Holiday Carving

Perky Snowman

Perky Snowman

Brighten up a dreary day with this whimsical winter character By Rod Leeseberg This snowman begs to be brought out of a piece of wood. Add a cheerfully colored scarf, stocking hat, and mittens and you’ll achieve a figure that will have your friends grinning with admiration. Perch a snowy […]

by January 13, 2017 Holiday Carving, Patterns & Projects
Carving a Chickadee Ornament

Carving a Chickadee Ornament

This winter bird dresses up your holiday tree By Jim Willis Although geese and partridges are probably the birds most associated with Christmas, you can really add any bird you want to this simple wreath ornament. I like chickadees, so I added one to this wreath. But, it doesn’t take […]

by November 2, 2016 Holiday Carving, Patterns & Projects
Carving a Snowman Ornament

Carving a Snowman Ornament

This jolly snowman won’t melt after the holidays By Jim Willis We’ve all heard the song “Frosty the Snowman” about a “jolly, happy soul with a corncob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal.” I haven’t carved many snowmen, but the song inspired me to […]

by November 2, 2016 Holiday Carving, Patterns & Projects
Custom Candy Dishes

Custom Candy Dishes

Create these candy dishes for carved or real candy By Jack Proseilo One way to show off your carving skills is with seasonal candy dishes. These easy-to-carve designs can easily be completed in a weekend. Cut around the perimeter, hollow the inside using your tools of choice, and carve as […]

Welcome Sign

Welcome Sign

Add a warm welcome to your seasonal signs By Betty Padden   This scroll-style sign looks great by itself, but can also add a warm welcome to your choice of seasonal banners. You could also change it up by typing your address or another message in a word processing program […]

Carving a Snowman Sign

Carving a Snowman Sign

Betty Padden demonstrated how to paint a snowman with acrylic paints in Woodcarving Illustrated Holiday 2014 (Issue 69). In order to paint the carving exactly as Betty did, we’ve provided a downloadable pdf with step-by-step photos of how to carve the snowman along with the snowman pattern.   Materials: Basswood blank, 2″ (51mm) thick: 8 […]

Cowboy Hat Ornament

Cowboy Hat Ornament

Power-carve a perfect hat ornament in a few hours By Keoma McCaffrey This cowboy hat ornament will look great on your Christmas tree. Download the step-by-step article and and pattern below.   Materials: • Pine, 23/4″ x 21/2″ x 11/2″ (70mm x 64mm x 38mm) • Sanding sponge: medium/fine grit […]

by November 27, 2015 Holiday Carving, Patterns & Projects
Painting the Cottonwood Bark Santa

Painting the Cottonwood Bark Santa

Step-by-step instructions to paint this holiday favorite By Rick Jensen Many carvers struggle with painting. Here are more detailed instructions with step-by-step photos showing how I paint the Santa. Finishing the carving After the paint has dried, seal the piece with a few light coats of spray lacquer, allowing the […]

by November 27, 2014 Holiday Carving, Patterns & Projects
Ornaments with Attitude

Ornaments with Attitude

By Bob Yancey This year, I had a lot of fun adding faces to traditional Christmas objects, like stockings and candles. I made sure to give these caricatures some attitude! With a little pen work, it’s easy to customize these pieces with names, dates, or funny sayings. Carving the Ornaments […]

by November 25, 2014 Holiday Carving, Patterns & Projects
Caricature Santa Bonus Pattern

Caricature Santa Bonus Pattern

Comical Claus wears his “day after” outfit By Don Dearolf and Jack Kochan Don Dearolf offers this comical take on what Santa would wear the day after Christmas. We’ve included patterns for the one Don carved as well as a pattern based on a Santa long-time illustrator Jack Kochan carved […]

by November 2, 2013 Holiday Carving, Patterns & Projects