Quick & Easy Whittling for Kids: 18 Projects to Make With Twigs & Found Wood

By Frank Egholm

A fun, kid-friendly guide to whittling wood, Quick & Easy Whittling for Kids is the perfect introduction to the rewarding craft of woodcarving for children. In this convenient, small-format woodcarving book, best-selling author and master carver Frank Egholm offers simple techniques and 18 step-by-step projects that kids can complete in just one sitting that will get them excited about woodcarving. All they need are two basic tools, a handful of twigs and branches, and a bit of creativity to get started! Featuring helpful opening sections on safety, materials, tools, and carving techniques, Quick & Easy Whittling for Kids then presents a collection of fun and functional beginner wood carving projects and full-size patterns that both kids and adults will love, from a mushroom and a ship to a whistle, ring toss game, kitchen utensils, and more. Easy to pack and bring with you for your next outdoor adventure, this approachable guide is a must-have tool to share your favorite hobby with the next generation as you supervise and teach kids how to carve wood!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Release date: Jul 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9781637411704

Frank Egholm

Frank Egholm is a Danish woodcarver, woodsman, lecturer, and author (The Danish Art of Whittling: Simple Projects for the Home; Easy Wood Carving for Children) specializing in understated one-knife projects, bushcraft, and toys/games. His "Simple Songbird" project appeared in the 2018 issue of Whittling magazine. He publishes short technique and project tutorials on YouTube and on his website. His wife, Lillian, is a professional illustrator; together, they authored Quick & Easy Whittling for Kids, which is scheduled for our spring 2023 season. Website: Snittesiden.dkYoutube -- Frank Egholm

Book preview

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© 2023 by Frank Egholm, Lillian Egholm, and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Quick and Easy Whittling for Kids is an original work, first published in 2023 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.

Photo Credits: Mike Mihalo

Shutterstock.com Photo Credits

kotikoti: numbers, pgs. 8–10, 23, 25 & 26, 28, 30–32, 34–36, 38 & 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 50, 52, 53, 55 & 56, 58, 60–62, 64, 66 & 67, 69–71; JMiks: paper background pgs. 4 & 5, 8–10, 14 & 15, 18, 22, 24, 27, 29, 33, 37, 40, 42, 46, 48, 51, 54, 57, 59, 63, 65, 68, 73–85; optimarc: graph paper pgs. 73–85; 32 pixels: paperclip pgs. 73–76, 78, 80–85; NiglayNik: sticky note pgs. 11, 18, 22, 24, 27, 29, 33, 37, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 51, 54, 57, 59, 63, 65, 68

Managing Editor: Gretchen Bacon

Acquisitions Editor: Kaylee J. Schofield

Editor: Joseph Borden

Designer: Mike Deppen

Indexer: Jay Kreider

Proofreader: Kelly Umenhofer

Translator: Balder Andreas Egholm

Print ISBN: 978-1-4971-0334-4

eISBN: 978-1-6374-1170-4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023935017

Special thanks to the young models and their families for helping to show off just how fun it can be to whittle!

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [e-mail].

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [e-mail], with 9781497103344 Quick & Easy Whittling for Kids in the subject line.

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Introduction

Whittling is an ancient craft that used to play an essential part of everyday life. Whittling was how many commonly used items were made: the spoon and bowl you ate your food with; the chair and table at which you sat; the coat hook you hung your clothes on; the timbers in your house and the fences for the livestock. All were made out of green—freshly cut—wood, and much of it was done with a few simple tools. In Denmark, these skills almost vanished during the twentieth century.

However, experiencing the joy of making things with your hands and learning how to use tools properly is an important part of a child’s upbringing. Together we have raised five sons, and in our house, you are allowed to whittle at the dining table, not just outside.

As a former kindergarten teacher, Lillian would whittle with the children. The children would learn how to use a knife and respect it as a tool. The projects might be small, but the delight wasn’t. Frank has been a woodworking teacher for many years. In his school, the children would first encounter whittling at ages 9 and 10, and later they would get to do more advanced woodwork. When you’re whittling with kids, the projects have to be manageable for them, as well as challenging so they won’t

We hope you will find inspiration for your next outdoor trips, whether the destination is your garden, the woods, or elsewhere. And we hope you will experience the same joy and tranquility when whittling that we do. So grab a knife and a saw, bring your kids and some food and drink, and head into the woods. Once the fire is going, get yourselves some branches and start whittling.

Happy whittling,

Frank & Lillian Egholm

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Table of Contents

Getting Started

Tools

Additional Materials

Safety

Carving Techniques

Sharpening & Honing

Wood Grain

Projects

Mushrooms

Squirrel

Ships

Bird

King & Queen (& Royal Dog)

Beads

Ring Toss

Crocodile

Fishing Game

Spin Ladder

Four-in-a-Row

Tic-Tac-Toe

Whistle

Butter Knife

Spatula

All-Purpose Hook

Shrink Pot

Ball-in-Cage

Patterns

About the Authors

Tools

There is a huge variety of tools to consider, from