Whittling for Beginners: Step-by-Step Projects to Carve from Wood

by Emilie Rigby

Carve out some time for whittling



Whittling is both a creative and meditative experience, transporting woodworkers into a calm and artistic headspace. Shave some time off the learning curve with this essential guide, and discover all you need to know about whittling for beginners.


Build your foundation—Learn where to find the best materials and tools, including sourcing wood in the wild, choosing the right knives, and buying safety gloves.

Fundamental techniques—Discover the necessary cuts, finishing techniques, and safety practices to whittle almost anything.

Practice with 24 projects—Step-by-step instructions help you build your skills with each chapter, with projects ranging from functional items like tent stakes to giftable creations like gnomes and whales.


Get a handle on a new hobby with this whittling book for beginners.

166 pages, Paperback

Published December 13, 2022

Reviews

[Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great introduction to whittling that provides lots of projects to help you develop your skills. I haven't had the chance to fo all of them but they seem to progress fairly intuitively. I wish that the tools used for the projects had all been kept simpler though (i.e., just a knife instead of more complex tools) and I wish there were a few more medium difficulty, artistic projects. Overall an excellent book though that really helps to break it down, I'm excited to try some of the projects.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to give this book this high of a rating

This was a very slow start. I mean extremely slow, but I get that, this is for the complete novice, someone who has never picked up a knife to carve anything, therefore, she explained, knives, wood, techniques, etc.... Probably why the book was titled "Whittling for Beginners" (I guess the fault was on me)

Chapter 2 and going into Chapter 3 started getting more interesting, but mostly it involved carving sticks into hair pins, wands, marshmallow skewers, so I wasn't overly impressed.

Chapter 4 started bringing everything together and I started appreciating the slow pace that she started with.

It's a very good book for someone who has never carved before, even for someone who has elementary carving skills (provided you don't get bored with the first couple chapters)

[Kat (kvcatnip) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instructional books can be a challenge for both the reader and the author. Does it actually teach us? Does it give us tools on how to get started? How complicated are the projects?

Emilie did a fantastic job on making sure each one of these was answered well. She often gives extra helpful tips or resources to help you as you learn.

Each project is leveled up a bit to help you grow. You can see them getting more challenging. She also says at the beginning of each project why you should carve this (usefulness or gift.) so there’s an immediate payback to wanting to try a certain project.

Overall, this was such a good, beginner-friendly book, that anyone interested in trying whittling or carving should pick up!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's straightforward and seems simple. Gives some good starter projects. I wish there were more photos, maybe annotated, to help depict the steps given for each project and even the basic cutting techniques. I think it's a solid start but still lacked a little for me.

[Reading4Fun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for beginner woodcarvers like me!