How to Carve Your Totem Animal Out of Wood

Carving your totem animal out of wood can be spiritually significant.

Carving totem animals out of wood is a tradition that goes back to some of the oldest Native American tribes. A totem animal in Native American tradition is an animal whose spirit and energy guides you in your journey through life. In Native American medicine, different animals represent different qualities and virtues. Carving your totem animal out of wood can be an important way to honor your animal guide and can serve as a piece of artistic sculpture.

Things You'll Need

• Wood
• Paper
• Pencil
• Magic marker (optional)
• Carving tools
• Sandpaper
• Paint and brushes

Instructions

1. Choose the wood you will be using for your carving. White birch wood is good for carving detailed images.

2. Decide whether you will leave the wood natural or paint it. A natural wood piece can be impressive, but painted wood is not as difficult to carve and can mask many mistakes.

3. Sketch the image of your totem animal on paper. Sketch the image to scale as a reference for the carving.

4. Sketch initial cuttings on the wood using pencil or even a magic marker. The sanding process will remove any marks on the wood.

5. Chisel the outline of the design around the patterns. Work with the wood and don’t be afraid to alter your design if you make mistakes. Carefully carve away at the wood, making deep recesses around features to highlight them. A chisel will work for the big stuff and other smaller carving tools will work for details.

6. Sand down the carved wood with care. Use handheld sandpaper as opposed to a sander to sand with more precision around the carved features of your totem animal. Paint the finished totem animal in any colors you wish.

References

• Native Online: Totem Poles
• Uncle Steve Totem Poles: Hand Carved Totem Poles
• Dr. Standley: Native American Animal Medicine

Resources

• Native Net: Native American Totem Poles