How to Carve Landscaping Boulders

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Imagine walking by a landscaping boulder and seeing a stony face peering back at you. Then you spot a rough water basin and stone throne a few steps further on. People have been carving boulders as long as there have been people, boulders and tools to carve with. If you have the patience, pick up the simple hand tools required and create a long-lasting garden feature.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

Limestone boulder
Safety glasses
Steel point chisel
2 lb. mallet
Rasp

Step1

Select a limestone landscaping boulder. Limestone carves well and doesn't produce silica dust, which is harmful to breathe.

Step2

Look for a shape in the stone--such as a face, an animal, a chair or an abstract design--that will fit in with the existing landscaping. Place 5 to 25 lb. boulders on top of a work table or bench for easier carving. Leave heavier boulders in place outdoors.

Step3

Pencil basic guidelines on the surface of the boulder, working with the grain of the stone. If necessary, wet the stone to find the grain lines. Carve with the grain as much as possible.

Step4

Sketch the shape on paper or mold it in clay to keep the design clearly in mind. Refer to the sketch or model while carving.

Step5

Rough out the basic design with a point chisel. Hold the chisel straight with your thumb to the outside, and tilt the chisel slightly so that the point will be removing chips away from the boulder and the carver. Strike the chisel with the mallet, using only as much force as is necessary to remove chips.

Step6

Pencil in detailed guidelines on the roughed out boulder. Remove small amounts of stone with the point chisel. Work over the whole design to keep the form consistent instead of completing one small section at a time.

Step7

Finish the carving with a rasp, smoothing out the chisel lines with one-way strokes.

Tips & Warnings

Choose a simple design for your first carving. Limit the design to a small section instead of reshaping an entire large boulder.
Look for landscaping boulders at the local nursery since they'll be heavy and expensive to ship.
Keep flying rock chips out of your eyes. Put on safety glasses before picking up the chisel and hammer.
Defacing boulders on public property is a crime. Carve in your own back yard.