Pencil Carving I just have to share a little joke on myself before I start writing on how to carve a wood spirit in a pencil. I used to teach a bit of wood technology which included wood identification. Well now, when a person like me gets a new piece of wood in his hand he will naturally cut a thin sliver off the end grain and get his old hand lens out for a closer look. Golf Ball Cutter Little did I know how much work this would be when I started, but I am having fun and learning a lot

Soap Carving Instructions and Tips

Any family member who is old enough to work with a carving tool can enjoy carving soap. The shape and texture of Ivory Bar Soap make it ideal for creating fun, memorable soap sculptures, from the simple to the extraordinary. Here are a few suggestions to help make your soap sculpture its best.

Carving Golf Balls

I love to carve golf balls now and then and unlike wood, there is no grain. If your tools are sharp the golf ball center is fairly easy to carve. This material is very durable and the center comes in many different colors making them great key chain rings after they are carved.

How to Carve Soapstone Sculptures

Soapstone is made from different minerals including talc, which makes it easy to scratch and chip the stone. Various indigenous tribes such as the Shona, Inuit and even Native Americans have created these soapstone sculptures. It was thought that the stone's spirit could be released by creating the sculpture. Read on to learn about how to carve soapstone sculptures.

How to Carve Coconut Shells

You may have seen carved coconuts resembling human faces or animals and wondered if you could achieve the same results at home. Well, the process of carving coconut shells is not complicated, but it does require a great deal of practice and skill to render intricate designs because coconut shells are extremely hard and difficult to cut. Look for coconuts with firm shells free of cracks and purchase a few extras to practice your techniques.

Tagua Nut Treasures

The other day I was mesmerized as Leonor Alfonso, a tagua nut carver from Ecuador, demonstrated her craft in front of the Zoo’s Tree-house Trader gift shop. Using a sander and Dremel tool, Leonor can take a plain-looking brown tagua nut and transform it into a turtle just emerging from its shell, a hummingbird sipping nectar, or an iguana on the prowl. It’s amazing to watch her in action.