How to Carve a Great Santa: 34 Projects, Patterns & Techniques for Beginner to Advanced Woodcarvers

Customizing Santa

By Dale Green

Follow along with this example project to learn how to customize your carving. I'll walk you through the complete steps of carving and then you can see how to customize this Santa or others with woodburning and accessories.

Transfer the front- and side-view patterns (on here) to the blank.. Cut the outline of one view with a band saw. Tape the waste back into place and cut the second view. Then, draw the major landmarks for the hat, hands, robe, cape, and beard with a pencil or fine-point marker. Mark the areas where you need to remove excess wood.

Materials

•Basswood, 4 (10.2cm) thick: Santa, 6 x 10 ½" (15.2cm x 26.7cm)

•Basswood: assorted scraps for accessories

•Dowel, ¼ (6mm) dia.: 1 (25mm) long

•Dowel, ⅛" (3mm) dia.: assorted small pieces

•Dish soap, such as Simple Green® (clear), and water

•Danish oil, such as Watco®: natural

•Boiled linseed oil

•Oil paint: burnt umber

•Paper towels or soft cloth

•Matte spray finish, such as Krylon®

•Acrylic paints, such as Delta Ceramcoat®: black, black green, brown iron oxide, burnt sienna, burnt umber, cardinal red, charcoal, cherry red, dark blue, flesh tone, medium flesh, olive green, orange, oyster white, raw sienna, Seminole green, soft grey, titanium white, tompte red, yellow; Americana®: primary blue

•Wood glue

Tools

•Knives: carving, detail

•Micro gouges: ⅛ (3mm), 5 / 32 (4mm)

•#9 gouges: 3 / 16 (5mm), ¼ (6mm)

•#11 gouges: ⅛ (3mm), 3 / 16 (5mm)

•V-tool: ¼" (6mm)

•Woodburner with extra small skew tip

•Drill with bits: ⅛ (3mm), ¼ (6mm) dia.

•Denture brush

•Paintbrushes: assorted for painting, sponge for Danish oil, antiquing

Carving the Face

Remove the sharp corners of the blank. Make stop cuts and rough out the mittens and the cuffs. Use a knife or ¼" (6mm) V-tool to begin shaping the beard.

Remove the excess wood around the hat and tassel. Taper the hat. Add wrinkles to the hat where it folds to the side. Carve and shape the arms. Draw lines around the robe, cape, and hat to mark the fringe area.

Establish the centerline of the face. Using the knife, make a stop cut at the bottom of the nose. Use the ¼" (6mm) V-tool to carve the brim of the hat, allowing plenty of room for eye placement.

Cut the wings of the nose back at a slight angle. Use the knife. Draw the mustache and carve around it with the ¼ (6mm) V-tool. Establish the width of the face and create the hairline of the beard and hair using the same V-tool. Rough out the eye sockets with a 3/16 (5mm) #9 gouge. Draw a line under the mustache to establish the mouth.

Draw the wings of the nose on both sides. Make certain they are even before carving with the tip of your knife. Use a 3/16" (5mm) #11 gouge (veiner) to carve the bottom of the lip. Draw a line where the eyes will be located to ensure they are level and the same size.

Carve the eye mounds. To avoid flat-looking eyes, position a ⅛" (3mm) micro gouge at the top center of the eye line and carve in an arc to the tear duct at the inside corner of the eye. Position the gouge at the bottom center of the drawn line and carve toward the tear duct again. The two motions form the inside half of the eye mound. Repeat the process, carving toward the outside of the eye, to complete the eye mound. Repeat for the second eye.

Separate the eyebrows. Use a 5/32 (4mm) micro gouge. Use the knife to taper the forehead from the top of the eyebrow to the bottom of the hatband. Make a small triangular cut between the inside edge of each eyebrow and the top of the nose to define the eyebrow. Angle the same micro gouge toward the outside of each eye as you carve the brow texture to avoid picket fence" eyebrows.

Draw a line separating the upper and lower eyelids. Make a stop cut along the line with the tip of the knife. Remove a small sliver of wood below the cut to create a nice shadow line. Refine the nose and carve nostrils with the tip of the knife. Draw flow lines for the beard, mustache, and hair.

Establish the flow lines of the hair and beard. Use a ¼ (6mm) #9 gouge. Then, following the flow lines, use the 3/16 (5mm) #11 gouge (veiner) to add shadows and fullness to the beard. Use the tip of the knife to create a small opening under the mustache for the mouth. Carve a small triangle of wood with the tip of the knife at the outside corners of the mouth to create depth and a shadow line.

Carving the Body

Create the fur trim area of the robe. Use the knife or ¼" (6mm) V-tool to remove the wood from between the drawn lines. Establish the cape and its fur trim using the same process. Carve the opening between the hat and tassel. Carve the upturned right hand.

Add texture to the fur trim on the hat, cape, and robe. Make angled cuts using a 3/16 (5mm) #9 gouge. Shape the knot above the tassel and the tassel with the knife. Use the ¼ (6mm) V-tool to create the threads in the tassel. Notice that the back of the hair is angled slightly inward where it meets the cape to create fullness.

Sketch a scene on the robe. I chose snow-covered mountains and a cabin. Carve along the lines with a knife or V-tool. Carve up to the stop cut or groove to give these elements a three-dimensional appearance.

Woodburn the bottom of each upper eyelid. Use an extra-small skew tip with the heat set to low. This creates a shadow line for the eyelid. Then, burn the logs on the cabin and the stones on the chimney.

Accessorize the Santa

I added a cardinal and lantern to my Santa. Other ideas include a Christmas ornament, walking stick, birdhouse, gift, candy cane, etc.

Cardinal: Cut the cardinal pattern from a 1 by 1 by 2 ½" (25mm by 25mm by 64mm) block of basswood. Whittle it to shape and paint it. Glue the cardinal to Santa’s open mitten.

Lantern: Cut the lantern pattern from a 1 ½ by 2 ¼ (38mm by 57mm) block of basswood. Drill holes from side to side to open the center, and use a ¼ (6mm) #9 gouge to remove any remaining wood. Drill a ¼ (6mm)-diameter hole in the bottom for the candle. Paint the lantern.

For the candle, carve a ¼" (6mm)-diameter dowel to shape and cut it to fit inside the lantern. Paint the candle, let it dry, and glue it into the lantern.

To install the lantern, drill a ⅛ (3mm)-diameter hole in the bottom of the mitten and the top of lantern. Glue a piece of ⅛ (3mm)-diameter dowel into the holes. The lantern handle is two short lengths of ⅛" (3mm)-diameter dowel inserted into each side of the mitten.

Painting the Carving

Wash the finished carving with clear Simple Green cleaner or dish soap and water, and then scrub it with a denture brush to remove pencil marks, handprints, and any other dirt. Allow it to dry completely. Dip the carving into, or use a sponge brush to apply an even coat of Watco natural Danish oil to seal the entire carving, let the oil dry for twenty-four hours, and then wipe off the excess. Sealing the carving allows you to apply a smooth coat of paint even on tough spots, such as the endgrain.

I dilute acrylic paint heavily with water to create a wash. In general, mix one drop of paint with ten drops of water. Colors that are more transparent, such as white, require less water. I often mix colors to achieve the one I like. Begin with several drops of the lighter color and add the darker color one drop at a time until you are satisfied. Add the water, mix well, and test the color on a piece of scrap wood. Paint the carving, and let it dry for twenty-four hours.

To create an antiquing solution, add a pea-sized dab of burnt umber oil paint to one cup of boiled linseed oil, and mix until the paint is dissolved. Use a sponge brush to apply an even coat of the solution to the entire carving. Wait two or three minutes, and then blot off the excess with a soft cloth or paper towel. Note: Paper towels or cloths used to wipe off the solution can spontaneously combust. Place them flat until dry or soak them in a bucket of water. Allow the carving to dry, and apply two coats of Krylon matte spray finish.

Customizing Santa Patterns

Three Techniques to Highlight Your Carving

By Kelley S. Stadelman

There are many right ways to paint a carving. The style you choose depends on personal preference and the type of carving that you are finishing. Some carvers use stain for a natural finish, or light washes of color to allow the grain of the wood to show through. Others prefer to basecoat their carvings and totally cover the wood. Whatever your preference, there is more to a good paint job than just applying the color. Once you’ve completed the painting or coloring step, you generally need to apply a finish. The finish you select will have a huge impact on the overall look of your project. Because glossy finishes can look plastic, I highly recommend using a matte or satin finish. The finish will help seal the paint, prevent fading, and protect your carving from dust and fingerprints.

Natural Finish

Although I used paint to add color to Santa’s face, I chose to accent the natural wood with a simple, light stain. Brush the stain over the carving, then use a soft rag to wipe the excess stain off immediately. This will leave subtle shading in the crevices to highlight shapes and texture. I apply a simple satin finish to complete the carving. Some carvers dip their piece in boiled linseed oil; others apply a spray lacquer or polyurethane.