Woodcarving Can be a Lot of Fun

Working with wood can be a very relaxing hobby to pick up. Many people have the misconception that you have to invest thousands of dollars into tools to work with wood. All wood decoration used to be done by hand without exspensive power tools. Carving is a great hobby for anyone to take up. Another misconception is that you need to be superbly artistic in order to carve wood. 

There are many different types of carving that can be done on wood. Chip carving is a carving style that anyone who can create a design using a ruler and compass can learn. Furthermore, you only need two types of knives to learn to chip carve. Learning this art will take practice just like any other art form, but it is simplistic enough for anyone above the age of sixteen to learn.

Simple geometric shapes are frequently used to create more intricate patters that are quite pleasing to the eye. The knives you need to purchase in order to chip carve are a chip knife and a stab knife. There are many different types of knives that can be used for chip carving but these are the most used. Basswood is a great wood to purchase for the purpose of chip carving (or any carving for that matter). This wood can easily be order online or many craft stores carry it. Basswood is great because it is easily cut with or across the grain of the wood.  Basswood is not only light in color but it is also extremely light weight. Another great wood choice is butternut. Butternut is a slightly darker wood then basswood is.

This is a great jump off point for other types of carving such as relief carving and then larger carving projects. If you fall in love with working with wood you may find that you want to expand your wood working skills.  You may decide you want to try woodturning, woodburning, or even making ornate scroll saw art. Get creative, and work with your hands, and enter the relaxing hobby of woodworking.