Patterns & Projects

Miniature Scarecrow Ornament

Miniature Scarecrow Ornament

Quick and easy carving  adds a whimsical touch to fall décor By Gerald Smith I carve a lot of Christmas ornaments to sell at craft fairs. Recently, a customer requested fall ornaments so she could decorate her feather tree to celebrate autumn. I created a few pumpkins and some leaves in […]

by September 26, 2023 eNews: Strop Talk, Fall Carving
Easy Stacked Pumpkins

Easy Stacked Pumpkins

Have fun carving a variety of facial expressions on these cute gourds By Kevin Johnson My family enjoys picking pumpkins every fall at a local farm. Each of us explores different themes to carve on our pumpkin. I like to carve silly faces, while my kids like cartoon characters. We […]

by August 2, 2023 Fall Carving
Ghost Kid

Ghost Kid

Celebrate the spirit of the season with a whimsical Fright Night carving By Tom Mellott This ghost kid started off as a sheet draped over a simple form, holding a large candy corn. Then I thought there should be some human form under the sheet. My wife suggested, “why not […]

by August 2, 2023 Fall Carving
Hand-Hewn Wooden Cup

Hand-Hewn Wooden Cup

Rustic cup is traditional, functional, and sensible By Rick Wiebe I carved my first wooden cup (called a kuksa in Finland and a kasa in Sweden) 30 years ago on a backpacking trip in the northern Canadian Rockies. The cup, which I made for a friend who had lost a […]

by June 15, 2023 eNews: Strop Talk, Patterns & Projects
Building a Carver’s Frame

Building a Carver’s Frame

Shop-made holding fixture allows you to carve anything outdoors By Ralph Beam Illustrations by Paul Modlin  I wanted to carve outside in nice weather but needed a way to secure the blanks in a unit light enough to move from the yard to the garage. I read an article about […]

Baby Chickadee

Baby Chickadee

A little bird told us this is the perfect project for power carvers  By Butch Clark While trying to use up some scrap tupelo, I was inspired to carve a baby bird. This cute little guy is the result. Because he’s just an infant, I wanted him to have a […]

by June 15, 2023 Patterns & Projects, Special Issues
Simple Comb

Simple Comb

Great as a tool or a hair accessory, these projects are a cinch to shape and finish By Keoma McCaffrey For over two decades, I have been making combs and selling them at fairs and online, and from there they travel to households around the world. Recently, I was contacted […]

by May 1, 2023 Patterns & Projects
Carving a Realistic Rabbit

Carving a Realistic Rabbit

Turn this woodland favorite into an adorable spring decoration By Desiree Hajny Thanks to popular media, we can’t help associating our long-eared friends with spring. I’ve had several batches of young bunnies in my backyard and always enjoy watching each one’s development from wide-eyed little creature to majestic adult. For […]

by March 2, 2023 eNews: Strop Talk, Spring Carving
The History of Romantic Love Carving

The History of Romantic Love Carving

Lovespoon carver shares the story behind a traditional token of affection By Dave Western Throughout Europe from the early 1600s to the turn of the 20th century, it became popular for young men to make and give gifts to the young women who had captured their hearts. The most popular […]

by January 16, 2023 Features, Patterns & Projects
Happy Tree Ornament

Happy Tree Ornament

Quick-carve holiday gift allows you to experiment with making different faces By Larry Green This jovial little caricature really looks great hanging on a Christmas tree. The variety of expressions you could carve for him is endless. Carve one or a forest of ornaments and create on the go by […]

by December 1, 2022 eNews: Strop Talk, Holiday Carving