Quarantine caught us flat-footed. We are not prepared for Coronavirus in no manner. Medicine – stuck. Economics – stuck. Regular behavior – stuck. We’ve been into the all-round social lifestyle for decades. Now we need to follow social distancing. We shall educate ourselves to do something with a bunch of free time. Here is we’re going to cover 10 wood carving projects you can do during the quarantine.
1. Make a comfort bird out of wood
Comfort birds are said to reveal the pain while you’re holding it in the hand. Birdies have some therapeutic impact on people. Don’t know either it’s because of the feeling wood gives you when you touch it or just because of the shape itself. Frank Foust was one of the first carvers promoting comfort birds all over the world. He made 1000 comfort birds since 1982. Moreover, he sold his projects and donated those for charity. He was able to donate $1 000 for the Haitian earthquake relief fund. In case you’re willing to make a bird as well, make sure to check out the tutorial on Instructables.
2. Carve a wood spirit
Wood Spirit is known as one of the easiest wood carving projects to do. Every beginner can start with wood spirit carving from scratch. Moreover, you can add a unique look to it with caricature carving. In a nutshell, the wood spirit is some kind of dryad or spiritual being out of the forest, woods. It is said to live in the trees. Funny thing, the same name methanol has.
3. Hand-carved spoons will fit your kitchen
Spoons have always been practical and easy to do. You only need a straight knife, some hook knife, and wood. There are different spoons designs you can find on the Internet. We’ve been pleased by the works of Giles Newman for a lot of time. He’s a talented artist making awesome projects. In case you wondering what tools would be good for spoon carving, check out the article 10 best wood carving tools for beginners.
4. Kuksa is a traditional wooden mug
Kuksa has the same origin as spoons do. You can use the same spoon carving tools for kuksa. The great thing, you’d be able to use it for camping when all this quarantine craziness ends. You can call it a cup or a mug. All in all, you’ll end drinking coffee out of your handmade kuksa somewhere in the woods. We’d recommend using some softwood for carving as it’s easy to go with.
5. Chip carving will keep you focused
Why do we say chip carving, not just a chip-carved rosette or some chip-carved eagle? The thing is, chip carving is a different type of carving than others are. It requires you to be even more focused. You’re going to work with really small details for a few hours or more. Which is a good thing in the current state of things? Quarantine gives us a lot of time. Make sure to get some chip carving patterns and get ready for carving.
6. Carve a gnome
Small wood carving project for every beginner. It takes not so much time. You can even paint it easily. Carve one gnome and then the other one. In a few days, you’ll end up having a huge family of gnomes. You’d only need to carve a Snow White then. Most of the time you’ll need only 2 knives, a chip carving knife, and a detail knife. Doug Linker has a great tutorial on his channel.
7. Carve an owl
In case you have only one knife and can’t afford to buy more considering the latest events in the world, then carving an owl would be a great idea. You’ll get a small cute owl that you can put on the shelf as a reminder of hope and wisdom.
8. Carve a face on a pencil
Marvelous idea is to put your pencils to good use. Carve a face on your favorite pencil. And each time you’ll be using it, have a smile. It can be a funny face or somewhat weird. There is no limit to your imagination. You can make any face you want to see on your table. Doug Linker made a great one on a giant pencil.
9. Carve a dog
Always wanted to have a dog? Then it’s to time to get one. While coronavirus 2019 puts its restrictions, you can make a wooden dog out of basswood. It’s a small carving project. Follow the steps shown in the video below and become a happy owner of a cute doggie.
10. Carve a Baby Groot
Dive into a bit of fantasy world – make a baby Groot out of catalpa wood. It can fit your shelf easily. Or it would be a lovely gift for your loved ones.
Final Thoughts
Carving wood has been relaxing for decades. Today we’re fighting against the common enemy – Covid19. And wood whittling can be a great pastime during the quarantine. Carve wood. Stay safe!
