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The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

The first edition of Whittling Twigs and Branches was a greatly expanded combination of the author’s two self-published books, Carving Twigs and Branches and More Carving Twigs and Branches. This second edition includes two new step-by-step demonstrations on whittling a flower and whittling a letter opener, expanded painting and finishing information, instructions for adding a base, instructions for creating hens and chicks, tips for correcting mistakes and additional gallery photos.

ISBN: 978-1-56523-236-5 ; 1-56523-263-4
“Unique birds, flowers, trees & more from easy-to-find wood” -- Cover.

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Because carving wood inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that creating the projects in this book is safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the reader’s use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all carvers to thoroughly review each project and to understand the use of all tools involved before beginning any project.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Lubkemann

Chris Lubkemann, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was born of missionary parents in Brazil and remembers his earliest attempts at woodcarving in the Ucayali River town of Contamana, deep in the Amazon rain forest of eastern Peru. Strangely enough, that first whittling project when he was around seven years old consisted of an assortment of little wooden dentist tools! His dentistry career was very short-lived, though, as his mom thought it probably wasn’t the best idea for jungle kids to be poking around in each other’s mouths.

His appreciation for wood and love for making things from it never stopped. There were boats, bows and arrows, doll furniture, slingshots and treehouses. His first forked-branch rooster hatched in the summer of 1966, between his junior and senior years of college. Dr. John Luke, a longtime and very loved minister in the mountains of northwestern North Carolina, showed Chris in a few minutes how a rooster could emerge from a Y-shaped branch. As things turned out, Chris ended up whittling away quite a few hours of that ’66–’67 academic year to actually help pay for it! And he had lots of fun in the process, too.

Together with his wife, Sheri, and three children, Chris served in Portugal from 1972 to 1986, followed by a U.S.-based ministry that has taken him to a number of foreign countries as well as different parts of the United States. Wherever he has gone, he’s always had a pocketknife or two at hand and a handful of twigs and branches, and for quite a few years now his airline carry-on “bag” has consisted of one or another of his wooden display cases. So, the simple craft picked up more than 40 years ago in the mountains of Ashe County, North Carolina, keeps getting shared and passed on to folks all over, and the number of branch carvers worldwide continues to grow!

CHAPTER ONE

Branch and twig whittling or carving is a very satisfying hobby. And, if the whole story is told, it can be far more than a hobby—a fun way to help buy groceries, pay school bills, pay off the mortgage and contribute toward meeting other expenses that come along.

All this can happen with almost no cash outlay. Other than the small amount of money needed to buy a knife, a few brushes, a little bit of paint and glue and little more, there’s practically nothing else to buy. The basic raw material—twigs and branches—is free. And it’s a craft that can be done just about anywhere. There’s no need for fancy dust collectors or protective face masks. Electricity is needed mostly for the light bulb illuminating the work station. A little bit of time and a dose of focused concentration are all you need to learn to whittle twigs and branches into wonderful creations.

The beginnings of a number of different projects. One of the best parts about carving twig and branch projects is that the basic raw material is free.

The basic tool for carving the great majority of the projects suggested in the following pages is a very sharp knife. Technically, I guess I should say a couple of very sharp blades. As for the handles to which these blades are connected, that’s a matter of personal preference or practicality. The blade could be part of a standard folding pocketknife or set into a traditional fixed-blade carving knife. Having worked with many folks in the woodcarving community, I’ve seen very good branch carvings produced with fixed-blade knives. To be honest, however, my own preference is still a good old-fashioned two-blade pocketknife. I always have one in my pocket, and it’s ready to go at a moment’s notice.

And you won’t believe all the unusual places and situations where that pocketknife has come out and started moving chips and shavings around! Banquets, wedding receptions, commencement exercises, airplanes, trains, boats, buses, cars, dentist chairs, doctors’ offices, hospitals, all kinds of sporting events, living rooms, kitchens, backyards, front yards, baseball ticket lines…and even in the voting line during the most recent presidential election! And these are only some of the impromptu, informal whittling venues in which I have carved. The formal, scheduled ones have been many and varied too, and they include seminars at carving clubs, classes at adult education sites and demonstrations for scouts.