Patterns & Projects

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
Chip Carved Snowflakes

Chip Carved Snowflakes

These cookie-sized classics are sweeter than dessert By Tom Noller If you live in Texas, like me, you don’t get to see much snow. So, I decided to make my own. These small snowflakes are fun for beginners since they only use two- and three-sided chips. They are great as […]

by October 28, 2022 Holiday Carving, Patterns & Projects
Folk Art Trees

Folk Art Trees

Carve these festive trees to go along with your jolly polar bears By Dave Francis Carve these fun and easy evergreen trees to go with the folk art polar bear from the winter issue. I used a 4″ square, 12″ long piece of basswood, but you can use any size […]

by October 28, 2022 Holiday Carving, Patterns & Projects
Fantasy Wizard

Fantasy Wizard

Customize this caricature wizard by changing the staff and paint colors By Don Dearolf After the Harry Potter books and movies came out, I was inspired to carve a wizard. That took a back seat to some of my other projects, but when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey came out, I […]

by September 28, 2022 eNews: Strop Talk, Fall Carving