Small Carvings From Scrap Wood

Some times my scrap box overflow-th!  And since I am basically a cheap feller I cannot see it go to waste.  I am constantly on the look out for small items to carve from pieces of this scrap.  This is where my sketch book comes in.  When I see a small object that I could carve, I sketch it, and some times I just sketch an object from memory.  The important thing is to get it sketched in the sketch book.   If I see a carving that I'd like to do, I usually modify it quite a bit in my sketch.

For this post I'll focus on the little bear in the bottom right corner.
I may add some notes to the sketch that I'll use at a later date.  


The first thing to do is to make a pattern just in case you want to carve more than  one.  I use carbon paper to transfer the sketch to a piece of 1/4th inch thick fiber board, then cut the pattern out using the scroll saw.

After the pattern is cut, I choose a piece of 7/8 inch thick Basswood from my scrap box.  Trace the bear pattern with the wood grain running from the top of the bear to the bottom.

Cut the blank out on the scroll saw.

Since I am a whittler, I use mainly the knife to shape the piece.

After using the knife to roughly shape the little bear, I used sand paper to smooth the wood.

Here's a side view of the little bear.

Here's a 3/4 view so one can better see the little bears head.










This is a fun little project that can be finished natural, stained, or painted.  It may be sanded smooth or not.  And it's a great way to use up some of the wood scraps.

Perhaps, the most important thing is to remember that the first thing to do is make a template, because you'll surely want to make more than one.