Five Minute Carved Christmas Ornament Carve Along

[madcrow]

Or rather a whittle along.  These are fast and easy.  Not necessarily five minutes to make, but depending on the wood, it isn't far from it.  I usually use poplar or basswood for these.  I use a 3/4" board and rip 3/4" strips lengthwise.  These ornaments are only four inches long so a 24" strip will get you twelve blanks.  OK, quit scratching your head and doing math and let me explain.  I turn the strip up on one corner and run it thru the bandsaw and cut corner to corner.  Once that is done I cut four inch sections.



Then I make a few marks as guides for the hat, brow, and bottom of the nose.



The top line will be the bottom of the hat.  A stop cut is a simple cut straight into the wood, where other cuts will cut into and stop.  Make a stop cut on the bottom line, move down about a quarter inch and cut toward the stop cut on both sides.  This will be where the eyes will be.





Now make a stop cut at the bottom of the nose maybe 3/16" deep.  Move the blade down about 3/16" and cut diagonally toward the cut at the bottom of the nose.  You just formed the bottom of the nose and started where the top of the mustache will be.

[Knoll]

Hoping this will be continued . . . . .

[JW_Halverson]

Sadly, Madcrow took off a finger while carving and bled to death trying to look up the phone number for 911.  We'll never know what it was he was trying to teach us. 

[Knoll]

 

[madcrow]

Watch what ya wish for JW, the last time I cut cut chip carving, it took a year to get feeling back in that finger.  OK, here is a profile of the last step.

[madcrow]

Now, where the eyese will be, make a tiny shallow stop cut on each side of the nose maybe 1/16" deep and and eighth of an inch long.  Then make a shallow stop cut from the inside corner of the eye to the outside corner of the nose.



Now hold the knife parralell with the back of the carving and cut straight up into the eye.

[madcrow]

Next make a stop cut at the top of the band for the hat and cut from the top, down to the stop cut.  Also make a stop cut starting from the side of the nose, down along where the mustache will be.



This ornament is quick and easy and will be covered with paint, so you really don't have to spend lots of time with tiny details.  Start shaping the nose just a bit and shave the sharp hump off where the mustache will start.  While you are at it, use a pencil to drawn in the mustache and make stop cuts all the way around it.

[madcrow]

I make small cuts around the mustache into the stop cut to bring out the mustache a little so the face doesn't look flat.  I also shave off the sharp edges around the cheeks.



Now its time to shape the hat and the beard, really just whittling the down some.  I use a V-tool to cut in the hair on the beard, but a regular knife or an exacto knife will work.  Make long wavy stop cuts, then cut into them with the knife.

[madcrow]

Just use your imagination and make the hats and beards different shapes and sizes.  I went to wal-china and bought some cheap craft paint to finish them off.  With a little creativity, you can turn your santa into an elf or a hillbilly.  My wife hates those.



Tomorrow I will make and install some of the wire loops to put ribbon on for hanging on the tree.

[JW_Halverson]

I once severed the tendon that straightens out my left thumb.  Got lucky with that one healing on it's own. 

I bet it took you longer to take the photos than it would have to carve the jolly old elf!  Thanks for the description and the detailed photos.  I might have to try my hand at this one, I think I have some cottonwood bark lying around somewhere here....

[madcrow]

I could have carved a hand full in the time it took to throw this together.  One of these days when I find a supplier for the cottonwood bark, that is not in Canada, I am going to give it a try.

[bubby]

thanks for doing this Eddie it's a big help

[neuse]

Super great idea and nice work.

I will be giving this a try, I have been wanting to carve something but didn't know how.

[Adam]

Thanks for posting this. I make my wife a wooden ornament every year for Christmas and I tried one of these this year. I've never carved before, but thanks to your pictures and description, I ended up with something that resembles Santa Claus (though it took me a bit longer than 5 minutes ).