Think Sharp

Behind the blade with Flexcut’s product manager Matt Retkowski
By Dorissa Bolinski

Peace, Man

Follow this guy to the biggest festival of the summer

By Bruce Ankeny

Classic Gnome

Walk in the enchanted forest with this friendly little character

By Mehmet Berat Tas

Magical Seahorse

Carve an elegant decoration that’s sure to please any fan of the open sea

By Birce Keser

Wacky Blade Cover

This funny tool guard will protect your favorite knife

By Mark Akers

Hummingbird and Crane

Soar above the clouds with miniature birds in flight

By Steve Tomashek

Crop Circles Frame

Use a burr meant for roughing out to carve a textured design

By Kristin LeVier

Realistic Atlantic Salmon

Reel in a trophy fish that looks like the real thing

By Charles Weiss

Celtic Chip Carving

Create a wall hanging or decorate a box lid with an ancient design

By Blandine Champagneur

Salty Sea Captain

Embark on a high seas adventure with a friendly seafaring gent

By Jonathan Creason

Happy Hopper

This charming fishing frog is ready to star in his own fairy tale

By Alice Wang

Diamond Rosettes

Take chip carving to the next level with four unique geometric designs

By Nikolas Rocha

Walking Farmer

Get a groove on and put some movement into your carvings

By Blake Lunsford

Sunflower Starburst

Catch the summer sun in a medium relief carving that exudes happiness

By Dustin Strenke

Easy Dolphin

Whittle a sweet, pocket-sized sea mammal

By Tom Hindes

Mustache Man

Curve the centerline to add interest and a natural flow to carvings

By Dave Dion

Carving

Cut the basic shapes with a band or scroll saw and carve the cats with your tools of choice. I use small palm gouges and a detail knife to work the pieces into shape and carve the details. I don’t sand the pieces, preferring to leave the carving marks to enhance the folk-art feel.

Finishing

I finish my carvings in a four-step process. First, seal the carving by applying a thin layer of boiled linseed oil thinned to a 1:1 mix with mineral spirits. Let the mixture soak in for a bit, and then wipe off the excess with a clean cotton rag. Let the carving dry overnight. Next, apply acrylic paints thinned slightly with water. Layer the paints, shading with darker tones. When the paint is dry, seal it with high-quality fast-drying satin polyurethane. Apply the polyurethane as thinly as possible, but work it into all of the crevices. Let the carving dry overnight. Finally, antique the carving with oil-based gel wood stain. Slather the gel stain on, and then immediately wipe it off with a cotton rag. Let the carving dry overnight.

Painting Guide

Dark Cat

• Base for body: dark chocolate (1)

• Stripe detail: black (1): striping detail

• Facial details, stripe highlights: antique white (2)

• Inside of ears: flesh (3)

Orange Cat

• Base for body: antique gold (1)

• Lowlights for body: Jack o’ lantern orange (1)

• Stripe details: rookwood red (1)

• Facial details and paws: antique white (3)

• Nose, inside of ears: flesh (2)

1 Americana

2 Apple Barrel

3 Ceramcoat

MATERIALS

• Basswood, 3/4″ (1.9cm) thick: dark cat, 1-5/8″ x 1 7/8″ (4.1cm x 4.8cm)

• Basswood, 3/4″ (1.9cm) thick: orange cat, 1-1/2″ x 2-1/4″ (3.8cm x 5.7cm)

• Acrylic paints: see Painting Guide above

• Boiled linseed oil

• Mineral spirits

• Fast-drying satin polyurethane

• Oil-based gel wood stain: antique oak, colonial, or old oak

• Cotton rags

TOOLS

• Knives: carving, detail

• Gouges: assorted small

• Saws: band or scroll

• Pencil

• Paintbrushes: assorted

Beginner’s Guide to Finishes

There are many different approaches to finishing a carving—where to start? Here are some tips

By Staff of Woodcarving Illustrated

Carving the Classics

Mary May’s lush, old-world woodwork transports us to an elegant past

By Dorissa Bolinski

Stylized Christmas Tree with Ornaments

Carve and trim this tree from the comfort of your workbench

By Dave Kergan

20-Minute Whittled Wolf

Quickly carve this woodland creature in a flat-plane style

By Tom Hindes

Stovepipe Hat Santa

This cool guy in a jaunty topper is stepping out for the holidays

By Dave Francis

Waddling Wally

Let this charming penguin keep you warm on a cold day

By Gerard Canavan

Mouse in a Mitten

Stir up some sweetness with this quick and cute carve

By Robert Rangel

Sound Asleep Santa Ornament

This free-falling design is sure to land on your list of favorite winter baubles

By Rick Stoddard

Snowman Caricature

This season, carve up a character who just can’t wait for the flurries to fall

By Bruce Ankeny

Geometric Star

Use chip carving techniques to make a striking (and beginner-friendly) gift

By Mary May

Easy Iceberg and Penguins

Whittle a sweet Antarctic scene using just a knife and some scrap wood

By L. P. Parslow

Lantern and Berries Layered Ornament

A warm candle lights the night in this cozy window scene

By Betty Padden

Tree Man Ornament

This gnome-like caricature is a perfect first carving project

By James Spencer

After the Sleigh Ride Santa Caricature

Santa deserves a rest after his gift-giving spree wraps up

By Bruce Ankeny

Stocking Ornaments

Bundle up your Christmas tree with these cozy little chip-carved decorations

By Charlene Lynum

Folk Art Farm Animals

Put your own spin on these rustic barnyard beauties

By Jill Motovidlak

 Comfort Rhino

Quiet your worries with a smooth creature that fits perfectly in your palm

By Tom Mellott

Singing Christmas Trees

Who needs a barbershop quartet when you have a choir of expressive evergreens?

By Russell Scott

Simple Santa Whistle

Make some noise for the holidays with this old-fashioned toy

By W. Todd Martin

Firefighter Caricature Busts

Striking facial expressions and subtle paint washes bring this brave crew to life

By Kevin Applegate

Kirigami Snowflake

Reimagine a classic childhood project—in wood!

By Paul Bruillard

Icicle Ornaments

Chip carve 3D icicles with this easy-to-follow technique

By Charlene Lynum

Getting Started

While a birch burl can be difficult to carve, it would be the most durable and crack-resistant material for a cup. Because burls are hard to find, I carve my cups from regular birch. Softer varieties of maple, as well as alder, willow, or even tulip poplar, will also work. Make sure that the piece you choose is from one side of the center of a log. Do not have any pith (the very center of the tree) in the blank, or the cup will crack. Orient the blank so the bottom of the cup is toward the center of the log. I usually use green wood for this and keep the blank in a plastic bag between carving sessions to keep it from drying out until I finish carving. Then, I keep the cup in a paper bag to allow it to dry slowly. Using this technique, I have never had a cup crack.

Trace the pattern onto the blank and rough out the cup. I roughed out this blank on a band saw, but I have also roughed out several with an axe and bush saw. Then, draw a centerline on the blank. Sketch the inside hollow of the cup. Note that this project can be carved with a pocketknife, but using additional tools (if available) makes it easier.

Roughing Out The Shape

Step 1 

Hollow the inside of the cup. You can use a variety of tools to hollow the inside of the cup. While a pocketknife will work, a bent knife is easier. To speed up the hollowing, use a drill with a Forstner bit or use a variety of straight and bent gouges.

Shape the outside of the cup. Sketch the shape onto the outside and remove the excess wood with a knife or gouge. I turn the cup over and carve down against a firm solid surface (not your leg).

Refining the Project

Step 3

Refine the cup. Smooth the inside of the rim with a knife to make it comfortable for your lips. Then, smooth and flatten the bottom to make sure the cup doesn’t tip when you set it down.

Rough out the handle. Sketch the handle shape onto the blank. Then, rough it out with a knife.

Refine the handle. Carve a small groove on the top of the handle for your thumb. Test the grip to make sure it’s comfortable as you hold it, and adjust it as needed.

Finish carving the rim. Smooth the underside of the lip, and angle it slightly to create a comfortable surface for your lower lip. Then, round the top to make it comfortable for your top lip.

Add the details. I carved a small groove around the bottom to dress up the cup a bit. I also drilled a hole in the handle for a hanging cord. But you could also let the wood dry thoroughly (as described above), and then make it an ongoing project to decorate the cup on the trail. Just be sure to sign and date it!

Finishing the Wooden Cup

I’ve finished several wooden utensils and cups by boiling them in beeswax (outside on a camp stove). None of the objects I have treated this way have ever cracked, even when used with extremely hot fluids. You could also saturate the cup with flax seed oil, mineral oil, or walnut oil, which are all food-grade oils and will not turn rancid like many vegetable oils.
For decorative cups, use your choice of finish.

MATERIALS

• Birch, 2 1/2″ (64mm) thick: 3 1/2″ x 6″ (8.9cm x 15.2cm)

• Finish, such as beeswax, flax seed oil, mineral oil, or walnut oil

TOOLS

• Band saw or axe and bush saw

• Drill with Forstner bit (optional)

• Knives: carving, hooked

• Gouges (optional): assorted deep and shallow, short bent

• Camp stove (optional)

Rick Wiebe lives in Westbank, B.C., Canada, with his wife of 45 years. He spends the colder months in the warmer parts of the U.S. He has been carving for 60 years and has spread his enthusiasm to children and adults in classes and demonstrations in many venues. He is the author of Adventures in Fan Carving and Whittling Flutes and Whistles, as well as several magazine articles. 

Getting Started

Cut the stock to length using the parts list and diagrams as guides. I use a miter saw. Several pieces have angles cut on the ends; use the drawings to make sure you angle the ends properly. Drill the holes marked on the drawings. Then, apply a waterproofing finish to the pieces. This allows you to leave the main structure of the frame outside; I suggest you bring the press screw and any other metal hardware inside.

To screw in hanger bolts, tighten two nuts against each other. Use a wrench on the top nut to turn the hanger bolt into the table.

Assembling the Frame

Use the assembly drawings as guides to assemble the stand. Drive the table bolts (P) about 3 1/2″ (89mm) into the edge of the press screw mount (H) and clamping tables (I, J) (see Tip). To make it easy to drive the screws at an angle through the table brace (C) into the back table (G), drill pilot holes slightly smaller than the diameter of the screws. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to mount the press screw.

Using the Frame

Secure the frame to the ground using heavy-duty shepherd-crook-shaped tent stakes. To use the press screw, insert the table screw through the hole of your choice in the upright and lock it in place with the wing nut.  Use the size of the carving to determine where to position the clamping table, and lock it in place with the wing nut. Then, secure the carving with the press screw. Use the other clamping table with a hanger bolt or carving screw to secure an in-the-round carving. Use the back table to secure in-the-round carvings or relief carvings using the press screw mounted on the other side of the upright or with ordinary clamps.

MATERIALS

• Construction 2x4s: 2 each, 8′ (2.44m) long

• Construction 2x6s: 2 each, 8′ (2.44m) long

• Construction 2×10: 8′ (2.44m) long

• Shoulder vise screw: 9″ (22.9cm) long (see Special Sources below)

• Hanger bolts, 3/8″ (10mm) dia.: 3 each, 6″ (15.2cm) long

• Wing nuts, 3/8″ (10mm) dia.: 3 each, with 3″ (76mm) wingspan

• Washers, 3/8″ (10mm) inside dia.: 3 each, 1 1/2″ (38mm) outer dia.

• Exterior deck screws: 1 1/2″ (38mm) long, 2 1/2″ (64mm) long, 3″ (76mm) long

• Shepherd-crook-shaped tent stakes: 2 each

TOOLS

• Saws: miter, circular

• Hand drill with bits: 5/16″ (8mm), 3/8″ (10mm), 7/8″ (22mm) dia.

• Level

SPECIAL SOURCES

An 11 1/2″ (29.2cm)-long veneer press clamp (part number D2893) is available for $16.50 from Grizzly Industrial, grizzly.com, and other online retailers.

Hanger bolts and wing nuts are available for $1.93 each (bolts) and $6.88 each (wing nuts) from MSC, MSCDirect.com.

Ralph Beam is a retired high school earth science teacher who lives in Mishawaka, Ind., with his wife Kay.
He immersed himself in carving after retiring and joined the Council Oaks Woodcarvers Club in South Bend, Ind.
His carving focus is wood spirits.

Getting Started

Transfer the patterns for the bird and base to the blanks. Use a piece of carbon or graphite paper. Cut the bird side view first using a band saw. Tape the pieces back together with clear packaging tape, and then cut out the top view. Separate and discard the scrap pieces from the cutout. Then cut the base.

Sketch a centerline starting at the beak, moving up and over the crown of the head to the tip of the tail. Draw the main landmarks, such as the head, beak, wings, and feet. Refer to the pattern, using a measuring scale or calipers for accuracy.

Step 1

Rough-shape the bird. Using a cone-shaped carbide-point bit, follow the lines you just made, thinning the neck and back areas to distinguish the wings and head from the torso. Switch to a tapered ruby bit. Round the head, moving from the beak to the crown. The crown should be noticeably smaller in circumference than the neck area. Make a small valley on either side of the head where the eyes will go, moving back from the brows to the nape of the neck until the valleys almost meet. Thin and round the tail.

Step 2

Separate the wing parts. Use the same bit. Contour the head, cheeks, and beak. Add round wells for the eyes. Sand the entire bird with 220-grit sandpaper or 240-grit Abranet®.

Step 3

Draw feathers onto the wing parts and tail. Refer to the pattern. Then lay a cylinder-shaped blue ceramic stone on its side and cut individual feathers into each wing and on the top and bottom of the tail.

Step 4

Fill out the feather texture. Lay a tapered cylinder-shaped white ceramic stone on its side and carve individual feathers on the cheeks, breast area, sides, and back of the bird. With the same stone, round each feather, and then carve the barbs. Add feather splits.

Step 5

Draw and carve the individual head feathers. Use a narrow, pointed ruby bit. Start at the beak and increase the feather size as you work toward the back.

Step 6

Round off and break the sharp corners of each feather. Use a sanding stick with a band of 220-grit sandpaper. Texture the head feathers with the tapered cylinder-shaped white ceramic stone.

Step 7

Burn the wing and tail feather texture. Use a bent shader tip in a woodburner. Don’t forget to add in the feather quills during this step.

Step 8

Burn in the barbs. Use the point of a skew tip. Add feather splits where desired. Note: To keep the burner tip clean and sharp, lay a piece of sandpaper on a flat surface. Then lay the burner tip at a sharp angle and run it across the sandpaper to remove any grit or grime.

Step 9

Set in the eyes. Make sure that the eye sockets are big enough to accommodate 3/16″ (5mm)-dia. brown eyes. The eyes should sit far enough into the socket that when looking at the bird’s head from above, you see just a bit of each one. Using a dental tool, place some epoxy putty in the eye sockets to hold the eyes in place. Then form a small ribbon of epoxy and place it around the eyes to form the eye rings. Work the epoxy around the eyes and blend it into the wood as feathers.

Step 10

Shape the feet. Note: Wear eye protection when performing this step. Cut six pieces of 1/32″ (1mm)-dia. brass rod into 1″ (2.5cm) lengths. Bend a radius on one end of each piece to form a nail shape, and then pound the nail flat. Hold the straight end of the brass rod with small locking pliers. Grind the nail to shape using a ball-shaped fluted carbide cutter bit. Bend the toes to shape after grinding.

Step 11

Attach the feet. Drill six holes 1/16″ (2mm) in diameter by 9/32″ (7mm) deep in the bottom of the bird; refer to the pattern. Cut 1/16″ (2mm)-deep grooves from the outer body to the holes. Place a small amount of cyanoacrylate (CA) glue on the toe shafts and insert the toes into the holes. Drill a 3/16″ (5mm)-deep hole in the bottom center of the bird to accommodate a 1/8″ (3mm)-dia. wood dowel.

Step 12

Draw the bark lines. Sketch a circle 1/4″ (6mm) in from the edge. Add spokes at regular intervals going out toward the edge, and then carve along these lines using the tapered ruby bit. Make random vertical cuts all around the outside of the base to simulate bark texture. Drill a 3/16″ (5mm)-deep hole in the center of the base for the wood dowel.

Step 13

Define the rings. Cut around the inside and outside of each bark section with the pointed ruby bit. Add growth rings fanning out from the central dowel hole. Use the same bit.

Step 14

Shape the bark pieces. Break sharp corners and remove rough edges in and around each bark section with a piece of 240-grit Abranet or 220-grit sandpaper. Slightly round the top of each bark section.

Step 15

Add more bark details. Burnish the sections of bark using a ball stylus. The bark should look rough and bumpy. Then glue the dowel in place.

Step 16

Spray the bird and base with clear satin finish. The project will be easier to finish if mounted on a paint stick. Paint the bird, referring often to the Paint Notes on page X. (I use a #6 round brush to apply base coats and a 1/8″ (3mm) angular shading brush for drybrushing and detailing.) Once done, shade all feathers and feather splits by adding just a slight touch of black to the basecoat colors and apply around the bottom of each feather. Scrape the excess paint from the glass eyes with a knife. Do not use sandpaper. Let the paint dry, and then attach the bird to the dowel with cyanoacrylate (CA) glue.

Paint Notes

Cap, bib, beak: Mars black

Breast, cheeks, rump, highlights to feather-edges and toes: titanium white

Side flanks: raw sienna, titanium white (blend into the white areas of the breast and rump with a watery brush)

Back and shoulder area: raw umber, ultramarine blue, titanium white (mix to a brownish grey)

Top of wings, tail: burnt umber, Payne’s gray, ultramarine blue, titanium white (mix to a dark grey)

Toes: burnt umber, Payne’s gray, small amount of titanium white

Base (first coat): yellow oxide, titanium white

Base (second coat): watered-down Payne’s gray and burnt umber (use to darken growth rings and cracks)

Base highlights: drybrush titanium white

Underside of tail and wings: neutral gray

MATERIALS

• Tupelo, 1 3/4″ (4.4cm) thick: 1 3/4″ x 3 1/4″ (4.4cm x 8.3cm)

• Tupelo, 1/2″ (1.3cm) thick: 2 1/2″ (6.4cm) square

• Wood dowel: 1/8″ (3mm)-dia., 5/16″ (8mm) long

• Glass eyes: two, 5mm-dia. brown

• Brass rod: 1/32″ (1mm)-dia., 6″ (15.2cm) long

• Carbon or graphite paper

• Epoxy putty

• Finish: clear satin, such as Deft

• Acrylic paint (see Paint Notes above)

• Glue: cyanoacrylate (CA)

• Sandpaper: 220-grit or 240-grit Abranet

• Tape: clear packaging

TOOLS

• Drill with bits: assorted small

• Knife (optional)

• Band saw

• Graphite pencil

• Measuring scale or calipers

• Rotary tool

• Ruby bits: tapered, pointed

• Blue ceramic stone: cylinder

• Fluted carbide cutter: ball-shaped

• Carbide-point bit: cone-shaped

• White ceramic stone: tapered cylinder

• Stick with 220-grit sandpaper band

• Woodburner with nibs: skew, bent shader

• Ball stylus

• Locking pliers

• Dental tool

• Paintbrushes: #6 round, 1/8″ (3mm) angular shader

Butch Clark lives in rural Darke County, Ohio, with his wife, Janie. He began carving in 1992, specializing in realistic songbirds, and now teaches classes on songbirds and their habitat. Butch is a member and past president of the “Brukner Nature Carvers” woodcarving club in Troy, Ohio. He has won numerous awards at woodcarving shows throughout the Midwest and East Coast. Contact Butch at butch0547@embarqmail.com.

Summer Harvest Bowl

Share the season’s bounty with a stunning chip carved vessel

By Marty Leenhouts

Lighthouse In-the-Round

Make a nautical novelty with a few pieces of basswood

By Aaron and Andy Mayer

Carving a Hot-Air Balloon

Pay tribute to a legendary mode of transport with this vivid little project

By Mehmet Berat Tas

Honeybee Relief

Channel those summer vibes in a sweet ode to backyard pollinators

By Lucy Fox

Painting a Power-Carved Bluebird

Texturing, layering, blending: this realistic flier is all about the details

By Randy Conner

Caricature Pirate Captain

Peg legs are so last season—and it looks like this seafarer just got an upgrade

By Dwayne Gosnell

Carved Succulents

Turn Instagram’s favorite plant into a wooden desk sitter using just one knife!   

By David Young

Stylized Nuthatch

Perch this dynamic bird on a real tree branch

By Wouter de Bruijn

Tic-Tac-Toe

Build this classic game with some string and branches from your backyard

By Frank and Lillian Egholm

Whittled Turtle

Transform a block of wood into a sea of woodchips in this cute project

By Tom Hindes

Kelly the Clown

This colorful circus performer is sure to be the life of the party

By Bob Kozakiewicz

Four-Point Ribbon

Create a classic whimsey in just a few steps

By Garth Burgon

Uncle Sam Chip Clip

Carve a patriotic addition to your pantry

By Mark Akers

Simple Dinosaur

Travel back to the Jurassic Period with a creature you can carve using just three tools

By Parn Aniwat

Shaving Brush Caricature

Personalize your beard-care routine with a handcarved handle

By Roger Beane

Choosing Wood for Beginners

New to carving? Never fear! Here are the best materials for the job

By Jon Deck

The Basics of Sharpening

Properly prepare your knife for safe and enjoyable carving

By Staff of Woodcarving Illustrated

The Right Bench Knife for You

Looking for your first carving tool or a reliable upgrade? Check out these quality options

By Staff of Woodcarving Illustrated

Teaching Kids to Carve

Thinking about bringing a child into the fold? Here are some things to consider

By Doug Stowe

Everyday Generosity

Aspen Golann’s love for traditional furniture craft blossomed into a project with legs 

By Kaylee Schofield

Fail-Safe Spoon Carving Tips

Follow these wisdoms to create a safe, rewarding, and personalized carving practice 

By Emmet Van Driesche

Carving a Bluebird

Hone your power-carving skills on this springtime songbird 

By Randy Conner

Egg Mouse

Transform a basswood turning into a cute little critter

By Steve Kulp

Winged Chain Links

This twist on a carved classic will set your heart aflutter

By Lieve Roelants

Caricature Biker Dude Magnets

Experiment with different personalities on this rough-and-tumble crew 

By Don Worley

Bearly Fits

Create a comical bear and tree from a single piece of wood 

By Dwayne Gosnell

Little Duck

Whittle a feathered friend in just six steps 

By Roxana Cristean 

Woodburned Bunny

A watchful rabbit stars in this lifelike pyro portrait

By Melanie Layne Hylton

Fairy House

Build and paint a whimsical home that opens and shuts 

By Betty Padden

Sun and Moon

Use inlay techniques to make a reversible pendant

By Igor Hršak

Woodland Gnome Ornament

Try your hand at texturing and detailing without having to carve the whole body

By Nikki Reese

Granny’s in the Garden

This caricature shows how to make an impression using the art of opposites

By Floyd Rhadigan

Carved Easter Eggs

Easy, cute, and colorful, these starter projects are a great intro to shaping and detailing

By David Young

Pencil Holder

Store assorted office supplies in a classy chip carved container 

By Marty Leenhouts

Cartoon Elephants

Carve a circus of easy pachyderms in under 30 minutes

By Pete Zanauskas

Wood Spirit Birdhouse

This practical piece adds humor to any backyard or pollinator sanctuary 

By Chris Hill

Woodland Scene in Relief

Learn to achieve maximum depth with a tableau full of shadows and textures 

By Randall Stoner

Unfortunately, spoons carved for a decorative purpose tend to be lumped together under the all-encompassing label of “lovespoons.” Their uses were often much broader. Some were used prior to actual courtship, merely to gauge mutual interest. These spoons were often modestly carved with minimal decoration. A more ornate spoon requiring significant skill and effort might be carved as a gift once a courtship was underway. A spoon of this nature would serve as something of a resumé, showing off the suitor’s skill, tenacity, and devotion. Falling between the frivolity of the tester type spoon and the seriousness of a courting spoon, the lovespoon was generally a passionately and finely carved offering, given where a positive response was likely but a betrothal wasn’t necessarily expected. They are often more eccentric in design and ornamentation than courting spoons.

Since the earliest days of romantic spoon carving, the suitor’s toolkit has consisted of three basic tools.

In the Breton region of France, young men of courting age would often proudly display and use a unique style of spoon known as a ‘festival spoon’ when attending village gatherings or celebrations. These ornately carved and inlaid spoons frequently folded for transport and would be opened ostentatiously to display the young man’s skill as a carver, or (if he had purchased it from a professional) his wealth and prospects. 

Courting spoons would show off a suitor’s abilities.

Actual wedding spoons were specifically designed for use at the matrimonial celebration and were not part of the courtship preamble. Most often, they feature either two bowls joined by a single handle, or two separate spoons united by a length of wooden chain. The newlyweds would use the spoon to eat a first meal together, symbolically uniting two as one. Occasionally, double-bowled joke spoons would be made that featured bowls at unusable or impossible angles to eat from. To the great delight of the wedding guests, the couple would struggle, usually unsuccessfully, to master the spoons and prove to all they were united.

Wedding spoons symbolically united a couple by sharing
their first meal together.

Husbands, fathers, and grandfathers may have also carved decorated spoons for female members of their family. Common working tools such as crème spoons, ladles, and even eating spoons were likely gifted in this way and can be difficult to differentiate from spoons with a more romantic purpose.

Generally, to tell historic romantic spoons from their utilitarian cousins, look for symbols such as hearts, inlays, initials, keys or keyholes, comma shapes, and elaborate patterning along the edges of the handle.  

Even though the tradition of giving carved wooden gifts as love tokens has largely become extinct, the romantic spoon has endured—mainly because it’s a recognizable object that we still use today. Spoons are also small, portable, and straightforward to work, requiring only an axe, a straight knife, and a bent knife or gouge to create.

Romantic carving may no longer be a ‘thing,’ but it’s as valid and relevant as ever, as making a gift for someone you love never goes out of fashion.

Want More Spoons?

Great Book of Spoon Carving Patterns

By Dave Western

Item 0151. Available for $19.99 + S&H (parcel post) from Fox Chapel Publishing, 800-457-9112,
FoxChapelPublishing.com, or your local retailer.

Dave Western is a professional lovespoon carver and the author of two books on carved lovespoons, both available from foxchapelpublishing.com. Dave carves on commission and also teaches classes. For more of his work, visit davidwesternlovespoons.com.