If you have a knife and some wood you can begin carving wood. Whittling can be an enjoyable way to make a quick simple project, but can also be used to make true works of art.

Whittle a Flying Propeller

This simple project doesn't take a long time to finish, can be made with almost any stick of wood, and kids can play with it as soon as it's complete. I use white pine, but other soft woods, such as ponderosa pine, spruce, or basswood, work well too. Avoid using really hard woods or woods that split easily.

Whittling or Woodcarving?…an article on whittling

Whittling is a form of carving that is done generally by using nothing more than a knife.  And a purist would argue that whittling is done by using nothing more than a “pocket” knife.  Whittling is an American term which, as I state above, means to carve using a knife.  It is kind of a sub-category of woodcarving.  Elsewhere in the world, if you were to carve using a knife, it would be referred to as woodcarving.

Woodcarving and Whittling – Getting Started

This posting illustrates some suggestions in getting started with wood carving or whittling.  My friend Donald Mertz (see the Guest Contributors tab), has a stated philosophy of “Would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood.” That is a great philosophy and a pretty easy one to follow.

Whittling a 'Cartoon Style' Caricature Carving

I start the carving by cutting out the side view on the band saw since this is a rather small carving. This also gives you a little leeway in creativity with your carving.

Whittling Tips

Most carved pieces, with the exception of the more advanced pieces which require gouge cuts, can be completed with these four basic carving cuts.

The process of whittling a "little guy"...

To carve my little people I have taken the procedure of Jack Price and his books. I admire Jack's work very much and I feel that his genius lies in his simple, yet very expressive works.

Whittling A Gnome Pin

A friend of mine asked if I would whittle her a small Gnome and put a pin back on it. In our conversation she said she was getting ready to participate in a walk for the cure. That's when I got the idea to whittle her a small Gnome pin and paint the Gnomes hat pink. Here's an abbreviated step-by-step of whittling the Gnome.