How to Carve Wooden Bowls & Other Utilitarian Items
Wooden bowls and other utilitarian items allow you to hone your woodcarving skills and create something of use at the same time. Hand carved wooden bowls and utilitarian items such as spoons are beautiful works of art to have in the kitchen. They also act as good conversation pieces when serving guests. Hand carved wooden salad bowls make for a memorable dining experience. Eating off of something that you carved out of a block of wood is a particularly good feeling.
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Things You'll Need
- Wooden bowl blank
- Compass
- Pencil
- Wooden spoon blank
- Band saw
- Carving knife
- Gouge chisels, assorted sizes
- Wooden mallet
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Food-safe wood finish
Instructions
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Wooden Bowl
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1
Draw the outline of a bowl on the bowl blank using a pencil. Draw a circle for the outer lip and a smaller circle for the inner lip using a compass. Draw the bottom of the bowl blank using a compass.
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2
Cut along the outlines of the bowl blank using a band saw to cut the basic outline of the bowl out.
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3
Refine the overall shape of the bowl using a carving knife. Use assorted sized gouge chisels to carve out the inside of the bowl. Start along the outside edge and work down toward the center of the bowl. Make the edges curve in gradually. Make the bottom of the bowl flat. Continue to refine the curves of the bowl until you are satisfied with the overall shape.
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4
Sand the entire surface of the bowl. Apply a food-safe finish to the bowl. Allow the finish to dry before use.
Spoon
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5
Use the pencil to draw the outline of a spoon on the spoon blank. Draw a side profile and a top profile of the spoon. Draw the inner and outer lips of the bowl of the spoon. Draw a smooth flowing handle.
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6
Cut along the outlines of the spoon blank using the band saw to cut out the basic shape of the spoon.
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7
Refine the shape of the spoon using a carving knife. Carve the handle making it rounded. Once you are satisfied with the overall shape, sand the entire surface of the spoon using fine-grit sandpaper.
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8
Use assorted sized gouge chisels and a wooden mallet to make light cuts from the outside edge of the lip of the spoon bowl downward. Hollow out the spoon bowl in a similar manner to the bowl.
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9
Apply a food-safe finish to the spoon. Allow the finish to dry before use.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Other utilitarian items can be made in a similar manner. Try carving a shallow bread plate and a knife.
Wear eye protection when woodcarving.
Always cut away from yourself.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Antique Wooden Butter Utensils image by Scott Williams from Fotolia.com
