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Making a Coaster

Cut the squares to size. Transfer the patterns to the blanks using a hot tool with a laser print or graphite transfer paper. Strop your knife.

I use simple three-corner chips with straight edges to carve these scenes. Refer to the photos to keep track of where the deepest part of the chip should be.

Apply several light coats of acrylic spray finish or apply an oil finish, such as walnut, tung, or boiled linseed oil.

TIP

Warming Up

Carve several chips on a practice board before you start the project. This helps to ensure that your hand position is correct and your knife is sharp. Draw your own practice board or buy a preprinted board.

MATERIALS

• Basswood, at least 1/4″ (6mm) thick: 4″ (10.2cm) square

• Graphite transfer paper (optional)

• Finish, such as clear acrylic spray, walnut, tung, or boiled linseed oil

TOOLS

• Chip-carving knife

• Hot tool (to transfer pattern, optional)

• Paintbrushes

Roman Chernikov is a software engineer who has been carving as a hobby since 2013. He lives near San Francisco and attends the Santa Clara Valley Carvers Club. For more of his work, visit readNtry.com.

Many first-time chip carvers experience issues with color bleeding out of the chips and into the surrounding wood when staining projects. Here’s what you can do to keep the color inside the chips. Once you master adding color to chip carvings, test it out on some summer-themed coasters.

When your carving is finished, first seal the wood completely. Apply several light coats of spray satin lacquer, matte acrylic, or shellac-based sanding sealer to the entire carving—front, back, and edges. If your carved item is quite thin, avoid a penetrating sealer, as this will cause the wood to cup. 

With the wood properly sealed, brush a gel stain into the recesses of your carving and wipe off the surface with a cotton cloth. Gel stains do not absorb into the wood like penetrating oil stains. Let the stain dry overnight and spray on a final topcoat to complete the finish.

If you try to color the chips with a penetrating oil stain or dye before sealing the wood properly, the colors will bleed.

Marty used the technique outlined above on his “Chip-Carved Ball-Foot Box” from the fall 2019 issue (#88). 

Marty Leenhouts is the founder of MyChipCarving.com with over 30k subscribers and 200k hours of watch time. Courses, videos, patterns and more are available at  his website. He and his wife Shelley, also run Red Barn Retreats in Garden City, Minn.

Imitation of Life

Artist David Boone captures moments in time and place with his storytelling carvings

By Dorissa Bolinski

Stretching Cat

Dramatic woodgrain adds appeal to this elegant feline figure

By Bartłomiej Kaczmarek

Decorative Plate

Patience and attention to detail can yield a museum-worthy chip-carved piece

By Marty Leenhouts

Rock and Roll Gnome

Round out a block of wood to discover the character living within

By Manuel De Santis

Pumpkin Candlestick

Practice achieving symmetry in this spooky decoration

By Tony Tanev

Little Pumpkin

Carve one or a handful of these friendly-faced trinkets

By Kevin Johnson

Hipster Frankenstein

This cool ghoul is always on the guest list for the best Halloween parties

By Dwayne Gosnell

Angry Viking

Plunder a block of basswood and get started on a hilarious carve

By Chris Hammack

Cottonwood Bark House

Create a whimsical dwelling with unique features and texture

By Ales Janosik

Hardwood Mouse

Transform colorful scraps into a cute little rodent on a bed of leaves

By Paul Purnell

Goofy Gargoyle

Carve a glaring roof-sitter who’s more friend than foe

By Rich Wetherbee

Pumpkin Patch Scarecrow

Easy painting technique highlights the wood on this friendly piece

By Jim Willis

Oktoberfest Celebration

Everything is going “accordion” to plan with this charming music maker

By W. Todd Martin

Two-in-One Measuring Spoon

Get cooking with a useful carving for the kitchen

By Emmet Van Driesche

Materials

• Basswood, 1 1/4″ (3.2cm) thick: 2 1/2″ x 3″ (6.4cm x 7.6cm)

• Tree limb slice, 3/4″ (1.9cm) thick: 2″ (5.1cm)-dia. 

• Toothpick

• Acrylic paints, such as Liquitex: burnt umber, Mars black, Payne’s grey, raw sienna, titanium white

• Clear finish (for base)

• Glue

Tools

• Carving knife

• Small gouge

• Woodburner with nibs: assorted

• Paintbrushes: assorted

• Drill with bit: 1/16″ (2mm)-dia.

Don Dearolf painted for several years before taking up carving in 1994 after his brother Dave took him to the Lancaster County Woodcarvers Show. Don loved to carve and share patterns, blanks, and rough outs with others.

Think Sharp

Behind the blade with Flexcut’s product manager Matt Retkowski
By Dorissa Bolinski

Peace, Man

Follow this guy to the biggest festival of the summer

By Bruce Ankeny

Classic Gnome

Walk in the enchanted forest with this friendly little character

By Mehmet Berat Tas

Magical Seahorse

Carve an elegant decoration that’s sure to please any fan of the open sea

By Birce Keser

Wacky Blade Cover

This funny tool guard will protect your favorite knife

By Mark Akers

Hummingbird and Crane

Soar above the clouds with miniature birds in flight

By Steve Tomashek

Crop Circles Frame

Use a burr meant for roughing out to carve a textured design

By Kristin LeVier

Realistic Atlantic Salmon

Reel in a trophy fish that looks like the real thing

By Charles Weiss

Celtic Chip Carving

Create a wall hanging or decorate a box lid with an ancient design

By Blandine Champagneur

Salty Sea Captain

Embark on a high seas adventure with a friendly seafaring gent

By Jonathan Creason

Happy Hopper

This charming fishing frog is ready to star in his own fairy tale

By Alice Wang

Diamond Rosettes

Take chip carving to the next level with four unique geometric designs

By Nikolas Rocha

Walking Farmer

Get a groove on and put some movement into your carvings

By Blake Lunsford

Sunflower Starburst

Catch the summer sun in a medium relief carving that exudes happiness

By Dustin Strenke

Easy Dolphin

Whittle a sweet, pocket-sized sea mammal

By Tom Hindes

Mustache Man

Curve the centerline to add interest and a natural flow to carvings

By Dave Dion

Carving the Flower

Transfer the pattern to the wood with graphite paper. I always advise transferring the pattern with graphite paper rather than gluing the pattern. This way you can see if you are removing or cracking away wood that isn’t supposed to be removed.

As you carve the flower, hold the blade at approximately a 65° angle to the wood. When making tight or small curved cuts, raise the angled blade up so it’s more on its tip, reducing the amount of metal in the wood. Don’t cut deeper than necessary to remove the chips. Keep the “vein” lines narrow so they don’t overpower the carving. If desired, add a scalloped border on the back side of the ornament.

Finishing the Flower

Spray both sides of the ornament with three coats of polyurethane, such as Minwax. If desired, paint the outer edge and add a message on the back. Apply a light brown finishing wax, such as Briwax, to both sides of the ornament to emphasize the carved areas while preserving a natural appearance.

MATERIALS

• Wood, such as basswood, 3/8″ (10mm) thick: 5″ square (12.7cm)

• Graphite transfer paper

• Spray polyurethane, such as Minwax

• Paint

• Colored wax, such as Briwax: light brown

TOOLS

• Chip-carving knives

Wayne Barton Wayne is the founder of The Alpine School of Woodcarving, Ltd. He has written several books and teaches seminars around the country. For more information, visit his website at www.chipcarving.com.

To make your own handle, first select the wood you wish to use—I used a piece of zebrawood because of its beautiful grain.

Use either a coping saw or a band saw to cut out the handle. Then use a belt sander or wood files and sandpaper to smooth and shape it to size.

Most carving blades are not full tang, meaning they have a short, flat extension into the handle. A full tang extends the length of your handle. Most Mora blades have a long tang, but I chose to cut mine shorter to about 2″ (5.1cm) long.

Since the Mora blade is flat, I cannot just drill a hole and glue the blade in—I need to mark the width of the blade on one of the ends of my handle (select a drill bit slightly larger than the thickness of the tang) and drill a few close holes along the line. Clean out the thin pieces of wood between the drill holes.

Apply a thin layer of epoxy to the blade tang and a little down into the hole. Slide the blade in and wipe away any excess with a rag. Let dry. Add a coat of finish to the handle and strop the blade. Check for a secure git and no wobbling before you begin to carve.

Create a template and trace the design on the wood running with the grain.

Make a handle from a simple piece of oak, or deck out a “dream blade” with a piece of exotic hardwood.

An artist for over 30 years, John Allard is a professional multimedia artist who works as a sculptor in the toy industry and as an illustrator in advertising and publishing. His hobbies are power carving, whittling, and metal engraving. Email him at allarddesignstudio@yahoo.com.

Tree Charmer

Carole Jean Boyd combines multiple styles in her imaginative carvings

By Dorissa Bolinski

Comfort Hearts

Carve a pocket full of cheer with these sweet Valentines

By Charlene Lynum

Chip-Carved Cross

Intricate cuts create a reverent masterpiece

By Marty Leenhouts

Folk Art Robin

The early bird gets the worm with this Americana-inspired piece

By Brooks Wilson

Bad Hair Day

Spring weather came in like a lion for this guy’s hilarious hair

By Kevin Applegate

Valentine Gnomes

Enhance the charm of this cute couple with folksy painting

By Roxana Cristean

Goofy Golf Balls

Hit a hole in one practicing expressions with these fun carves

By Tony Harris

Hidden Greenman

A mysterious woodland character lurks in found wood

By Alec LaCasse

First Date

Create a sense of movement with posture in this wistful character

By Jerry McNulty

Flat-Plane Viking

Carve a sea-faring caricature with just a few tools

By James Ray Miller

Climbing Squirrel

Add interest to your yard with a beginner-friendly chainsaw carving

By Pawel Drozd

Whimsical Mushroom

Hone your symmetry skills with this one-knife project

By Nikki Reese

Swizzle Stick

This comical wizard could use a little magic

By Chris Hammack

Sleek Bunny

Hop to it with a smooth rabbit carving

By Tom Mellott

Chickadee in Acorn Nest

Bring the outdoors in with a flock of tiny bird carvings

By Steve Tomashek

Cup and Saucer

Add depth to shallow relief carvings

By Mary May

Getting Started

Make two copies of the pattern. Attach the copies to opposite sides of the blank using spray adhesive or glue stick. Note: To keep the cross symmetrical during the carving process, make sure both patterns are directly opposite each other on the front and back of the blank. Cut the blank to size on a band saw, coping saw, or scroll saw. Then use a scroll saw or coping saw to cut the four interior elliptical shapes. Strive to maintain symmetry during the carving since it is easy to get confused as the braids weave up, down, and over each other. Label the front and back of the blank with loop directional notations to indicate which braids will be overlapping each other.

Mark the center point on the top, bottom, and both sides of the blank. Draw a centerline on each side profile around the entire blank. Note: The center lines on both sides should slope in the middle (the top part of the line should slope toward the left and the bottom of the line slope to the right) to follow the direction of braid. Draw “X”s on both side profiles to mark the wood that will be removed during the roughing out process.

Carving

Make a stop cut around the perimeter of the top and bottom sides of the blank using a carving knife. Follow the outside lines on the cross pattern. Then make a stop cut along the side profile centerlines. Start shaping the cross by removing areas marked with “X”s on the side profile with the carving knife or gouges of your choice.  Be mindful of the grain direction as your tools could sever the braids or remove too much wood that would severely diminish the symmetrical shape and diameter of the braids. Round the inside and outside of the individual braids with the carving knife and gouges; I used a 3/16″ (5mm) micro gouge from the inside of the four loops to maintain an equal braid diameter. Then use a detail knife to separate the braids where they meet in the middle and on the side profile. Aim for the cross braids to be about 3/8″ (10mm) in width.

Sanding and Finishing

Sand the cross; I used Abranet sanding mesh in assorted grits up to 320 that I cut into thin strips about 3/16″ (5mm) wide and 3″ (7.6cm) long. Alternatively, you can use sandpaper in assorted grits. Loop the 80-grit sanding mesh strip or sandpaper around the individual braid and sand in a back-and-forth motion along the braid’s length and end loops. Use this sanding technique to smooth out the area where the braids intersect in the middle of the cross. Do not rush this process. Continue sanding through the other grits until you reach 320. After sanding, use a digital caliper to measure the braid. The braid should have a final diameter of about 5/16″ (8mm).

Remove excess dust and dirt from the cross and apply three to four coats of a wax finish such as Howard Feed-N-Wax®. Then saturate narrow strips of a cloth with the finish and loop it around the braids to apply the wax in narrow areas. Let sit for 20 minutes and wipe off excess finish. Then polish the cross with a clean, soft cloth.

Materials

• Basswood, 3/4″ (1.9cm) thick: 3″ x 4″ (7.6cm x 10.2cm)

• Spray adhesive or glue stick

• Pencil

• Sanding mesh (Abranet) or sandpaper:  80-, 120-, 240-, 320-grits

• Clean, soft cloths

• Finish, such as Howard Feed-N-Wax®

Tools

• Band saw, coping saw, or scroll saw

• Knives: carving, detail

• #3 gouge: 5/8″ (16mm)

• Micro-gouge: 3/16″ (5mm)

• Digital caliper

• Ruler

SPECIAL SOURCES:

The Cross Braid pattern and roughout (#1004ZB) are available for sale at Moore Wood and Roughouts, www.roughouts.com.

Dennis Drazkowski lives in The Villages, Fla. and North Prairie, Wis. He has been woodcarving since 2018. His father, August, inspired his interest in woodcarving at an early age while both were actively involved in the local Boy Scout troop.  Since his retirement from law enforcement, Dennis has been further inspired by members of The Villages Woodcarvers Club. Contact Dennis by emailing him at ddrazkowski@gmail.com.