3 Creative Tips for Handmade Wooden Gifts That Truly Come to Life

Hello everyone! Today, we’re officially getting started with carving wooden gifts. Hopefully, you’ve already sketched out your design and trimmed away the extra wood.

Three Important Tips for Carving Wooden Gifts

When it comes to carving little wooden figurines, there are all sorts of possibilities. If your figure has hand gestures or accessories, the rough cutting process will vary slightly. The more layers and details it has, the more complex it becomes. So here are a few tips you can keep coming back to throughout the carving process.

Always observe before you cut.

One of the hardest things for beginners is imagining parts they can’t see—like the back or the side. If you can’t picture it clearly, don’t force it. Instead, look up reference photos online—especially similar clothes or poses. Even better, ask someone around you—like a friend or a family member—to pose for you. Snap a photo and study the shapes, height differences, and how everything fits together front to back. Carving wooden gifts is a creative process, and creativity doesn’t come from nowhere—you need to have some mental image or reference to work from.

Don’t try to nail it in one go—leave some room.

Carving is a subtractive process. A lot of the time, you’re figuring things out as you go, so when you’re unsure, leave a little extra material just in case. That said, when you do find a spot that’s clearly correct, be precise with your cut. That’ll help speed things up and keep you from wasting time.

Start with the big shapes, then move to the smaller ones.

So what do we mean by “relationships”? Basically: front and back, left and right, top and bottom. Begin by identifying the major parts—like the arms and torso—and understand how they relate to each other in space. Once that’s clear, then break those bigger parts into smaller sections and figure out how those relate. Don’t get distracted by a bunch of tiny details right away—look at the big picture first, then zoom in to fine-tune the smaller stuff.

Got it? We hope these three tips stick with you and come in handy as you keep carving. With a bit of practice, you’ll definitely be able to craft wooden gifts you’ll be proud of!