How to Whittle a Fox: Step By Step Guide With Pictures


This fun and easy gnome whittling project is perfect for beginners.

Here is what you will need to make the dog:

  • Sharp whittling knife
  • 4″ x 1″ x 1″ block of wood
  • Pencil
  • Leather strop

If you want everything you will need in one kit to get started, I highly recommend this affordable set from BeaverCraft: https://amzn.to/3yDmJf7
The kit comes with everything you will need and is of much better quality than the cheap stuff you see everywhere else.

You can using a larger block of wood if you want to, but it will take longer to whittle.

Before starting, make sure your whittling knife is nice and sharp. It is always a good idea to hone your knife with your leather strop before starting to whittle. If you feel like your knife is starting to dull out while whittling, strop each side 10 to 20 times and continue.

Downloadable Template

Video Guide

Picture Reference

Follow the steps below to carve your own little fox!

– Step 1

Draw the fox template on to your 1 x 1 x 4 inch block of wood

– Step 2

Remove the sections below the lines on the right and left hand side. The left side will be the tail and the right will be the head.

– Step 3

Start to shape the back of the fox, this will help to refine the head and body. From here we will be working from the tail to the head.

– Step 4

Shape the tail and the butt of the fox

– Step 5

Smooth out the top of the body as well as shape the back of the head.

– Step 6

Remove the wood under the body as shown, but don’t separate the front two legs or the back two legs from each other just yet, that comes in step 9.

– Step 7

Roughly shape the front of the face, but don’t take off too much wood yet. This is just to start getting an idea for proportions.

– Step 8

After you get an idea for where the ears and nose will be, further refine them.

– Step 9

Finish shaping the face to the right proportions and then separate the legs. After this, smooth everything out and you are finished!

– Painting!

Painting your fox is really easy, I used watercolor for mine but you can also use acrylic paint. Start with the lighter colors first as the darker colors show through the lighter colors.

For the picture below, I used this water color set from Amazon with Chinese White, Orange, Burnt Sienna, and Flesh as highlights.

Brian Carver

A long time carving enthusiast that enjoys carving wood and stone. The main person behind the Carving is Fun website and YouTube channel. Always has way to many carving tools and is willing to try new and exciting carving projects!

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