Easy Santa Beard Texture

As we carvers get ready for the Christmas season there will be lots of Santa pins and tree ornaments carved.  These pieces will be gifted, sold and/or used in ones own home.  I whittle about two each morning with my coffee.  I participate in two shows per year.  One show is a wood carving show and sale (Dayton), the other a high end craft sale (Christmas Fair, Columbus, Ohio).   Two Santa's a day means that I'll have hundreds of these Santas whittled in a year.  There are several ways to treat Santas' beard.  The easiest is to leave it untextured, which I some times do!

  Many will  use a V tool to add texture.  The V tool as well as the knife requires experience and time to apply.  For the craft shows and the gifting, I some times use 3-D paint.

 I would not use the 3-D paint to texture the beards of pieces that I take to the Dayton wood Carving show and sale.  Too many purists there.

The 3-D paint is has the consistency of tooth paste.  It's in a squeeze bottle with a very small opening in the application end.  Just squeeze rows of swirls and let dry.  Let dry over night....

This paint may be purchased at Jo Anns, Hobby Lobby and Michaels.....