How to Make a Wood Figurine

Use chisels, gouges and carving knives to create a wooden figurine.

Carve a wooden figurine using a block of soft wood, like basswood. You need some basic woodcarving tools as well as some sandpaper for finishing and smoothing out your piece. You will also need wood clamps to stabilize the block of wood to a work table or bench. Always have visual references, like photographs, on hand to refer to while creating your wood figurine. Paint or stain the finished piece and protect it with a wood sealer.

Things You'll Need

• Basswood block or other soft wood
• Visual references or photographs
• Work table or work bench
• Wood clamps
• Mallet
• Wood carving tools such as gouges, chisels and carving knives
• Sandpaper
• Protective eye wear or goggles

Instructions

1. Sketch the basic shape of your figurine onto the sides of the block of wood with a pencil. Use visual references like photographs to guide you through the project. Stabilize the block of wood to your work table with the wood clamps. Tighten the clamps enough to prevent the block from moving, though not enough to dent or damage the wood.

2. Form out the basic shape of your figure with your mallet and chisels. Don't remove too much wood, as you need to leave plenty of room to form the major and minor details of the wooden piece. Turn, adjust and re-clamp the wood block as needed.

3. Shape your piece with your wood gouges. Use a carving knife to create stop cuts which will allow you to designate areas that are to be raised and areas that you need to gouge. Create details like facial features, clothing or anything else that represents your figurine with the smaller sized carving knives. You can also use your carving knives to create fine details like hair and ears.

4. Sand your figurine with the sandpaper to give it the smoothest finish. Use a light pressure when sanding to prevent any damage to the details you have created. After sanding, touch up fine detailed areas with your small carving knives that may have slightly disappeared. You may also need to sand the bottom of the figurine to create the flattest surface possible and allow the piece to stand without wobbling or falling over.

Tips & Warnings

• Use wood stain, model or craft paint to finish your carved figurine. If you desire the raw wood look, protect it with a rub-on wax wood sealer, which will also give it a nice luster.

• Always wear protective eye wear or goggles when carving and sanding wood.

References

• Wood Carving Tools