmcclary.com/2017/09/08/whittling-and-knife-skills-with-kids/

McDeere, A. (2019). Whittling for Beginners and Kids. Self-published.

Mertz, D. (3, July 2017). Century of Whittling - 1865 to 1965.Woodbeecarver. https://woodbeecarver.com/century-of-whittling-1865-to-1965/#:~:text=Wood%20carving%20is%20perhaps%20one,the%20earliest%20forms%20of%20carving.

Patel, P. (2020). Whittling guide: Step by Step to Make an Easy Whittling. Self-published.

Pictures from https://pixabay.com/ and https://unsplash.com/

Pictures and graphs taken and edited by I. S. in Photoshop.

Saad, L. (28, October 2019). Teachers Who Promote Creativity See Educational Results. Gallup Blog. https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/245600/teachers-promote-creativity-educational-results.aspx

Simon, a bloke in the woods. (26, March 2016). Carve a Twisted Hazel Thumb Stick. Woodland Whittling. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biuNw-Ml09s

Sparkman, R. (2020). The Little Book of Whittling: Easy Projects You Can Make in a Weekend: Whittling. Self-published.

Stone, S. J. (n.d.). The best wood carving tools - A Buyer’s Guide.Drillpressview. https://www.drillpressview.com/best-wood-carving-tools/

Wichita Eagles. (30, July 2016). Carving 2-minute Owls [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUW9hjaPd4g

Wood for Carvers (15, August 2018). Woodcraft. https://www.woodcraft.com/blog_entries/wood-for-carvers

Other Books in DIY Series

© Stephen Fleming 2020