Have you decided to try carving wood to help you pass the time? Or to hone a skill that might develop into a venture? Either way, it may be best to start with whittling.
Whittling is a way of carving shapes out of raw wood using a knife. You may wonder what to carve out of wood as a beginner. Read on for the easiest projects you can try.
What You Need
You only need a knife and wood for whittling projects. Beginners are usually advised to use wood, such as basswood, pine, and balsa. You may also practice whittling by using random twigs and branches you can find.
As a beginner, you may use a pocket knife or specialty whittling knives for your initial projects. Remember to keep your blades sharp. Sharp knives make wood carving pleasurable and even relaxing. If you notice the wood getting harder while carving or whittling, it is most likely that your blade needs sharpening.
Types of Whittling Cuts
Here are the types of whittling cuts that you can carry out in your projects:
- Straightaway rough cutting – push blade away from you
- Pull stroke – pull blade towards you
- Push stroke – push blade with your thumb
What To Carve Out Of Wood
As promised, here are the easiest things to whittle or carve for beginners like you. These things can be carved out of wood using basic cutting techniques, with the right tools.
- Whistles. Although it takes practice to make good ones, whistles can be carved out of ordinary sticks by implementing basic cutting techniques.
- Animals. You can whittle animal figures with your pocket knife. Animals’ different shapes, sizes, and features, such as eyes, are great starting points to develop your carving skills.
- Letter Openers. These are probably among the easiest to make. Although this project requires very basic techniques, you may add designs that will take your skills up a notch.
- Spoons. Try whittling things you can use or give away. Spoons are very easy to make using just your pocket knife.
- Chess Pieces. These are very easy to make as you can choose to be very detailed or not. Carve them from small pieces of wood.
You can also carve little ornaments or figures you fancy. You may, as well, add some color to your carved wood to give it more character. Choose the size of wood that would work well for your desired output.
Conclusion
There goes a list of what to carve out of wood. Have you chosen which to do first? They are easy but will surely give you enough challenge to hone your skill. You can also try carving ornaments with your designs. Again, make sure you got the right tools and know the basic cutting techniques.
To be safe, keep your knife sharp, use gloves or a thumb pad, and take it slow. With that, it is now time to whittle away. Know more about wood carving here!