How to Make Practice Chopsticks

Chopsticks are like a pincer extension of your hand used to pick up food.

Chopsticks are standard Asian eating utensils, but for the beginner there is a learning curve to using them. Learning to use chopsticks can be fun if you create a set of practice chopsticks to master the technique before graduating to a standard set. Creating practice chopsticks takes only a few minutes; you can even make your own sticks if you like.

Things You'll Need

• Disposable chopsticks
• Wood dowel, 1/4-inch diameter
• Sharp knife
• Sandpaper
• Rubber band
• 2-inch square of thin cardboard

Instructions

1. Start with a pair of disposable chopsticks, or make your own. A child's set is often shorter than an adult set, around 6 1/2 to 8 inches depending on the age and size of the child.

2. Cut a wood dowel down to two pieces at your desired length to make your own chopsticks. Use a sharp knife to taper one end of each stick, beginning about halfway down the stick. Make the bottom half taper gradually down to the point, ending at about 1/2 the diameter of the stick.

3. Sand the sticks to blunt the edges, making them smooth and rounded. Smooth both ends of the sticks as well as the sides, making sure there are no rough edges or splinters.

4. Lay the two chopsticks side by side so the tops are even and level.

5. Grasp the chopsticks in one hand and, keeping them even, wrap a rubber band around the top of both sticks, binding them together. Bind them so that they are snug, but not so tight you that can't move the sticks or the band breaks. Leave about 1/2 inch of the chopsticks protruding above the spot where you wrap the rubber band.

6. Fold a 2-inch square of thin card board or heavy-duty paper four times, to form a small flat wedge.

7. Push the cardboard wedge up between the sticks to rest just below the rubber band, pushing the sticks apart. The sticks are now ready for use.

Tips & Warnings

• Hold the chopsticks with the proper technique. The bottom stick's top end should rest across the valley where your thumb joins your hand. The shaft should rest on the top-side edge of your middle finger. Grasp the other stick between your thumb and index finger laying the base above the first stick along the side of your hand. The top stick should move up and down while the bottom one stays stationary.

References

• Lunch In A Box: Green Chopsticks
• Green Chopsticks: Make Your Own