Wood-carving – ideas for beginners and expert tips

Soup tastes even better if you’re eating it with a spoon you carved yourself! There’s a trick that saves you hours of painstakingly chipping away at the wood: coal. Watch the video to discover how this helps. The right equipment is key, too.

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The right wood

Fresh wood, also known as green wood, is best for beginners: it’s soft and is easy to work with. The issue? The wood changes as it dries and cracks can develop.

As a result, pre-dried soft woods from deciduous trees like linden, maple or birch are better for people with lots of carving experience. The piece of wood you choose needs to be long enough for you to be able to have a good grip on it while carving.

The right wood-carving knife

Pick a knife that’s not too big and that sits in your hand comfortably. A pocket-knife is the perfect all-rounder: alongside a sharp blade, it houses all kinds of other tools like a tin-opener or a saw, which you can also use to work the wood.

Round-tipped knives are better for children. But be careful: even children’s knives are sharp – which is a good thing, as a sharp blade is easier to control. In turn, this reduces the risk of injury.

Wood carving – ideas for beginners

Staying safe – for adults and children alike

Children quickly learn to love wood-carving, no matter whether they’re making fun toys, novel instruments or a fork to eat homemade risotto with. However, children should never carve on their own. Anyone working with a knife needs to be focused, and adults should act as a role model here.

You should stick to the following rules to ensure your hands and fingers escape your wood-carving adventure unscathed:

• Always stay seated: if you carve while walking, you could stumble and injure yourself on the unsheathed blade.

• Cut towards the air: you should always direct your cutting motion away from you. Make sure your knees, feet, or people sitting next to you are out of the knife’s path.

• Use a sharp knife: contrary to expectations, you’re more likely to hurt yourself when wood-carving with a blunt knife.