Paint any Santa using these basic tips.

Most of my Santas are painted with acrylic paints. Complete instructions to carve a Santa from a piece of scrap wood can be found in then exclusive subscriber-only supplement to Woodcarving Illustrated Hoiday 2012, Issue 61.

While I use some artist-quality Liquitex paints that come in a tube, most of the time I use the inexpensive 2-ounce bottles of craft paint. I use some DecoArt Americana and Plaid Folkart paints, but I mostly use Delta Ceramcoat paints. I usually thin the paints heavily with water to create a wash, but if I’d doing lettering or adding specific details, I use unthinned paint.

After the paint dries, seal the carvings with a coat of Deft clear wood finish, applied in an area with good ventilation. After the Deft dries, mix 30% Watco dark satin wax with 70% Watco natural satin wax and apply the mixture in an area with good ventilation. Allow the wax to stand for 15 to 30 minute, and wipe off the excess with paper towels or clean cloths. Buff the carving for a slight shine. Be careful because the Watco includes an oil that can spontaneously combust. Clean your brush carefully and dispose of the used paper towels or rags in bucket of water or some other fire-safe container.