Carving a
Wooden Spool
Santa Claus
By Anne Stockdale
Ever since I can remember, my grandfather—
Nelson Hendrickson– has been a woodworker.
When I was younger, I assumed all grandfathers
had a woodworking shops in their basement and all
spent their days in retirement carving any piece of
wood they could find. I thought it was an inherent
skill all grandpas inevitably acquired in their old
age.
However, after speaking with him over coffee I
learned he found his passion for carving during his
childhood. In the early 1930s, money was tight for
the Hendrickson family. Nelson’s father was a
depot agent for a train company in the Midwest.
The family moved a lot and not much time was
spent in the same place. As a result, my grandfather
spent a lot of time with his father in the depot,
helping with simple tasks such as fetching the mail
off the mail train or learning Morse code to help
translate simple messages.
Between trains he began carving to pass the time.
He started out small, making animals and figurines
for his younger sisters; however, as he kept practicing his carvings became more elaborate and ornamental.
Today his woodshop is filled to the rafters with
hundreds of carvings—ranging from animals to dolls
to ornate jewelry boxes. In the afternoons you will
find him in his chair watching woodworking shows
or reading carving magazines for more ideas.
This booklet explains how to carve a Santa Claus in
a wooden spool—one of his favorite carvings.
“I taught myself how to carve
just to pass the time. I never thought it
would turn into a hobby.”
Nelson Hendrickson
Getting Started:
To carve a Santa Claus in a wooden spool, the following
supplies are needed:
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Large wooden spool – found at many antique
shops
Small, inexpensive carving tool kit – found at
most hobby stores
80 to 120 grit Sandpaper—found at most hobby
stores
Acrylic paints—found at any craft or hobby store
Safety glasses or regular glasses—found at any
hobby store
Imagination and patience – it takes months of
practice to hone the skills of carving efficiently.
Carving Tools:
Carving: 1 to 3 hours
1. Angled, small chisel
Sanding: 10 minutes
2. Flat, small chisel
Painting: 20 minutes (24 hours to dry)
3(a, b, c, d). Variations of the v-tool
Total Time to Completion: 1.5 to 3.5 hours
Before you begin...
•
Carving incorrectly can result in injury to
hands, fingers, and/or arms. Be sure to
follow all tips and instructions carefully to
avoid injury.
•
Although safety glasses are not required,
they are strongly recommended. However,
if you normally wear glasses, these will be
sufficient for protection.
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Patience is the key to a good carving
session. Patience will minimize injury risk
as well as improve the end result.
Outlining the Figure
1. Find the thread notch on the spool. This will
be the bottom of the carving.
2. Using a pencil, draw an oval on the spool
being sure to include the thread within the
oval.
3. Using the small chisel and starting at the
thread notch, carve into the thread notch
along the rim on the bottom of the oval
drawn on the spool. Carve until it is flush
with the surface.
4. Next, take the small chisel and cut a small
crevasse along the oval. This will act as a
guide for the v-tool. Using the v-tool,
continue deepening the crevasse until it is
between 1/8” to 3/8” deep.
Tip: Hold the carving tools close to the carving end. This allows more control over the tool.
Face – The eyes
1. Again, using a pencil, draw a crude face
(eyes, nose, mustache, and mouth) within
the oval. This will be used to map the cuts
in the face.
2. The v-tool should be used to start cutting
the eyes. Start at the oval gouge and work
in towards the nose while being sure to stop
at the bridge of the nose. Carve to the
depth of the initial oval gouge.
Carving the eyes is one of the hardest and
most time consuming—be patient!
Tip: Work close to your body. This allows you to have better control over the tools – less
occurrence for slippage and possible injury.
Face – The nose
1. To start the nose, use the small, angled
chisel to cut a line where the nose will be
formed.
2. Using the v-tool, carve the edges of the
nose. The depth should be 1/8” to 1/4”.
Face – The mustache
1. Using the small, angled chisel, outline
where the mustache will be carved.
2. Use the v-tool to carve the edges of the
mustache. Again, the depth should be 1/8”
to 1/4”.
Tip: Deeper crevasses during these steps allow for a more pronounced nose and realistic
looking carving.
Face – The beard
1. The beard will be cut below the mustache
using just the corner of the small chisel.
2. Starting from the top of the beard – near the
mustache – make long, slow cuts towards
the bottom of the spool. These should not
be even cuts, nor too deep.
Face – The cheeks
1. The cheeks will be shaped using a carving
knife and small piece of sandpaper to
soften the cheek bone.
2. Start by rounding the edges of the cheek
using the carving knife. The more cutting
done by the carving knife, the less sanding.
3. After the cheeks have been formed, use
sand paper to round and soften the cheek
bones.
Tip: Sanding can also be done to the eyebrows to help soften the expression of the Santa.
Face – The forehead (Optional)
1. Using a pencil, mark the top of the
eyebrows.
2. A forehead can be shaped using the
small chisel and/or the small, angled chisel.
Start by carving a crevasse where the top of
the eyebrow is using just the tip of the knife.
3. Continue carving the forehead until it is
flush with the initial oval crevasses. Be sure
to keep the surface of the forehead
somewhat rounded.
4. Use sandpaper to soften the surface of the
forehead.
Tip: Small mistakes can be corrected with a little sanding; however, bigger mistakes are
harder to correct. Take your time.
Painting (Optional)
Using acrylic paints, paint dots for eyes. Use a reddish-pink paint to give color to the cheeks of the
carving. Finish up by painting the mustache and
beard using white paint. Allow to dry for 24 hours.
Final Product
String a ribbon with a knot, bell, or button on one
end through the spool. Hang in a place where
everyone can admire it.