Hand Carving
Whittling, Carving, and Sculpting by Hand
Hand-carving refers to the art of cutting any material into a shape using hand tools. Most frequently, hand-carving is used to refer to carving wood, although it can also be used in reference to soap, bone, gourds and squashes, ice, ivory, stone, foam, some soft plastics, and shells. Rugs can be 'hand-carved' by trimming long fibers into a desired shape or pattern after the rug itself is completed.
Most hand-carved items are created for a decorative purpose rather than a functional one, such as frames, sculptures, house signs, and other items intended for display in or outside the home. The most common hand-carved item you're likely to find is the house sign, which, like the frame, is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. A hand-carved house sign is typically created out of wood or stone.
A Popular Craft and Pastime
Hand-carving is a fun and inexpensive hobby, requiring only a few basic cutting and detailing tools. Raw materials are mostly cheap and, in some cases, could be free, as they're found in nature. Carving doesn't require a great deal of skill to begin, but expert carvers are capable of creating amazing and valuable works of art. Sculpture and sign creation are two of the most popular areas; an experienced and skillful carver can turn a home sign into a thing of beauty, or recreate an image in smooth three-dimensional sculpture.
One of the reasons for the continued popularity of hand-carving is the fact that fairly inexperienced carvers can easily make money selling their crafts, especially online and in urban or suburban settings. Even if a person has never visited the country, there's a universal appeal to a house sign depicting a forest, or delicately carved animal figurines. The allure of unique crafts has always been around, and today, purchasing decorative crafts is a cheap and fun way to build community, save money, and find beautiful, unusual decor for your home. You can buy a premade plastic house sign from a hardware store, but a personalized house sign is worth so much more, simply for the effort the creator put into it. With just a simple set of tools, cheap materials, and some practice, a novice could start selling quality hand-carved items and making a profit within a month.
Hand-Carving: Bringing Tradition Back
There has been a sudden resurgence in the desire to learn "the old ways" of doing things, perhaps in reaction to the current economic climate. People are beginning to sew and mend their own clothes, learn to cook favorite recipes "from scratch", and craft their own announcements and signs. The homemade house sign is making a comeback, along with the vegetable garden and an appreciation for entertainment that doesn't rely on electricity.
Hand-carving is an economical and creative hobby, requiring very little investment and offering modest rewards. There is potential to make money, but more than that, there's the potential to learn a new skill. Creating your own house sign, furniture, and other home decor can yield a priceless sense of pride and accomplishment. Imagine how proud you would be to craft and hang your own wooden home sign, one of the most practical and customizable hand-carving projects, as a showcase of your skill.