Carving a Simple Wooden Spoon

By Tim Swanson

Carving a spoon can be as easy or hard as you make it. They don’t require much to make and can be carved from almost any shape or size of wood. Sitting around a campfire, and talking with friends is my favorite place to carve in general. But carving a spoon to mix up the soup on the campfire certainly makes for a more special experience. Spoons make a great gift for any type of person, as everyone likes to eat! I remember a day where I bought a pint of ice cream at the grocery store, and really wanted to eat it in the parking lot. I found a scrap of wood in the trunk of my car, and whittled out a “spoon shaped” piece of wood in about 30 seconds. Just don’t ask me if I ate the entire pint of ice cream in one sitting. 

What you need:

• Wood carving knife

• Hook knife (optional, as you can use coals from a fire to burn out the scoop)

• A piece of wood

• Sandpaper (optional, with a good sharp knife and smooth cuts you shouldn’t need it)

Step 1: Obtain and Process Wood

Many species of wood work well for spoons. I have found that a lot of spoon carvers seek out walnut, birch, and cherry. The grain and ease of carving make those woods excellent for spoons, but I have also used oak, maple, hickory, cedar, pine, and lots of other non-poisonous woods. Green wood or seasoned wood can work, and both have their own benefits and drawbacks. I prefer to use seasoned wood as I do not have to worry about any cracking if I choose to take a break from my project. However, green wood tends to be easier to carve. Start by cutting the length of the spoon you would like. Check for any abnormalities, cracks, or knots, as these can later ruin your spoon. A simple spoon blank can be made by splitting the piece of wood to make a thin board. This will make for a flat spoon that works great as an eating or cooking spoon. 

Step 2: Rough out the Shape

I first start my spoons by carving the circular end of the scoop. Whittle off the square edges and keep a general semi-circle shape at the top. Drawing out the outline of the spoon can help you stay consistent as well. Carve the neck and handle of the spoon next. This is done by holding onto the scoop and carving with “J” shaped cuts at the neck section. If you keep the knife at the same angle consistently, you will end up with a triangular handle and a sharp point at the end. Make sure to focus on making those “J” shaped cuts to avoid an unwanted triangular handle. Putting both thumbs on the spine of the blade can really help with more control when making these scooping cuts. Don’t worry too much about everything being perfect, it will all get another touch up at the end. 

Step 3: Carve the Scoop

There are many ways to carve out the concavity in the scoop of the spoon. The most minimal way is to take out a coal from a fire, hold it on top of the wood with a twig, and blow on it to burn away the wood. Replace coals as they die down and scrape away all the charcoal. This method is how I got started in my spoon carving journey. Now, I use a hook knife as I found it to be more predictable. Hook knives can take some getting used to, but once you get past the learning curve, they will serve you well. With the hook knife, you can carve with, or across the grain. Just be careful to take it easy and use the sharpness of your knife to your advantage. When I start carving out the scoop, I usually carve in a circular direction all the way around the edge, and then work my way inwards. Be sure to carve in a way that you do not leave rough spots or high ridges. The important thing to remember is that the scoop should be of equal thickness all the way around. It's easy to carve it too thin and break out the bottom of the scoop. If that mistake is made, then you can call it a strainer spoon!

Step 4: Touch Up

After the general shape and scoop are carved out, go back with your knife and work on the final shaping and fine details of your spoon. Add any designs or markings that you’d like. The goal is not to need sand paper, so take your time making small cuts with a very sharp knife. 

Step 5: Sanding & Oiling

I use a coarse grit sandpaper, and a very fine grit sandpaper. But you can use whatever you have laying around. After sanding with the fine grit, get the spoon moist and let it dry. This will “lift” the grain in which you can sand again to get a very smooth work of art. I oil my wood carvings with a bear fat and beeswax salve, but any food safe oil works.

Aftercare:

Overtime, your spoon may get stained as you cook with it. Simply sand it with fine grit sandpaper to remove the top surface of wood and oil it up again to make it look brand new. I do not recommend allowing the spoon to stay wet (soaking in the sink), or putting it through the dishwasher. 

Spoon carving is a relaxing and fun activity that you can make as complicated as you want to. It's easy to make a simple spoon that is perfectly functional, looks great, and adds a nice aesthetic to your eating experience. I enjoy carving spoons for backpacking that fit perfectly in my metal cooking pot which has a spoon on one end, and a fork on the other. I encourage you to explore different wood for carving, different shapes & sizes, and to have fun.