Handcarved Christmas, Updated Edition

What You Can Learn

How to Use How to Carve How to Create How to Make an
Wood Bleach Intaglio Style Pierced Relief Adjustable Carving

Santa with Cardinal, 83 Santa Collector's Plate, 97 Old World Santa, 52 Playful Chris-Moose, 16

How to Use Mass-Production Techniques

Star, 24

Relief Carved Santa

Ornaments, 35

How to Add Texture with a Woodburner How to Weight a Carving

Power Carved Dove, 37 Passing Pre ight Whimsical Santa Stocking Holder, 146

Inspection, 113

Contents Heirloom Santa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Watchful Santa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
What You Can Learn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Old World Santa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Ornaments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Candy Cane Squirrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Scrap Wood Santa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Decorations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Easy Santa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Simple Starter Santa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Nativity Ornaments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Carved and Painted Evergreen Tree . . . . . . . . . 67
Playful Chris-Moose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Simple Reindeer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Easy Evergreen Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Plucky Penguins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Santa with Cardinal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Hangin’ On Santa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Herby’s Angel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Storybook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Friendly Snowman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Relief Carved Santa Ornaments . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Power Carved Dove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Caricature Santa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

16 24
12
28 37

59
49 52 79 64

Folk Art Santa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Christmas Puppy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Goodbye Kiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Gift-Bearing Santa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Santa Collector’s Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Folk Art Angel Tree Topper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Santa in Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Holiday Memories Santa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Casual Claus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Whimsical Santa Stocking Holder . . . . . . . . . 146
Noah’s Ark Santa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Christmas Candy Dish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Diet Santa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Secret Treasures Santa Claus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Passing Pre ight Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Santa Egghead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Whittled Santa Pencils. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Santa Earrings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

88 93

104 107

97

130

128 135 156



Scrap Wood
Santa

By Jim Feather

Tiny ornaments like this Santa Scrap Wood Santa Pattern
challenge your imagination, require
little roughing out, and take on the
shape of the wood scrap.

I carry small scraps of wood and a
folding carving knife in my pocket so
I can carve anytime I have a few spare
minutes. ese miniature carvings

can be completed quickly and make
wonderful gifts.

Carving Materials & Tools Tools
I use three tools for this Santa: a Detail knife
small detail knife, a small V-tool, Materials V-tool: ⁄ " (2mm) 60°
and a pounce wheel. Carve o the Basswood, 1" (2.5cm) square: Metal pounce wheel: small
sharp corners to round the blank. Mark the bottom of 4" (10.2cm) long Paintbrushes: assorted,
the nose, the center of the eyes, and the edges of the Finish: clear satin acrylic sti -bristle
beard with a pencil. Using a detail knife, cut in the facial Acrylic paints: Hair dryer
features and shape the beard and hat. Add texture to the • black
beard, hat trim, and ball with a small V-tool. Roll a small • burnt umber
metal pounce wheel around the red portion of the hat to • dark esh
add texture. • denim blue
• tompte red
• white
Paper towels

Finishing I use undiluted white, denim blue, and black for the
in acrylic paint with water to the consistency of a eyes. After the paint dries, seal the carving with satin
acrylic sealer. Allow the sealer to dry, then apply a thin
stain. Apply the colors from light to dark. Use white for wash of burnt umber acrylic paint to the entire carving.
the beard and fur trim and dark esh for the face. Immediately wipe o as much of the wash as possible
with a paper towel.
Apply a coat of black, thinned extensively with water,
to the textured hat. Dry the black with a hair dryer. Pick
up undiluted tompte red with a sti -bristle brush and
work the brush back and forth across a paper towel.
Apply a light coat of tompte red over the black base coat.

e black will highlight the texture.

8 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

1 Create the template 2 Complete the 3 Remove the sharp 4 Draw the nose and
corners. With the knife, make shape the hat tail. Sketch in
and transfer the guidelines. guidelines. Flip the template stop cuts under the tip of the
Trace the template pattern and trace the blue lines on the the triangle of the nose. Use the
onto thin plastic and cut out second side of the blank so the nose and under the bottom of the corner of the blank to keep the
the plastic template. Align the triangle of the nose meets at hat brim above the nose. Carve nose centered on the face. Carve
template with the top of the the corner of the blank. Trace up to the stop cuts to remove the the hat tail at a 45° angle toward
blank and trace the blue and red the red lines on the third side triangular chips. Make a stop cut the top center of the blank. The
lines on one side of the blank. of the blank so the square of at the bottom of the ball on the angled cut starts just above the
Use a square to transfer the lines the hat ball meets at the corner. hat and cut up to the stop cut to brim of the hat.
of the hat brim to all four sides Make an X on the top and leave the ball raised. Round o all
of the blank. bottom of the blank to keep the
carving symmetrical. of the corners except the brim of

the hat.

5 Carve the nose and 6 Draw in the 7 Carve the mustache. 8 Shape the hat brim

hat details. Carve around the mustache. Start the left side Use a detail knife to carve the and beard. Round the hat brim.
nose. Leave enough wood for of the mustache at the bottom bottom of the mustache and Carve in the bottom lip. The
the forehead and eyebrows. right corner of the hat ball. Draw start shaping the bottom of the lip is lower than the mustache
Carve o the bottom corners in the matching right curve of blank into the beard. Use the because the mustache covers
of the nose. Shape the hat tail the mustache that ends directly X on the bottom of the blank the upper lip but stands proud
and ball. Use a detail knife to below the right corner of the to maintain symmetry. Carve of the beard. Round and shape
lower the face. Leave wood hat brim. Draw the sides of the the sides of the face and shape the beard.
for the cheeks, eyebrows, and face, eyebrows, and bottom of the cheeks.
the portion of the beard above the mustache, leaving room for
the mustache. the lip.

10 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Nativity

Ornaments

By Janet Bolyard

ese simple designs are easy to carve and paint, Materials & Tools Tools
making them perfect last-minute holiday gifts or sales- Scroll saw or coping saw
table stock. You can stack-cut the blanks and carve Materials Detail knife
them production-style to make several sets quickly. Basswood, ¼" (6mm) thick: #3 gouge: ⁄ " (10mm)
Paint each set in coordinating colors, or experiment ornaments 4 each, 4" x #11 gouge: ⁄ " (3mm)
with simply woodburning the details to speed your 24" (10.2cm x 61cm) Micro V-tool: ⁄ " (1mm)
production further. Graphite paper Variable-temperature
Sandpaper: assorted grits woodburner with nib: skew
My instructions show you how to carve the Holy to 400 Drill with bit: small
Family design. Use the same general techniques to carve Acrylic paint: Paintbrushes: assorted
the other three ornaments. • Americana Hook or ribbon
⋅ antique gold
Getting Started ⋅ black
Transfer the patterns to the wood and cut them with ⋅ esh tone
a scroll saw or coping saw. Lightly sand the edges with ⋅ primary yellow
320-grit sandpaper if necessary. ⋅ sand
⋅ warm white
Rather than marking my carving, I make notes about • Ceramcoat
the levels and shadows on my pattern sheet. is keeps ⋅ tompte red
the graphite on the paper rather than my hands, project, Glitter paint
and carving glove. It also creates a pattern blueprint for a Wood ller (optional)
future ornament or projects. Spray lacquer, such as Deft:
satin, gloss
Arm-R-Seal gloss (optional)

12 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Nativity Ornaments Patterns

Nativity Ornaments 15

Playful
Chris-
Moose

By Cyndi Joslyn

Take a break from Santa with a humorous Christmas moose
ornament. e individual parts are easy to carve and assembly
is simple. Chris-Moose (Chris for short) will hang on just about
anything. He is designed to hang out on the Christmas tree,
but my family takes turns hanging Chris all around the house.
He’s been spotted clinging to a bed frame, a mirror, and even a
cupboard door!

Use the patterns on page 19 as a guide to carve the parts of the
moose. Don’t be too concerned with accuracy. As long as it looks
somewhat like a moose, people will love it.

16 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Easy Evergreen

Puzzle

By Sandy Smith

is quick and easy evergreen tree combines a fun puzzle with
a folk-style Christmas ornament. It makes a wonderful gift and
always prompts smiles.

To get started, make a template from clear, exible plastic such
as a co ee can lid. Trace the pattern, including the centerline,
shoulder, and hip, onto the template with a permanent marker.
Cut the template out with scissors. Be sure to wear your carving
glove when carving the small pieces.

To present the puzzle as a gift, wrap the separated pieces in
tissue paper and place them in a gift bag with a photo of the
assembled puzzle. Include an instruction sheet noting that each
piece must be assembled in a speci c order, starting at the bottom
and working up to the top, then putting the chain through the
hole to secure the puzzle.

Materials & Tools Tools
Scroll saw with blades: #3 reverse
Materials skip-tooth
Basswood, 1" (2.5cm) square: Carving knife
8" (20.3cm) long Ruler
Pencil Scissors
Pull chain, 6" (15.2cm) long Drill with bit: ⁄ " (3mm)
Jingle bell (optional) Veiners: ⁄ " (3mm), ¼" (6mm)
Boiled linseed oil Small jar (for mixing)
Mineral spirits Shoe bu ng brush
Oil paints: Paintbrushes: assorted
• Winsor & Newton Permanent marker
⋅ blue
⋅ green
Acrylic paints:
• DecoArt
⋅ iridescent pearl glitter
⋅ raw umber
⋅ white
Shoe polish: neutral

Paper towels

20 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Hangin’ On
Santa

By Steve Brown

is whimsical fellow can be carved quickly
for a great holiday gift. Designed as a
decorative fan pull, it also makes a great
Christmas tree ornament.

e candy cane is made from lead-free
plumber’s soldering wire. Drill a hole the
same size as the wire in the hand and glue the
candy cane in place. e soldering wire looks
thick, but it is easy to bend and shape. If you
are making a fan pull, drill a ⅛"-dia. hole in
the upper hand for the fan pull chain.

in acrylic paint with water to the
consistency of a wash for the Santa and use
undiluted white and red enamel paint for the
candy cane.

28 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Storybook

By Betty Padden

is ornament looks intricate, but with
my easy layered technique you can
carve one for for everyone in your
family in no time. You can even set
up an assembly line. To make the
painting easy, we’ll do most of it
before we assemble the layers.

Trace the patterns onto Layers 1,
2, and 3. Set the back cover piece aside
for now. Drill blade-entry holes and use
a scroll saw to cut the open sky portion on
each layer.

Materials & Tools Metallic pen: gold 1 Carve the snowman’s nose down to about two-thirds
Thumb tacks: large
Materials Toothpicks the thickness of the blank. Use a knife or skew chisel. Make stop
Basswood, ½" (1.3cm) thick: Eye screw: small cuts between the head and the scarf and the body and the scarf
Layers 1, 2, 3; 3 each, 2¾" x with the same tool. Carve the head and body down slightly, and
3¾" (7cm x 9.5cm) Tools round them.
Basswood, ⁄ " (1cm) thick: Scroll saw with blades: #5
back cover, 2¾" x 3¾" (7cm x reverse-tooth
9.5cm) Knife
Transfer paper: carbon; Chisel: skew
chalk-based Gouges: assorted
Tape: blue painter’s Rotary tool with bit: ball-
Marker, such as Sharpie® shaped uted cutter
Glue: wood, such as Gorilla®; Paintbrushes: assorted
cyanoacrylate (CA) Toothpick
Oil paints: Sandpaper
• alizarin crimson Drill for entry holes
• burnt umber
• lemon yellow
• Payne’s gray
• Prussian blue
• raw sienna
• raw umber
• titanium white
Paint thinner

30 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Heirloom
Santa

By Wayne Shinlever

I love the nostalgic look of classic tapered glass
ornaments. is Santa ornament is modeled after
those vintage designs, but is far more durable. It
makes a delightful gift. Carve several and paint the
‘glass’ in bright jewel tones to add Christmas cheer to
your own tree.

Materials & Tools Tools
Band saw
Materials Knife
Basswood, 2½" (6.4cm) thick: #11 veiners: ⁄ " (5mm),
6¼" (15.9cm) ¼" (6mm), ⁄ " (11mm)
Boiled linseed oil V-tool: ¼" (6mm) 60°
Acrylic paints: #2 gouge: ⁄ " (11mm)
• DecoArt #9 gouges: ¼" (6mm),
⋅ Adobe ¾" (19mm)
⋅ antique white Paintbrushes: assorted
⋅ burnt umber
⋅ medium esh
⋅ red metallic
⋅ tomato spice
⋅ wicker white
Gold patio paint
Spray nish: clear, matte
Paper towels

44 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

1 Cut the blank. Trace the outline of the ornament on the 2 Round the blank. Carve a cylinder shape for the metal

front and side of the blank. Cut along the lines with a band saw. hanger. Round the blank with a carving knife. Draw the line marking
Shave o three of the sharp corners with a band saw table set to a the bottom of the hanger. Make a shallow stop cut around the
45° angle or use a sharp knife. Draw a circle on the top of the blank. line and gently relieve the area below the hanger. Sketch in the
face area.

3 Begin shaping the face. Carve along the top and sides of 4 Carve the eye sockets. Redraw the centerline and make

the face with a ⁄ " (11mm) #11 veiner. Draw a vertical centerline. a mark on either side of the line to establish the width of the bridge
Draw horizontal lines for the bottom of the hat, the eyes, and the of the nose. The bridge of the nose is equal to the width of one eye.
base of the nose. Sketch in the beard. Cut across the eye mark with Use an ⁄ " (11mm) #11 veiner to carve the eye sockets. Start at the
the same veiner. Make a stop cut along the hat line and taper the side of the face and carve up to the bridge of the nose.
face up to the hat line.

5 Rough out the nose. Make a stop cut along the bottom of the nose 6 Determine the position of the nostrils.

with a knife. Cut up to the stop cut from below to separate the nose from the Make a horizontal line across the bridge of the nose
lips and chin. Make stop cuts along the wings of the nose and cut up to the half way between the brow and the tip of the nose.
stop cuts from below. Make angled lines from the wings of the nose up to the
horizontal line. Make a cross mark halfway along the
angled lines.

Heirloom Santa 45

Candy Cane
Squirrel

By Desiree Hajny

Given the right circumstances, realistic wildlife
carvings make great holiday ornaments. I
created this squirrel holding a candy cane to
combine my interest in realistic wildlife with
whimsical situations.

I carve this piece out of a solid block of wood
using a variety of power and hand tools. After
shaping the carving, add texture with power
carving bits and a woodburner.

After you nish texturing the carving, mix
a bit of water with burnt sienna acrylic paint
and apply it to the squirrel with a round brush.
Allow the paint to dry. Dip a sti -bristle brush
in white acrylic paint. Scrub the brush on a
paper bag to remove most of the paint and
evenly distribute the remaining paint through
the brush. Drybrush the squirrel with the
white paint by stroking the brush across the fur
texture. is adds contrast by highlighting only
the raised texture in the fur.

Use a detail brush to paint the eyes and
mouth black. Add a few dots of black to
simulate whiskers and paint the teeth white.
Use the detail brush to paint the red and white
stripes on the candy cane.

This little squirrel gets caught trying to steal a
candy cane from the Christmas tree.

Candy Cane Squirrel 59

Candy Cane Squirrel Patterns

Photocopy at 100%

Candy Cane Squirrel 61

Carved and Painted

Evergreen Tree
By Bob Mason

Materials & Tools

Materials
Basswood, ½" (1.3cm) thick: 3" (7.6cm)
Scrap wood (wedge)
Graphite paper
Pencil with eraser
Acrylic paints:
• evergreen
• white
Foam brush

Tools
Vise or bench hook
Band saw
Hacksaw blade
Draw knife (optional)
Carving knife
#3 gouges: ⁄ " (15mm), ⁄ " (16mm),
1 ⁄ " (35mm)
#7 gouge: 2¾" (70mm)
#10 gouge: ⁄ " (3mm)
V-tools: ¼" (6mm), ⁄ " (10mm) 75°
Drill with sander wheel
Reciprocating power carver (optional)
Air compressor
Paintbrushes: assorted

Simple
Reindeer

By Don Swartz

Carve this rustic deer as a stand-alone project or size Create a herd of deer and give one a red nose in honor
the pattern to create the perfect complement to your of Santa’s favorite reindeer, Rudolph. Add leather reigns
favorite carved Santa. Use twigs for the antlers to add to and position the deer in front of a sleigh for a dramatic
the rustic charm and simplify the carving process. mantel display.
I use knives, chisels, and gouges to carve the deer,
leaving the tool marks visible. Use power carving tools e pattern for this reindeer is based on drawings in
or sand away the tool marks and woodburn fur texture Doug Lindstrand’s Alaska Sketchbook.
for a more realistic reindeer.

72 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Herby’s Angel

By Paul McLeod

Herby Ham designed this charming angel. Herby was
responsible for starting my love a air with carving wood,
and I know that he would be honored to have the piece
featured to inspire other carvers.

I met Herby in the late 1990s while wintering in Uvalde,
Texas. Herby had renovated a large building with donated
materials and labor and turned it into a senior center with
more than 3,000 square feet dedicated to the wood shop.

My wife and I decided to stay for awhile, and I spent
most of my time helping other “winter Texans” with
their woodworking projects and repairing various
woodworking machines. Herby nally convinced me to
try woodcarving. Of course I said what most people say—I
can’t do that. He encouraged me to give it a shot and with
his guidance, I discovered a new hobby, and have been
carving ever since.

Sometime later, I found out that my stepmother’s aunt
was Herby’s grandmother. I suppose that made us kin.
Herby died several years ago, and my wife and I stayed
in Uvalde helping out at the center. Herby’s wife, Nancy,
gave me permission to use Herby’s Angel. e angel is a
tribute to a ne man who helped many folks discover the
joy of woodcarving.

Carving and Finishing Materials & Tools Tools
Herby’s Angel is carved out of a solid block of wood. Carving knife
Materials V-tools: ⁄ " (4mm),
Herby would cut out the side-view pattern on the Basswood, 2½" (6.4cm) ⁄ " (5mm), ¾" (19mm) 45°
bandsaw, but would carve the other pro les. Herby’s thick: angel, 3½" x 5½" #5 gouge: ½" (13mm)
method took two days of hard carving to nish the angel. (8.9cm x 14cm) long #7 gouge: ½" (13mm)
Basswood, ¼" (6mm) thick: #9 gouge: ¼" (6mm) shtail
No special tools are needed to carve the angel; however, book, ¾" x 1¼" (1.9cm x #11 gouges: ⁄ " (3mm),
a scoop-type ( shtail) short-bent gouge helps with the 3.2cm) ¼" (6mm)
inside of the wings. Other than the wings, the angel is not Finish of choice, such as Paintbrushes: assorted
di cult to carve. boiled linseed oil

Carve the outside of the wings rst. Do not make the
insides of the wings concave near the edge; it makes them
more di cult to carve. A uniform curve from the inside
edge to the back of the shawl is the best way to carve
the wings.

e book that may be placed in the Angel’s hands
was the idea of Norman “Norm” Rutledge, one of the
participants in my angel-carving class at the North
Arkansas Woodcarvers Club in Mountain Home, Ariz.

86 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Friendly Snowman

By Lori Dickie

My very rst carving 14 years ago was a little bird made visualize how to turn a band-saw blank into a nished

out of a basswood egg. I had never attempted anything carving takes a lot of practice and is challenging for even

like that before, so I was thrilled that it turned out experienced carvers. Starting with a turning will give a

looking very much like a bird. It encouraged me to go on, new carver instant success, be less frustrating, and help

and I have been carving every day since. make the rst project fun.

I think starting with a lathe-turned egg or another e snowman and pine tree bonus pattern are

standard basswood turning is a great way to learn the both made from the same turning. ey are easy rst-

basics of carving in the round. It is already rounded time projects and look great displayed together as a

and three-dimensional, so it is easier for a new carver holiday decoration.

to make something that is proportional. e ability to

88 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Folk Art Santa
by Rick Jensen

I prefer cottonwood bark for most of my carvings
because of its lack of di cult grain and rich, red color.

e sanding method gives the carving a worn look and
allows the reddish-brown tones of the bark to show
through. Use centerlines to maintain proper proportions.
I align the front centerline parallel with the grain to
strengthen the nose.

Carving and Finishing
I use acrylic paints thinned with water to the consistency
of a stain. Recoat areas where a stronger color is desired.
Use a #10 round brush for most of the painting and a #6

at or shader brush for drybrushing.
Paint the face with thinned medium esh. While the

paint is wet, add a full-strength dab of red iron oxide to
the cheeks, tip of the nose, and the mouth. Lightly blend
it in with a at brush. e hair, beard, and mustache are
painted with thinned ivory. Paint the eyebrows with a
slightly thicker ivory paint. Use a thinned burnt sienna
for the mittens and the inner robe. Paint the wreath deep
river green. Drybrush it, using ivory and a at brush.
Use thinned mendocino red to color the robe and hat
including the trim areas. Combine one drop of metallic
gold paint with two drops of ow medium. Use this
mixture to paint over the trim on the robe, the hatband,
and the belt.

Materials & Tools Flow medium

Materials Finishing wax
Cottonwood bark,
2¼" (5.7cm) thick: 2¾" x Tools
10" (7cm x 25.4cm) Bench knife
Sandpaper: 120-grit #3 gouge: ½" (12mm)
Acrylic paints: #5 gouge: 1" (25mm)
• burnt sienna #11 gouges: ⁄ " (2mm),
• deep river green ⁄ " (4mm)
• ivory V-tool: ½" (12mm) 75°
• medium esh tone Rotary tool with disc: 220-grit
• mendocino red radial bristle
• metallic gold Shoe brush
• red iron oxide Paintbrushes: assorted
Antiquing medium
Cotton rag
Finish, such as
matte; semigloss
Brown paper bag

Folk Art Santa 91

Goodbye Kiss
By Rick Jensen



Santa in Motion Patterns

Patterns are drawn to scale on
a 1" grid. Enlarge or reduce
to desired size.

102 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Noah’s Ark
Santa

By Steve Brown

Santa Claus and Noah’s Ark aren’t a traditional
pairing, but the two blend together nicely in this
folk art carving. e relatively simple pose with
hands tucked warmly into mittens makes the
project accessible for less experienced carvers.

Santa, the tree, and the ark are all carved from a
solid block of wood. I carve the animals separately
and glue them into the pockets. I use a variety of
hand tools on this fellow. Most of the carving is
painted with acrylic paints thinned with water
to the consistency of a wash. I use undiluted
ultramarine and black for the eyes.

Materials & Tools Tools
Band saw
Materials Carving knife
Basswood, V-tools: ⁄ " (2mm),
4" (10.2cm) square: ⁄ " (3mm), ⁄ " (8mm) 45°
11½" (29.2cm) long or 60°
Wooden dowel, Veiner: ⁄ " (5mm)
sta , ⁄ " (1cm)-dia: #9 gouge: ⁄ " (5mm)
10" (25.4cm) long Paintbrushes: assorted
Scrap wood (for animals)
Acrylic paints:
• antique white
• black
• burnt umber
• dark forest
• goldn brown
• maroon
• navy blue
• textured silver
• ultramarine
• white

Noah’s Ark Santa 107

Passing Preflight Inspection

By Sandy Smith

Sandy spent 138 hours on this carving. She kept
track of the hours by making note of the times listed
on audio books checked out from the library.

Santa Egghead

By Rick Jensen

Commercially available basswood eggs make short work Add titanium white to a bit of the original BLO
of the roughing-out process. You can quickly move on to mixture and apply it to the hair, beard, eyebrows, and
blocking in the features and adding detail. With a little ball on the hat. Paint the rest of the hat with alizarin
extra e ort, these cheerful fellows can be carved from a crimson combined with the original BLO mixture.
block of basswood.
Set the carving aside to dry or seal it right away with
Beginners will get the best results by starting with a a few coats of semigloss lacquer. Note: Dispose of oil-
turned egg. e egg shape makes it easier to keep the soaked rags properly, as they can spontaneously combust.
carving symmetrical. Whether you start with an egg or
block of wood, begin by transferring the pattern to the Materials & Tools Water-based stain: clear tint
wood. Carve the general shape before adding any details Lacquer: semigloss
or texture. Materials
Basswood egg (ostrich-sized) Tools
Painting the Egghead Santa Boiled linseed oil Bench knife
Paint the eyes rst. Apply undiluted ivory to the entire Acrylic paints: V-tools: small, large
eye. Paint the iris with liberty blue. Add a black pupil, • black Veiners: assorted
then an ivory highlight in one corner of the pupil. • ivory Paintbrushes: assorted
• liberty blue
Mix boiled linseed oil (BLO) and a small amount Oil paints:
of raw sienna together in a small jar. Paint the entire • alizarin crimson
carving with this mixture. Add esh oil paint to a little • esh
bit of the BLO mixture and apply it as a highlight to the • raw sienna
cheeks, mouth, and nose. • titanium white

120 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Whittled Santa
Pencils

By Ron Johnson
Step-by-step photos by James A. Johnson

is quick-carve project is lots of fun and makes a
perfect stocking stu er. Santa’s face is carved into an
ordinary pencil—an a ordable material readily found
at dollar and discount stores.

My rst exposure to carving pencils was when a
local carver named Elmer Sellers showed me how to
carve a face in a standard pencil using only a knife.
Since then, my carving technique has evolved, and I
have given away hundreds of Santa pencils during the
past six years.

Leave a Santa pencil with a tip at restaurants or
give them to anyone who shows an interest. Carving
pencils at a picnic table in a campground always
brings interested visitors. e Santa pencils are a
traditional Christmas treat for my granddaughter’s
teacher and classmates. Cut o the lower portion of
the pencil and thread a string through the eraser for a
unique Christmas ornament.

Carve printed pencils on the side opposite the
printing or carve away the printing when you remove
the paint. A good material source is a local supplier
that imprints pencils for advertising. Buy the pencils
without printing in your color of choice.

I use red hexagonal pencils to instantly convey
Santa’s red suit. Round pencils work just as well, but
I suggest you use a hexagonal pencil for your rst
attempt. Use plain wooden pencils and leave them
unpainted to represent wood spirits. You can also
carve at carpenter’s pencils.

124 Handcarved CHRISTMAS Updated Second Edition

Add some holiday cheer to
your guest bathroom by using
a shower curtain hook on the
back of your carving.

Gift-Bearing
Santa

By Don Dearolf
Process photos by Pete Kovarovic

Personalize your Santa by
changing the beard or hat, or get
creative for year-round fun.

is tree topper is an easy project Folk Art
that combines relief and in-the- Angel Tree
round techniques. e stylized
angel will t in well with a wide Topper
array of holiday decorating styles.
It uses the basic principles of relief By Shawn Cipa
carving, but it has carvings on both
sides of the piece.

is is a conscious design choice
that allows me to achieve the size I
want without being so heavy that it bows
the tree.

Carving the angel is a good lesson in
stylized form and dealing with ever-
changing grain direction. Since both
sides are carved, the edges of the piece
must tie the two sides together. I use
several gouges to rough out the
carving, but most of the details and

nal tweaks are done with a knife.
I clamp the blank down during
the roughing-out stage to provide
control and to ensure safety.

Choose a clear piece of
basswood for this project for
both ease of carving and for
painting purposes. Enlarge the
pattern on a copier at 150%,
cut it out, and trace it onto the
blank. You can carve a smaller
version, but it must be large
enough to attract attention on top
of your Christmas tree. You can
also reduce the pattern for use as an
ornament or carve one much bigger
for those two-story trees!

After tracing the pattern onto the
blank, cut it out. A scroll saw works best,
because it lets you make the inside cut
beneath the angel’s lower arm. It also leaves a
smooth cut.

Holiday
Memories
Santa

By Shawn Cipa

is Santa project provides an ideal way to
display your favorite holiday photo. It also
makes a great gift for family and friends. e
folk-style photo holder is an easy and fun-
to-do design that is perfect for beginners, and
is a great break from involved projects that
more experienced carvers may be working on.

e design is a very basic shape; it can
be carved simply, or details may be added
according to your skill level. For example, I
have left the robe simple, but you may decide to
add texture, folds, or ru es. e tree pot could
be carved as a more elaborately-shaped vessel.
Alternatively, you could choose to omit the beard
details for a simple, smooth e ect.

I use several gouges to rough out the basic
elements and to add details, but a knife could be
used for most, if not all, of the work. Choose
a clear piece of basswood for both ease of
carving and painting purposes. Clamp the
blank down during the roughing-out stage
to provide control and ensure safety.

Holiday Memories Santa 141