Carving projects
Knife Safety
1. Obtain permission before using knife (unless it has been announced).
2. Get safely situated:
3. Carve safely:
2. Get safely situated:
- Sheathed knife when not using it (do not set down, or jab into ground, wood, etc).
- Sitting or kneel (unless operation can only be performed standing – like cutting a certain branch).
- Solo from others, and avoid spots where people are likely to walk or run past.
3. Carve safely:
- Slowly move knife in and out of the sheath.
- Strong grip on the knife.
- Smart: Push blade toward air or cutting board only. Blade never moves towards any body parts.
How to carve a wooden spatula
How to make a spatula
Collect some good straight, splitable piece of wood, wide enough to be useful (usually, 1 – 3 inches wide).
Wood should be dead and dry, but not rotten or bug eaten.
Some good woods include maple, tulip poplar, catalpa, pawpaw, cherry, ash.
Saw the wood into pieces 9 – 18” long, depending on the width and desired purpose.
The wood pieces should be batoned into flat strips.
Shape the spatula
How to lead making a wooden spatula
You should carve at least one spatula on your own before leading the activity. This way you will be able to show an example, and be better able to lead the activity.
Inspire students with an intro like: A wooden spatula is a very useful tool for cooking – you probably have one or more at home. You can make one fairly easily, and it’s fun to cook with your own homemade tool. You can also make it as a gift, and you can decorate it by woodburning with a magnifying glass. Show finished projects.
Show students some store bought, and homemade wooden spatulas.
Go over the basic process briefly: To make a spatula you need a short piece of wood that is dead and dry, but not rotten or bug eaten. Some good woods common around here are...
You will split the wood into a flat section, then shape it, make it flat and smooth.
Then you can sand it and add decorations.
Collect some good straight, splitable piece of wood, wide enough to be useful (usually, 1 – 3 inches wide).
Wood should be dead and dry, but not rotten or bug eaten.
Some good woods include maple, tulip poplar, catalpa, pawpaw, cherry, ash.
Saw the wood into pieces 9 – 18” long, depending on the width and desired purpose.
The wood pieces should be batoned into flat strips.
Shape the spatula
- narrow handle
- wide bottom part
- thin the piece
- angle the blade
How to lead making a wooden spatula
You should carve at least one spatula on your own before leading the activity. This way you will be able to show an example, and be better able to lead the activity.
Inspire students with an intro like: A wooden spatula is a very useful tool for cooking – you probably have one or more at home. You can make one fairly easily, and it’s fun to cook with your own homemade tool. You can also make it as a gift, and you can decorate it by woodburning with a magnifying glass. Show finished projects.
Show students some store bought, and homemade wooden spatulas.
Go over the basic process briefly: To make a spatula you need a short piece of wood that is dead and dry, but not rotten or bug eaten. Some good woods common around here are...
You will split the wood into a flat section, then shape it, make it flat and smooth.
- Narrow handle
- Wide bottom part
- Angle the bottom
- Try to get it as thin as can be without being too weak
- Demonstrate how to baton the wood to shape it.
Then you can sand it and add decorations.
Burning out a spoon
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Splitting wood for a spoon.
Beware of buggy wood! |
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Grabbing a coal with chop-sticks.
Starting to burn out the spoon. |
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Safety considerations with burning out the spoon.
Sparks can damage clothing – especially rain gear, synthetic clothing. |
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Scraping out the charred wood with a stone edge.
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After burning, how to carve into a spoon.
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IMPORTANT: How to NOT RUIN your spoon.
Critical carving tips. |
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Finished spoons.
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Instructions for leading spoon burning
A) Have students gather branches for firewood, and for spoon burning. Pawpaw is probably the easiest wood to burn and carve, but tulip poplar and maple also work well, and yield more sturdy spoons.
B) Some student(s) build a substantial fire, and light it. While fire burns down to embers, students do following:
1) Find a suitable branch, or branches, 1.5" - 2" wide, dead and dry, not rotten or buggy.
2) Students should cut branch into sections - 1 section for each student.
3) Students split each section and begin to burn out spoons as suitable embers become available.
After holes are burned in, students should work in pairs, helping each other carve the spoons by batoning: one student holds the knife, controlling the angle, the other hits the knife with a stick.
Carve the tip of the spoon, first, and continue working toward the handle.
B) Some student(s) build a substantial fire, and light it. While fire burns down to embers, students do following:
1) Find a suitable branch, or branches, 1.5" - 2" wide, dead and dry, not rotten or buggy.
2) Students should cut branch into sections - 1 section for each student.
3) Students split each section and begin to burn out spoons as suitable embers become available.
After holes are burned in, students should work in pairs, helping each other carve the spoons by batoning: one student holds the knife, controlling the angle, the other hits the knife with a stick.
Carve the tip of the spoon, first, and continue working toward the handle.
Printable PDF instructions:
| guidelines_for_leading_spoon.pdf |
