Hand-carved Wedding Favors

In an effort to give our wedding and reception a personal touch, I decided, with my bride-to-be, to carve wooden hearts for all of our guests.  Even a smaller-sized wedding can have quite a few guests. Our count was around 70, or just under, which still calls for a lot of whittling.

I used all kinds of wood, from cedar to pine, basswood and poplar, and even mahogany. Some I finished with oils and shellac, some I left natural. All the hearts were marked with our wedding date using a wood burner.

Linked Hearts are up on Etsy

The linked hearts I posted about a little while back are now available on Etsy. I whittled them from a block of tupelo, then stained one with some "prarie wheat" gel stain. I like the contrast the color gives the piece, and am already planning a new linked hearts project.

Carved links are a classic old-time whittler's trick, and joined hearts are just classic.

Rustic spoon rack w/Serving spoons

Inspired by the carving work of Simon Hill (which is always inspiring,) I went ahead and threw together my first spoon rack. It's rough, it's rustic, but it works. I used cherry for the rack, and green willow for the handle. The salad serving utensils are birch.

Taking my newly-handled whittlin' knife for a test drive

My new knife carves beautifully. Mora blades always sail through wood, and I'm pleased with the handle I carved and fixed to the steel. The blade is set straight and strong, while the handle is nice and comfortable. I've experienced no hot spots, and no "dangling pinky" effect, since this handle is longer than most. Next I plan to give the handle some color with a little oil paint.

For a test run, I carved some hearts(while my MereWere robot coffee mug looks on.) The wood used is birch from the same piece as the knife's new handle.

Old time whittler's tricks: Linked Hearts

Two hearts, carved from a single piece of tupelo wood. I like tupleo. It's easy to carve, but a bit tougher than basswood. I stained it two different colors to further the illusion of two seperate objects "magically" intertwined.

I made these thick enough to withstand causal handling, and chose tupelo for it's durability. People will want to pick this up, and I will want it to stay in one piece!

Old time Whittler's tricks: cube in cage, with a wooden chain

Whittlin' really comes down to patience, experience, and skill, in that order. More than just about anything else, moving parts take special attention. It takes lots of tiny cuts in order to carefully remove certain areas, while preserving the parts you'd like to keep.

Whittling free-moving parts is very satisfying when it goes well, and a little heartbreaking when it does not. Break a link in your chain, and you might just discover a few brand-new curse words.

Hand carved bottle stoppers from old wooden spools

I grab up old wooden spools whenever I can. They're a nice way to do a simple little carving, then I attached a dowel and a tapered cork. Thse stoppers were given a coat of salad bowl finish, some light acrylic paints, and finished with clear shellac.

Two birch teaspoons

Aah, the difference a stain makes! These spoons are both whittled from the same piece of birch wood. I stained the darker spoon with salad bowl finish, while the lighter one has a coat of clear finish.

Hearts & Crafts Winter show

Today's craft show was a success! From 11am to 5pm at Java's, Rochester NY, myself and about 15 other vendors (correction: 24 vendors!) showed our wares. I'd like to thank everyone involved in the show, especially Lisa and Marisa, the ladies responsible for organizing the event. It was a good time, and many of my carvings are on their way to new homes.



Table space was limited due to this being an indoor show in the cozy confines of a coffeehouse. To capitalize on this, I threw together a vertical display rack from a telescoping wreath hanger and some 8-gauge wire. Tan duct tape did the holding. The contraption worked like a charm.

Hearts & Crafts 3

This Sunday was the third Hearts & Crafts show at Java's Coffee. This was my most successful show to date.








Thanks to Lisa Barker for organizing another terrific show, and thanks to all my friends who stopped by to say hi(and to buy stuff!) See you all next time.

Time to carve up some fresh inventory!

Craft Fair Victory!

The craft fair was a success. And fun, too. Jen and I set up our little table around 10am, and covered it with horses, spoons, pendants, pins, and trolls.



People's eyes really lit up when they spotted my table full goodies, but mostly they seemed drawn to the little army of spike trolls. I sold a few heart pendants too, but the spike trolls were the overwhelming favorites. We spent the day at our table, talking with curious people, visiting with the other vendors, and I personally made a mess of woodchips while carving some new trolls and hearts.


Though the horses and spoons didn't sell, they got some nice compliments, and I can put them up for sale on my etsy shop. I guess I'm now known to some as the spike troll guy. It's funny how the easiest, quickest, and cheapest to make carving, is also the most popular seller. Cool. Time to make some more!