MATERIALS

• Basswood turning, pear-shaped: 2 5/8″ (6.7cm) dia. by 3 1/2″ (8.9cm) tall

• Simple Green®

• Acrylic paints: alizarin crimson, black, burnt sienna, ivory white, medium flesh, tompte red

• Finish: boiled linseed oil

• Oil paint: burnt sienna

• Mineral spirits

• Paper towels

TOOLS

• Carving knife

• #11 gouges: 5/32″ (4mm), 3/16″ (5mm), 9/32″ (7mm)

• V-tools: 1/8″ (3mm), 1/4″ (6mm), 3/8″ (10mm)

• Paintbrushes: assorted

Roger Beane is a retired middle school teacher who started carving in the early 1980s. He carves a variety of caricatures and Christmas items and teaches carving classes. He lives in Oskaloosa, Iowa, with his wife, Andrea (who helped him write this article).

Santa’s List

Discover a unique painting technique that provides a stunning depth of color

By Kevin Applegate

Cottonwood Bark Santa

Embrace the uniqueness of this free-form wood and use its flaws to your advantage

By Bob Hershey

White Christmas Bear

This friendly guy is ready to spread some cheer during the holidays

By Dale Green

Lumberjack Santa

Carve an undercover Claus who’s hunting for the perfect Christmas tree

By Jonathan Creason

Arctic Fox

Practice carving movement with this frosty creature on the run

By Wouter de Bruijn

Happy Christmas Tree

Get into the holiday spirit with a cheerful carving that looks like a cartoon character

By Gerard Canavan

Bottle Buddy Santa

Create a gift that keeps on giving with a jolly bottle opener

By Dwayne Gosnell

Santa Pyrography

A few basic woodburning nibs create a jolly and easy holiday wall hanging

By Minisa Robinson

Christmas Elf

Showcase the hard workers of the North Pole as they prepare for Santa’s big night

By Matt Kincade

Caricature Candy Cane

Big posable hands and friendly expressions make these ornaments irresistible

By Pete Zanauskas

Elf Boot Ornament

These festive little ornaments make a charming jingle jangle

By Wade Huggins

Festive Rolling Pins

Cook up a chip-carved holiday cookie press 

By Jan Jenson

Chip-Carved Ornaments

A layer of acrylic paint accentuates a festive design

By Charlene Lynum

Old Fashioned Ornaments

Imitate the look of retro glass decorations with this fun project

By Jim Hiser

Two-in-One Knife Box

Keep carving tools safe and ready to go with this compact geometric case

By Marty Leenhouts

Painting

This Santa has a very simple palette. The cheek color is enhanced using powdered pastels lightly applied with a soft-bristle brush. Don’t flip the brush or it will contaminate the surrounding mustache.

FACE: medium flesh with shading flesh applied in the shadowed areas. Santa red is washed over the cheeks.

EYES: uniform blue, lamp black pupil with white highlight.

BEARD & HAIR: antique white with snow white drybrushed across higher ridges.

UNDERGARMENT & BANDS: Paynes grey with lamp black band.

COAT: Napa red with lamp black shading.

FUR TRIM: buttermilk with white drybrushed across high spots.

BELT & MITTENS: lamp black with copper accent lines.

FINISH: If you use any powdered pastels for cheek colors, blow any loose powder off before sealing with acrylic matte spray. This piece is antiqued using Indian Sand Trewax Floor Paste Wax applied with an old soft toothbrush. Immediately use Clear Trewax Paste Wax to pull off the excess Indian Sand. You may work back and forth using the two waxes, until you are satisfied with the effect. Allow the wax to set about three minutes; then buff with a soft brush or an old soft tee shirt.

MATERIALS

• Basswood, 3″ (7.6cm) thick: x 3-1/2″  x 7-1/2″ (8.9 x 19.1cm)
• Acrylic paints, such as DecoArt Americana: antique white, buttermilk, lamp black, medium flesh, Napa red, Payne’s gray, Santa red, shading flesh, snow white, uniform blue
• Acrylic sealer, such as DecoArt Americana: matte
• Trewax Floor Paste Wax: Indian sand/mahogany
• Trewax Paste Wax: clear

TOOLS

• Carving tools of choice
• Soft brush
• Clean cloth

Tina has been woodcarving since 1981 when she took a personal enrichment class through her local community college. Tina has authored several books including Creative Christmas Carving and Easy Weekend Carving Projects.

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Tree Man Ornament

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After the Sleigh Ride Santa Caricature

Santa deserves a rest after his gift-giving spree wraps up

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Singing Christmas Trees

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Simple Santa Whistle

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Dust Collection Roundup

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Micromotors: A Master Class

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Carolina Wren

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Smoking Garden Gnome

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Hardwood Mouse

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Golden Eagle Walking Stick

Dress up a functional cane with this glorious raptor

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Autumn Jewelry

Sculpt a lovely array of wearable acorns and leaves

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Making a Rustic Measuring Cup

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Rolling Pin Santa

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Great Horned Owl

Let the chips fly where they may with this striking
chainsaw sculpture

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Holiday Shopping Guide

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Power Carved Snowman

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A Trio of Woodland Ornaments

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Kindly Santa Ornament

Practice carving curls and hair texture with this rosy-cheeked caricature 

By Tony Harris and Bob Kozakiewicz

Flat-Plane Winter Bird

Celebrate the understated beauty of the female cardinal with one knife and a little paint

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Smiling Star Tree Topper

“Light” this year’s tree by adding a beaming caricature on top 

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Cookie Thief Santa

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Carving an Atlantic Puffin

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Christmas Gnomes

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By David Young

Folk Art Polar Bear

Peaceful features combine with dramatic textures in a must-have winter carve 

By Dave Francis

Winter Cottage in Cottonwood Bark

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Gnomes in Pajamas

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Floppy Hat Santa Ornament

Same Santa, new duds—this easy carve is a recipe for success

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Holly Berry Earrings

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Chip Carved Bottle Holder

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Chip Carved Mitten Ornaments

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Snowman Relief Ornament

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Basic Knife Cuts

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Whittling Safety 

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Knife Selection

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The Basics of Sharpening

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Comfortable Carving

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Teaching Kids to Whittle

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Wingin’ It

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Soap Penguin 

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[button link=”https://woodcarving.zeeframes.com/?p=21537&preview=true” bg_color=”#ff0000″]Click Here for Step-by-Step Guide[/button]

  Sven the Sailor

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One-Knife Spoon

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Laid-Back Guy

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Duck Wheely Toy

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For Diane

This piece is a tribute to a beloved sister-in-law, Diane Nelson, who died from breast cancer in 2019. She absolutely loved autumn and Halloween, and I carved a unique Santa for her every Christmas for her collection. She was an artist and art teacher, and I inherited a box of paints from her. I wanted to use them to make something special.

Getting Started

Transfer the pattern to the blank. Cut the profiles with a band saw, and then mark the major landmarks.

Carving

Use a rough out knife to block out the arms, cat, jack-o’-lantern, and foot. Knock off the sharp corners and round the features. Redraw the detail lines as you remove wood. Drill a 1/4″ (6mm)-dia. hole into the hand you will insert the staff before carving the knuckles. Use the knife to shape the cat. Separate the head from the hood, and then carve the nose and eye sockets. Carve the hair and adjust the beard and mustache to your desired length. Round the back of the hood. Draw the eyes, round out the eyeballs, and then create the forehead. Use the tip of the knife to carve the jack-o’-lantern’s face and ridges. Add creases and folds throughout the robe. Carve the staff and raven separately, and then attach the bird to the end of the staff with a toothpick and glue. Secure the staff in the hand with glue.

Painting and Finishing

Wash the carving in warm water with a soft brush and liquid dish soap, such as Dawn®. Let dry, and then seal the carving with a coat of semigloss clear polyurethane spray. I went for a traditional Halloween look (see Paint Notes below). The details on the coat are painted, but you could woodburn them, if desired. Apply three part nautral and one part dark of Watco® wax with a clean brush. Wipe off the wax immediately with a cotton cloth. 

Paint Notes

Face: warm beige (1), drybrushed with burnt orange (1)

Hands: warm beige (1)

Robe: black (4), cadmium yellow (3), pumpkin calabaza (2), titanium white (4)

Crow: black (4)

Cat: baby pink (1), black (4), light olive green (1), baby pink (1)

Eyes: black (4), titanium white (4), light olive green (1)

Hair, eyebrows, and beard: dolphin grey (3), drybrushed with light ivory (3) and titanium white (4)

Jack-o’-lantern: black (4), lantern orange (1), woodland green (1)

Staff and shoe: burnt umber (1)

1 – Americana®

2 – Anita’s

3 – Ceramcoat®

4 – Craft Smart®

• Basswood, 2 1/2″ (6.4cm) thick: Santa 2 3/4″ x  7″  (7cm x 17.8cm)

• Basswood, 5/8″ (1.6cm) thick: staff  3/8″ x 6 3/4″ (1cm x 17.1cm)

• Basswood, 1/2″ (1.3cm) thick: raven 3/4″ x 2 3/8″ (1.9cm x 6cm)

• Marker and pencil

• Glue: wood

• Toothpicks

• Cleaner and degreaser, such as Dawn®

• Cotton cloths

• Acrylic paints, such as Americana®: baby pink, burnt orange, burnt umber, lantern orange, light olive green, warm beige, woodland green; such as Anita’s: pumpkin calabaza; such as Ceramcoat®: cadmium yellow, dolphin grey, light ivory; such as Craft Smart®: black, titanium white

• Finish: semigloss clear polyurenthane spray, such as Deft®

• Antique wax finish, such as Watco®

• Band saw

• Knife: rough out

• Drill with bit: 1/4″ (6mm)-dia. 

• Paintbrushes: assorted

• Woodburner (optional)

Russell Scott of St. Paul, Minn., has been carving since 1999. He is the author of Carving Undercover Santas by Fox Chapel Publishing and teaches online and in person at carving shows and meetings. Check out his free instructional videos on YouTube at Scottcarvings. See more of his work on Etsy and purchase his roughouts at scottcarvings.com.

Getting Started

Transfer the pattern onto the blank using graphite paper and a pencil, making sure the grain runs vertically. Cut the blank on a band saw. Note: Make sure the growth rings follow the general curve of the face (see Tip below). This will give your piece more strength and the facets on Santa’s face will be more appealing. 

Roughing Out

Use a knife to cut back and round the right side of the face. You will have to redraw the right eye, cheek, and mustache. Block out the hat, fur trim, and bell with a 3/8″ (10mm) 60° V-tool. Set in the left eye socket with a 9/32″ (7mm) #11 veiner and the left side of the nose with the same tool. Use a 5/32″ (4mm) #11 veiner to set in the right eye socket. Then use a 5/64″ (2mm) #11 veiner to separate the right cheek and nose. Block out the cheeks with the 1/8″ (3mm) 35° V-tool. Set in the bottom of the mustache with the same tool. Shape the beard with a 5/8″ (16mm) #5 gouge.  

Adding Details

Use the knife and the 9/32″ (7mm) #11 veiner to shape the hat. Then, using the 5/32″ (4mm) #11 veiner, create the basic flow of the fur. Note: It might be helpful to draw the lines for the fur before carving. For added depth, make small, random marks to the fur trim with the 5/64″ (2mm) #11 veiner. Round off the bell with the knife and redraw the bell details. Then detail the bell with the 1/8″ (3mm) 35° V-tool. To create the two holes on the bottom of the bell, use a 1/6″ (4mm) micro gouge. 

   Block out the eyebrows with the 1/8″ (3mm) 35° V-tool and use the 5/64″ (2mm) #11 veiner to texture them. Detail the eyes with the knife, and then use a 1/8″ (3mm) #11 veiner on the left eye for both eyelids. On the right eye, use the 5/64″ (2mm) #11 veiner for both eyelids. Shape the left side of the nose with the 9/32″ (7mm) #11 veiner, and then use a 3/64″ (1mm) #11 veiner to create depth and shadow on the right side of the nose. Round the cheeks and nose with the knife. Use the same tool to make a three-corner cut for the mouth. Set in the bottom lip with the 5/64″ (2mm) #11 veiner. Remember, the mouth and lip will be slanted toward the right side of the face.  

   Add texture to the mustache with the 9/32″ (7mm) #11 veiner on the left side and the 5/32″ (4mm) #11 veiner on the right. Come back with the 5/64″ (2mm) #11 veiner on the bottom of the mustache to break it up a little. Use a 5/8″ (16mm) #5 gouge to add shape and a little texture to the beard. I kept the mustache and beard simple, but you can add more detail, if desired. 

   To add the holly leaf and berries to the beard, use the 5/8″ (16mm) #5 gouge to reduce this area to a thickness of about 1/4″ (6mm). Be careful here, as the wood can easily break. Use the pencil to mark the holly leaf and berries. Drill a few starter holes in the holly leaf with a 1/8″ (3mm)-dia. bit. Then, using the tip of a detail knife, carefully carve the negative space, as noted on the pattern, to create the holly leaf. Because you will have to work against the grain in a very tight area of thin wood, go carefully. Use the 1/6″ (4mm) micro gouge to relieve the holly berries.  

   Make a starter hole in the top of the hat near the center; I used an awl. Insert a small brass screw eye into the hole with a drop of cyanoacrylate (CA) glue. Let dry. Then hold onto the hook while painting. 

Finishing

Prepare the carving for paint. Using a dental brush, scrub on a mixture of Simple Green® and warm water to remove any remaining pencil marks. Don’t soak the wood. Pat with a paper towel and let dry overnight.

   Paint the ornament using oil paints mixed with natural stain, such as Minwax®. I used thin washes for most of the carving, and applied heavier coats on the eyes, bell, and holly. Once dry, spray three thin coats of satin finish, such as Deft®. Then apply three thin coats of varnish, such as Jo Sonja®, to the eyes to give them a twinkle. Thread a string or ribbon through the screw eye and hang to display. 

Paint Notes

Hat: cadmium orange (3), cadmium red medium (3), cobalt blue (3)

Fur: buff titanium (1), titanium white (3)

Beard, mustache, and eyebrows: buff titanium (1), light brown (3), white (3)

Eyes: black (3), cobalt blue (3), titanium white (3)

Skin: burnt sienna (1), light brown (3)

Cheeks, lips: burnt sienna (1)

Mouth: raw umber (3)

Holly (inside edge): sap green (3)

Holly berries: cobalt blue (3), rose madder (1), titanium white (3)

Bell: iridescent copper (2), raw umber (3)

1 Georgian

2 Williamsburg®

3 Winsor & Newton

MATERIALS

•Wood, such as basswood, 1/2″ (1.3cm) thick:       approx. 4″ x 5″ (10.2cm x 12.7cm)

• Graphite paper

• Pencil  

• Cleaner and degreaser, such as Simple Green®

• Paper towels

• Glue: cyanoacrylate (CA)

•Oil paints, such as Winsor & Newton: black,     cadmium orange, cadmium red medium,             cobalt blue, light brown, raw umber, rose           madder, sap green, titanium white, white;           such as Georgian: buff titanium, burnt                 sienna; such as Williamsburg®: iridescent         copper

• Stain: natural, such as Minwax®

• Finish: satin spray, such as Deft®

• Small screw eye: brass 

• Varnish, such as Jo Sonja®

• Decorative ribbon or string

TOOLS

• Band saw

• Knives: carving, detail 

• Micro gouge: 1/6″ (4mm) 

• #5 gouge: 5/8″ (16mm)

• V-tools: 1/8″ (3mm) 35°, 3/8″ (10mm) 60°

•#11 veiners: 3/64″ (1mm), 5/64″ (2mm), 1/8″ (3mm),         5/32″ (4mm), 3/16″ (5mm), 9/32″ (7mm)

• Drill with bit: 1/8″ (3mm)-dia. 

• Dental brush

• Paintbrushes: assorted

• Marking tool: awl

Bob Hershey is a retired truck driver who started carving in 1982. A national award- winning carver, Bob was inducted into the Caricature Carvers of America in 2018. He is a member of the Conewago Carvers and Lancaster County Woodcarvers clubs. He lives in Lititz, Pa., with his wife, Debby.

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