How to Sculpt a Peace Pipe
You can easily carve your own peace pipe to honor a longstanding Native American tradition. The Lakota Nation made the first Native American peace pipes, or calumets, after a mysterious woman said they must smoke tobacco before ceremonies to bring peaceful thoughts into their minds. Peace pipes were used during both times of peace and war as a way for tribesmen to meditate on tribal issues. Peace pipes can be carved entirely from wood or they can be a wooden stem which attaches to a carved stone bowl.
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Things You'll Need
- Wood burner
- Pocket knife or wood carving tools
- 2x2x2 Inch chunk of green, soft wood
- 1x1x15 Inch piece of soft wood
- Drill
- Narrow drill bit
- Coat hanger
- Gloves
- Clay
- Carving knife
- Sandpaper
- Leather or feathers for decoration
Instructions
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1
Carve a hole into the 2x2x2 piece of soft wood deep enough to hold 1/2 gram of tobacco. A wood burner may make it easier to get the last bits out. Leave at least a 1/4-inch rim along the outside of the hole.
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2
Carve and burn a hole through one side of the 2-inch piece of wood until it meets the inside of your bowl. This hole should be bigger than 1-inch so that the 1x1x15 inch pipe shaft can fit inside of it.
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3
With your narrowest, longest drill bit, drill a small, centered hole through the length of the 1x1x15 inch piece of wood. Flip the wood over and drill through the other end until you've drilled all the way through. Heat a straightened metal coat hanger and poke it through the hole to burn through what you can't reach with the drill bit. Wear gloves when handling the hot coat hanger.
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4
Carve the exterior of the 2-inch piece into a rounded bowl with the carving knife. Carve any awkward bumps from the shaft of the 1x1x15 inch piece of wood or leave natural. You may also wish to narrow the mouthpiece so it fits in your mouth more easily. Use sandpaper to sand out any rough spots, especially around the mouthpiece.
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5
Push the connecting end of the pipe shaft into the second hole you drilled in the 2-inch bowl. Stop just before you've pushed it all the way in.
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6
Roll a piece of clay out in your palms forming a string of clay that is 3-inches long and 1/8-inch thick. Wrap this clay around the shaft of the pipe, in the gap that you left when inserting it into the bowl. Push the shaft the rest of the way into the bowl part of the pipe, making sure to stuff as much clay in with the stick as possible. Remove excess clay and dry completely.
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7
Decorate your peace pipe in a variety of ways. Refer to specific tribal specifications or create your own design. You can wrap the shaft with a leather strap, add decorative feathers and beads, or even attach a leather shoulder strap to either end of the pipe shaft.
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Tips & Warnings
After all decorative items have dried, this pipe will be ready to use for smoking or to be placed on display.
