Handcarved Christmas, Updated Second Edition E-Book

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 171

Beschreibung

Get ready for winter with Handcarved Christmas, Updated Second Edition! This carving book contains 40 classic, heartwarming projects from the last two decades of Woodcarving Illustrated magazine. With a mix of illustrated step-by-step guides for beginners and more pared-down pattern profiles for advanced carvers, this compilation is perfect for carvers of all skill levels. From an angel tree topper and a family of easy-to-carve penguins to nearly two dozen Santas and so much more, this volume has everything you need to make nonstop woodchips for the most wonderful time of the year. The featured carving patterns and projects are from some of today's leading carving experts, including Shawn Cipa, Floyd Rhadigan, Chris Pye, Don Dearolf, Rick Jensen, Robert Biermann, and Sandy Smith. There's a project inside this best-of Woodcarving Illustrated collection for everyone, from beginners to advanced craftsmen. With step-by-step instructions and color photos, readers are guaranteed a very merry carving experience.  

Leseprobe

© 2022 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Handcarved Christmas Updated Second Edition is an original work, first published in 2011 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the authors. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

Print ISBN: 978-1-4971-0336-8

ISBN: 978-1-6374-1215-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022933813

Handcarved Christmas / from the editors of Woodcarving Illustrated. -- 1st. p. cm. -- (The best of Woodcarving Illustrated)

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-4971-0336-8 (alk. paper)

1. Wood-carving--Patterns. 2. Christmas decorations--Patterns. I. Woodcarving Illustrated. TT199.7.H36 2011 731.4’62--dc23

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Note to Professional Copy Services: The publisher grants you permission to make up to ten copies of a pattern for any purchaser of this book who states the copies are for personal use.

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], with 9781497103368 Handcarved Christmas, Updated Edition in the subject line.

Contents

What You Can Learn

Ornaments

Scrap Wood Santa

Easy Santa

Nativity Ornaments

Playful Chris-Moose

Easy Evergreen Puzzle

Star

Hangin’ On Santa

Storybook

Relief Carved Santa Ornaments

Power Carved Dove

Caricature Santa

Heirloom Santa

Watchful Santa

Old World Santa

Candy Cane Squirrel

Decorations

Simple Starter Santa

Carved and Painted Evergreen Tree

Simple Reindeer

Plucky Penguins

Santa with Cardinal

Herby’s Angel

Friendly Snowman

Folk Art Santa

Goodbye Kiss

Santa Collector’s Plate

Santa in Motion

Casual Claus

Noah’s Ark Santa

Diet Santa

Passing Preflight Inspection

Santa Egghead

Gifts

Whittled Santa Pencils

Santa Earrings

Christmas Puppy

Gift-Bearing Santa

Folk Art Angel Tree Topper

Holiday Memories Santa

Whimsical Santa Stocking Holder

Christmas Candy Dish

Secret Treasures Santa Claus

Contributors

What You Can Learn

How to Use Wood Bleach

Santa with Cardinal

How to Carve Intaglio Style

Santa Collector's Plate

How to Create Pierced Relief

Old World Santa

How to Make an Adjustable Carving

Playful Chris-Moose

How to Use Mass-Production Techniques

Star

Relief Carved Santa Ornaments

How to Add Texture with a Woodburner

Power Carved Dove

Passing Preflight Inspection

How to Weight a Carving

Whimsical Santa Stocking Holder

Ornaments

Ornaments have a special place in many Christmas traditions. It’s more than just the colors and themes—ornaments are about memories, about people, about love. That’s why carving ornaments for the special people in your life is a great way to remind them that you care. This chapter offers choices ranging from whimsical to sentimental to beautiful, for beginners to more experienced carvers, so you can make treasures for your own tree or gifts that will be cherished for years.

Power Carved Dove,by Hugh Parks, page 37.

Scrap Wood Santa

By Jim Feather

Tiny ornaments like this Santa 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. These miniature carvings can be completed quickly and make wonderful gifts.

Carving

I use three tools for this Santa: a small detail knife, a small V-tool, and a pounce wheel. Carve off the sharp corners to round the blank. Mark the bottom of the nose, the center of the eyes, and the edges of the beard with a pencil. Using a detail knife, cut in the facial features and shape the beard and hat. Add texture to the beard, hat trim, and ball with a small V-tool. Roll a small metal pounce wheel around the red portion of the hat to add texture.

Finishing

Thin acrylic paint with water to the consistency of a stain. Apply the colors from light to dark. Use white for the beard and fur trim and dark flesh for the face.

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 stiff-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. The black will highlight the texture.

Materials & Tools

Materials

• Basswood, 1" (2.5cm) square: 4" (10.2cm) long

• Finish: clear satin acrylic

• Acrylic paints:

• black

• burnt umber

• dark flesh

• denim blue

• tompte red

• white

• Paper towels

Tools

• Detail knife

• V-tool: 1/16" (2mm) 60°

• Metal pounce wheel: small

• Paintbrushes: assorted, stiff-bristle

• Hair dryer

I use undiluted white, denim blue, and black for the eyes. After the paint dries, seal the carving with satin acrylic sealer. Allow the sealer to dry, then apply a thin wash of burnt umber acrylic paint to the entire carving. Immediately wipe off as much of the wash as possible with a paper towel.

Scrap Wood Santa Pattern

Easy Santa

By Dan Haack

I designed this Santa ornament specifically for simplicity. I make a template out of thin plastic, such as a coffee container lid, to quickly transfer guidelines. I carve wooden stamps to make painting Santa’s eyes a snap.

These jolly Santas always attract attention. Carve them from butternut or red cedar and finish them naturally to highlight the beautiful grain of the wood.

I finish most of my carvings with paint washes. But I have discovered that people like Christmas ornaments shiny, so for these I use full-strength paint.

Tip

Eye Stamps

Rather than painting the tiny eyes with a paintbrush, I carve wooden stamps for the iris and pupil. Carve one end of a ¼" (6mm) square by 2" (5.1cm) long blank into a ⅛"(3mm)-diameter cylinder for the iris. Carve the other end or a similar blank into a 3/32" (2.4mm)-diameter cylinder for the pupil. Dip the cylinders in the appropriate paint and touch it to the carving for quick and easy eyes.

Materials & Tools

Materials

• Basswood, 1" (2.5cm) square: 4" (10.2cm) long

• Paste wax

• Pencil

• Acrylic paints:

• antique white

• black

• blue

• bright red

• Santa flesh

• white

• Paper towels

• Shop-made eye stamps

• Eye hook

Tools

• Knives: rough out, detail

• #9 gouge: 1/16" (2mm)

• #11 gouge: ⅛" (3mm)

• V-tool: 1/16" (2mm) 45°

• Square

• Paintbrushes: assorted

• Brushes:

• Stiff vegetable or denture

• Soft buffing

• Eye hook

• Toothpick

1Create the template and transfer the guidelines. Trace the template pattern onto thin plastic and cut out the plastic template. Align the template with the top of the blank and trace the blue and red lines on one side of the blank. Use a square to transfer the lines of the hat brim to all four sides of the blank.

2Complete the guidelines. Flip the template and trace the blue lines on the second side of the blank so the triangle of the nose meets at the corner of the blank. Trace the red lines on the third side of the blank so the square of the hat ball meets at the corner. Make an X on the top and bottom of the blank to keep the carving symmetrical.

3Remove the sharp corners. With the knife, make stop cuts under the tip of the nose and under the bottom of the hat brim above the nose. Carve up to the stop cuts to remove the triangular chips. Make a stop cut at the bottom of the ball on the hat and cut up to the stop cut to leave the ball raised. Round off all of the corners except the brim of the hat.

4Draw the nose and shape the hat tail. Sketch in the triangle of the nose. Use the corner of the blank to keep the nose centered on the face. Carve the hat tail at a 45° angle toward the top center of the blank. The angled cut starts just above the brim of the hat.

5Carve the nose and hat details. Carve around the nose. Leave enough wood for the forehead and eyebrows. Carve off the bottom corners of the nose. Shape the hat tail and ball. Use a detail knife to lower the face. Leave wood for the cheeks, eyebrows, and the portion of the beard above the mustache.

6Draw in the mustache. Start the left side of the mustache at the bottom right corner of the hat ball. Draw in the matching right curve of the mustache that ends directly below the right corner of the hat brim. Draw the sides of the face, eyebrows, and bottom of the mustache, leaving room for the lip.

7Carve the mustache. Use a detail knife to carve the bottom of the mustache and start shaping the bottom of the blank into the beard. Use the X on the bottom of the blank to maintain symmetry. Carve the sides of the face and shape the cheeks.

8Shape the hat brim and beard. Round the hat brim. Carve in the bottom lip. The lip is lower than the mustache because the mustache covers the upper lip but stands proud of the beard. Round and shape the beard.

9Add facial details. Round the bridge of the nose. Carve the eyebrows and round the forehead so it appears to be under the hat. Carve small triangles to represent simple nostrils. Refine the shape of the mustache. Draw in curved upper eyelids and carve them with a detail knife.

10Add texture to the hat and hair. Carve small notches around the hat brim and hat ball with a ⅛" (3mm) #11 gouge to make them appear fluffy. Use the same tool to carve grooves in the beard and upward swoops in the mustache.

11Carve the final details. Remove the high points in the beard and mustache with a 1/16" (2mm) #9 gouge. Then remove the high points left from the #9 gouge with a 1/16" (2mm) 45° V-tool. Deepen some of the gouge grooves with the V-tool. Remove any chips with a stiff brush.

Painting and Finishing

Apply an antique white base coat to the entire carving. Paint the hat brim, hat ball, and eyes white. Paint the exposed skin with Santa flesh. Paint the hat bright red. Paint the eyes blue and add black pupils; use the eye stamps described on page 9 if you wish. Add white highlights to the eyes with a toothpick. Add a small eye hook, apply a coat of wax, and buff to a nice shine.

Easy Santa Patterns

Nativity Ornaments

By Janet Bolyard

These simple designs are easy to carve and paint, making them perfect last-minute holiday gifts or sales-table stock. You can stack-cut the blanks and carve them production-style to make several sets quickly. Paint each set in coordinating colors, or experiment with simply woodburning the details to speed your production further.

My instructions show you how to carve the Holy Family design. Use the same general techniques to carve the other three ornaments.

Getting Started

Transfer the patterns to the wood and cut them with a scroll saw or coping saw. Lightly sand the edges with 320-grit sandpaper if necessary.

Rather than marking my carving, I make notes about the levels and shadows on my pattern sheet. This keeps the graphite on the paper rather than my hands, project, and carving glove. It also creates a pattern blueprint for a future ornament or projects.

Materials & Tools

Materials

• Basswood, ¼" (6mm) thick: ornaments 4 each, 4" x 24" (10.2cm x 61cm)

• Graphite paper

• Sandpaper: assorted grits to 400

• Acrylic paint:

• Americana

• antique gold

• black

• flesh tone

• primary yellow

• sand

• warm white

• Ceramcoat

• tompte red

• Glitter paint

• Wood filler (optional)

• Spray lacquer, such as Deft: satin, gloss

• Arm-R-Seal gloss (optional)

Tools

• Scroll saw or coping saw

• Detail knife

• #3 gouge: ⅜" (10mm)

• #11 gouge: ⅛" (3mm)

• Micro V-tool: 1/32" (1mm)

• Variable-temperature woodburner with nib: skew

• Drill with bit: small

• Paintbrushes: assorted

• Hook or ribbon

1Make vertical stop cuts around the background area. Cut deeply to ensure the chips come out cleanly. Use a ⅜" (10mm) #3 gouge to carve the background at least ⅛" (3mm) deep. This is the lowest level of the ornament.

2Make angled stop cuts on all of the pattern lines. Then use a detail knife to carve another angled cut along each line, creating a V-shaped outline. Carve up to the V-groove as desired to establish the layers and create a sense of depth in the ornament.

3Carve the border. Use the ⅜" (10mm) #3 gouge to remove the machined surface. This ensures the carving will take paint uniformly and creates carving facets that show observers that this is a handcrafted piece.

4Carve the faces. Use a ⅛" (3mm) #11 gouge (veiner) to gently carve places for the eye sockets, brow line, nose, and mouth. Rather than trying to carve such tiny features, we will woodburn them later.

5Round the edges. Use the ⅜" (10mm) #3 gouge turned upside down. You’ll have to change the direction you carve as the grain direction changes around the ornament. Take it slow, and if the tool starts to bite into the wood too much, stop, turn the piece around, and carve in the other direction.

6Chip-carve the star design. If you prefer, use a mini V-tool to create a starburst effect by carving from the center of star out to the edge.

Tip

Prevent Warping

Thin wood has a tendency to warp or cup, especially if you paint it with water-based paints. To prevent the warping, I use a1/32" (1mm) 45° V-tool to carve a series of evenly spaced diagonal cuts on the back side of each ornament. I sand the back gently to remove fuzzies, and then stabilize the wood by spraying the back only with satin lacquer. I let it dry for 10 to 15 minutes before carving the front.

Tip

Repairing Dry Wood

My wood was dry and had a lot of open pores. To smooth it, I diluted wood filler to a soupy consistency with water, applied it with a craft stick, and let it dry. Of course this quick fix only works on pieces you plan to paint.

7Woodburn the features. Use a small skew nib on a very low temperature setting. It is much easier to burn the facial features than to carve them.

8Paint the ornaments. I paint the faces with diluted flesh tone. The woodburning shows through the paint, giving crisp lines for the eyes, nose, and mouth. Mix the flesh tone with a speck of tompte red, dilute the mixture, and use it to rosy up the cheeks. Then, paint the rest of the ornament in your choice of colors. I use the same color palette for all of the ornaments in the set so they coordinate with each other. I apply glitter paint to the star.

9Seal the ornament. Spray the project with satin lacquer. Let it dry for 10 to 15 minutes, and then sand gently with 400-grit sandpaper to knock off any bumps or lumps from overspray.

10Finish the ornaments. When the paint is dry, spray on another coat of lacquer. Then I give the ornaments a light coat of Arm-R-Seal. It’s a mixture of tung oil and urethane, which brings out the grain and adds a nice amber color to the wood. Wipe the Arm-R-Seal off the flesh tones so they don’t yellow. Drill a hole through the top side and add an ornament hook or ribbon.

Nativity Ornaments Patterns

Playful Chris-Moose

By Cyndi Joslyn

Take a break from Santa with a humorous Christmas moose ornament. The 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.

Materials & Tools

Materials

• Basswood, ⅝" (1.6cm) thick: head, 1 ½" x 1 ⅞" (3.8cm x 4.8cm)

• Basswood, ¾" (1.9cm) thick: legs, 2 each 1 ½" x 2 ¼" (3.8cm x 5.7cm)

• Basswood, ¾" (1.9cm) thick: arms, 2 each 1 ½" (3.8cm) square

• Basswood, ¾" (1.9cm) thick: body, 1 ⅜" x 1 ½" (3.5cm x 3.8cm)

• 20-gauge wire: black, 2 each 7" (17.8cm) long

• Eye pins, 11 each

• Jingle bells, 4 each ¼" (6mm)-dia.

• Acrylic paint:

• Ceramcoat

• black

• burnt sienna

• dark flesh

• light ivory

• raw sienna

• spice brown

• Acrylic retarder: medium

• Glue: cyanoacrylate (CA)

• Varnish: satin

Tools

• Knives: bench, detail

• #3 gouge: ⅝" (1.6cm)

• Micro V-tool: 1/16" (2mm)

• Drill with bit: 1/16" (2mm)-dia.

• Needle-nose pliers

• Paintbrushes: assorted

• Stylus

1Paint the individual body parts. Paint the entire carving with a mixture of equal parts of burnt sienna and spice brown. Apply two coats. Apply dark flesh to the inside of the ears. Use a liner brush to add slanted ovals of light ivory for the whites of the eyes. Let the paint dry and add the black pupil with a liner brush. Apply a light ivory highlight dot to the right upper corner of the eyes with a stylus.

2Apply a finish to the carving. Paint the hooves black. Seal the carving with a mixture of equal parts water-based varnish and water and allow it to dry. Mix one part raw sienna with one part burnt sienna and two parts retarder medium. Apply the mixture to the carving with a brush and immediately wipe off most of the mixture with a soft rag. The antiquing mixture imparts an aged look to the carving.

3Drill the holes for the antlers. Mark the position of the antlers above each ear using the pattern as a guide. Drill 1/16" (2mm)-dia. holes, ¼" (6mm) deep with a manual drill.

4Create the antlers. Use the antler pattern as a guide to bend the wire to shape. Wrap the wire around the end of a paintbrush to shape the antlers. Create two identical antlers. String two jingle bells on each antler.

5Attach the antlers. Dry-fit the antlers into the holes drilled in the moose’s head. When you are happy with the placement, glue the antlers in place with cyanoacrylate (CA) glue. Use a drop of CA glue to hold the bells in place as well.

6Drill the holes for the joints. Drill a 1/16" (2mm)-dia hole ⅜" (1cm) deep on the back of the head and on the top of the body with a manual drill. Drill ¼" (6mm)-deep holes on the body where the arms and legs will be attached. Then drill the holes in the arms and legs. Do not drill the whole way through the arms or legs.

7Make the joints. Use needle-nose pliers to pull one eye pin slightly apart. Hook the open eye pin through another eye pin. Use the needle-nose pliers to close the eye pin. Make five joint sets. Trim the posts on four joint sets to ¼" (6mm) long. Trim the posts on the fifth set to ⅜" (1cm) long.

8Attach the head, arms, and legs. Dry-fit the posts to each hole to make sure the hole is deep enough. Don't forget the eye pin on top of the head for hanging! The head of the eye pin should be flush with the carving. Use the pin with the ⅜" (1cm)-long posts to attach the head to the body. Use CA glue to secure all of the posts to the carving, assembling the moose.

Playful Chris-Moose Patterns

Easy Evergreen Puzzle

By Sandy Smith

This 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, flexible plastic such as a coffee 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 specific order, starting at the bottom and working up to the top, then putting the chain through the hole to secure the puzzle.

Materials & Tools

Materials

• Basswood, 1" (2.5cm) square: 8" (20.3cm) long

• Pencil

• Pull chain, 6" (15.2cm) long

• Jingle bell (optional)

• Boiled linseed oil

•