Tiny Whittling

Overview

How to carve whimsical miniature animals

A hip beginner’s guide to one of the world’s most relaxing, inexpensive, and rewarding hobbies, this handbook puts a modern spin on an ancient craft by teaching readers how to whittle whimsical miniature creatures. With just a sharp knife, a little practice, and the tiniest block of wood, anyone can make a charming carving in less than an hour. Led by an award-winning carver and artist, this manual takes readers through the basics, demonstrating how to carve root vegetables in order to minimize the danger of accidents; readers will create a simple turnip bear or a carrot mouse. As confidence builds, readers graduate to wood, and work through step-by-step instructions accompanied by photographs, enjoying increasingly polished results as they refine their technique. It includes easy-to-use templates and sources for tools and materials, readers will learn how to sand, paint, and decorate their tiny carvings, eventually creating a fox, an owl, a horse, a hen, and even a forest or farmyard setting for their miniature menagerie.

Reviews

"A comprehensive book on a tiny subject"—Publishers Weekly

"There aren’t many beginner whittling books around, and the fun projects and straightforward instructions make this a good purchase for woodworking collections."—Library Journal

Author Biography

Steve Tomashek is an artist, photographer, and master carver of miniatures. He is the author of the website Miniature Menagerie, which features animated films of his whittling and his collection of wooden animals. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.