This fun and easy gnome whittling project is perfect for beginners and takes very little time to make.
Here is what you will need to make the dog:
- Sharp whittling knife
- 3″ 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
Gnome Wood Carving Tutorial
Follow the steps below to carve your own little gnome!
– Step 1
Start by using the template above to create the reference lines shown in step 1.
These lines show the bottom of the hat and the top of the nose in the middle center, elbow location on the sides, and the bottom of the beard and top of the shoes on the bottom.
– Step 2
Start by defining the bottom of the nose, bottom of the beard and top of the shoes by using a stop cut.
Then, trim the sides inwards on the corners of the block from the bottom of the elbows to the feet and then use a stop cut to separate the top of the arms from the bottom of the hat.
– Step 3
Next, we need to draw the hat on the top. You can draw a curved hat like I did or do a straight pointed hat for an easier project.
– Step 4
Now remove the excess wood from the sides so you have a good reference for where the hat is.
If you did a curved hat, this curve requires extra technique in working with the wood grain.
Remember to work with the grain properly, so come in from the top of the hat to the middle and meet it half way from the bottom of the hat on the left hand side in the picture.
– Step 5
Now, we are going to further shape the hat to a point, If you wanted a ball at the tip of the hat, leave more wood to do so.
Then define the nose a bit more using some stop cuts.
Finally, outline the beard with a pencell as shown.
– Step 6
Using a V cut and/or stop cuts, define and shape the beard.
I like to add a little wedge near the bottom of the beard to make it look like it is sticking out a bit more.
– Step 7
Now, lets lower the shoulders a bit to create more definition between the face, the hat, and the arms.
– Step 8
Now, lets start working on the body details. We will add in reference marks with a pencil for the inside of the arms and hands going into the pockets.
You can choose to add hands if you wish but this increases the difficulty.
– Step 9
Using pyramid cuts and/or stop cuts create an inverted 3 sided pyramid to define the arms.
Then using stop cuts, separate the hands and create pockets.
Finally, further define the feet.
At this point, feel free to sand the gnome and paint it with acrylic paint!
