How to Carve Wood Eggs

Carving wooden eggs is a challenging and fun craft.

here are three main types of wood carving: chip, relief and "In The Round." While all three methods bring special techniques and designs to the woodworking table, the act of chipping presents as the most beginner friendly. By definition, chip carving literally removes chips from the wood creating a design or shape. Additionally, while recommendations point to beginning on practice wood, one of the best starting projects for a wood carver is the wooden egg. This solid item allows for quick completion and serves as a beautiful decoration in the home.

Things You'll Need

• Wooden egg (purchased from a craft store)
• Standard size Swiss carving knife
• Standard pocket knife
• Rubber studded gloves
• Thumb guard
• #2 pencil
• Long pushpins
• Graph paper
• Flexible measuring tape
• Warstler cradle
• Fine grained sandpaper
• Stain
• Polyurethane

Instructions

1. Using graph paper and pencil create the design to be carved on the egg

2. Rub the egg gently and evenly with fine-grained sandpaper to remove any rough areas.

3. Divide the egg into quarters using the flexible measuring tape and pencil.

4. Insert pushpins into each end of the egg and align it in the Warstler cradle. The Warstler cradle is basically a small wooden frame used to hold your egg steady while you mark the designs on it.

5. Draw guidelines on the egg. Place the pencil on the egg with your non-writing hand and apply even pressure. Gradually spin the egg to draw a line around egg.

6. Repeat step 5 making the lines equidistant around the egg.

7. Using the lines as a guide, follow the design on the graph paper to draw the design on the egg.

8. Put the rubber studded glove on your non-writing hand. Place the thumb guard on your writing-hand thumb.

9. Hold the egg in the studded glove and hold the knife in the hand with the thumb guard.

10. Use the standard pocket knife to begin cutting the design by following the drawn lines.

11. Use the Swiss carving knife to complete the cuts initiated by the pocket knife and continue to chip out the wood by pushing the knife in and pushing up to "chip" out the piece.

12. Repeat steps 11 and 12 for each section of the design.

13. Buff lightly with the sandpaper to remove the rough edges created from the chipping process.

14. Apply wood stain to the egg according to the manufacturer's instructions. Allow stain to thoroughly dry.

15. Apply polyurethane to the egg according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Tips & Warnings

• Always practice using the carving knives prior to chipping the egg.

• Basswood and white pine are the best woods for chipping.

• Ensure adequate light when carving to avoid losing small pieces.

• Ensure knives are sharpened prior to each use.

• Cutting the egg without a pattern or design increases the likelihood of errors.

References

• Woodcarver Ezine: Bill Sharp's Nuts and Bolts of Wood Carving
• Carver's Edge Feature Project: Chip Carving Basswood Eggs

Resources

• The Wood Whisperer; Carving 101; Kari Hultman; 2011
• Northwest Carvers Association; Woodcarving -- Where to Start; Chris Pyle; 2003