In this guide, we've gathered 10 holiday themed, beginner-friendly wood carving projects that range from quick afternoon crafts to more involved weekend creations. Each project includes links to detailed video tutorials, tool recommendations, and tips for success. Whether you're completely new to carving or looking to expand your skills, you'll find projects perfectly suited to your experience level.
Let's dive into these festive, easy carving ideas and discover how you can add a personal, handcrafted touch to your holiday celebrations this year. I'd also like to acknowledge that this is a busy, sometimes stressful time of year for many people. Thank you for taking some time to be here with us - I hope you get some carving inspiration from the article!
Project 1: Decorative Snowflake Designs
Skill Level: Complete Beginner | Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Sometimes the most elegant designs are also the simplest. This snowflake carving project uses just one tool - a V-tool - to create beautiful geometric patterns perfect for the holidays. These snowflake designs work wonderfully as decorative elements on cutting boards, wooden boxes, coasters, plaques, or wooden ornaments. Draw your snowflake design lightly in pencil first, then practice your V-tool cuts on scrap wood to get a feel for the depth. Keep your cuts consistent for a professional look - symmetry doesn't have to be perfect, as slight variations add handmade character. Leave the carving natural for a rustic look, or apply a light coat of finish to protect the wood. For a festive touch, consider painting the carved lines white or silver before applying a clear topcoat.
Tools Needed: V-tool from your carving set, pencil for pattern transfer, sandpaper for final smoothing
Tutorial: Carving Snowflake Designs
Schaaf Tools Recommendation: The V-tool included in our 12pc Beginner Set is perfect for this project.
Project 2: Simple Christmas Tree Ornament
Skill Level: Beginner | Time: 1 to 2 hours
This charming Christmas tree carving is quick, easy, and incredibly satisfying to complete- the perfect project for getting into the holiday spirit while learning basic three-dimensional carving techniques. You'll practice removing wood evenly from all sides while creating something genuinely festive that works beautifully as a standalone ornament, gift tag decoration, part of a holiday garland, or displayed on a mantle. Start with a simple triangular shape and refine from there, working slowly and removing small amounts of wood at a time. The tutorial specifically recommends basswood for its beginner-friendly properties - it's soft, easy to carve, and takes paint beautifully. These trees look beautiful left natural and simply sanded smooth, or you can paint them in traditional green with brown trunks and add tiny decorative elements like carved or painted "ornaments," snow effects, or a dusting of glitter.
Tools Needed: Wood carving gouges (shallow and medium sweep), whittling knife for detail work, hand saw for initial shaping, paint (optional), sandpaper
Tutorial: Simple Christmas Tree
Schaaf Tools Recommendation: Our 12pc Beginner Set provides all the gouges you need for shaping the tree, while adding a knife from our 3pc Whittling Knife Set gives you precision for final details and smoothing.
Project 3: Pine Tree Relief Carving
Skill Level: Beginner with some gouge experience | Time: 2 to 3 hours
Relief carving - where you carve a design into a flat surface so it appears raised - is one of the most versatile and rewarding carving techniques, and this simple pine tree relief is perfect for learning fundamental principles. You'll learn how to create depth and dimension on a flat surface, an essential skill that opens doors to countless future projects like beautiful wall plaques, decorative signs, or designs incorporated into boxes, cabinet doors, or furniture pieces. This pine tree works beautifully as a low relief project, meaning you only need to remove 1/4" to 1/2" of background material to create an impressive three-dimensional effect. Transfer your pattern clearly to the wood surface, make stop cuts around your design outline before removing background, and remove background material gradually and evenly, paying attention to grain direction to avoid tear-out. Natural wood with a clear finish showcases the carving beautifully, or you can stain the background darker to make the tree stand out more prominently.
Tools Needed: Various wood carving gouges, carving mallet for controlled cuts, rotary tool (optional - for speeding up background removal), pencil for transferring pattern
Tutorial: Pine Tree Relief Carving
Schaaf Tools Recommendation: In this project, Chiseled Outdoors specifically uses gouges from our 7pc Expansion Set and 4pc Fishtail Set. The fishtail gouges are particularly helpful for working into corners and tight spaces around the tree branches. Pair these with our 15oz Precision Wood Carving Mallet for controlled, efficient carving.
Project 4: Christmas Candle with Holly
Skill Level: Intermediate beginner | Time: 3 to 4 hours
This elegant relief carving of a candle with holly leaves and berries at its base is a step up in complexity, perfect for carvers ready to challenge themselves with more detailed work. Created by master carver Mary May, this project teaches you how to carve organic shapes (the holly leaves) alongside geometric forms (the candle), introducing you to relief carving techniques used by professionals. The design works beautifully as a standalone decorative piece, incorporated into cabinet doors, or as a central element in a larger holiday scene, and the candle motif is meaningful for both Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations. Study the relationship between the different elements before you start carving, establish your depth levels early, and pay attention to how the holly leaves curve naturally. Mary May carves this in mahogany, which creates a beautiful, rich appearance, though beginners might want to practice the design in basswood first before graduating to hardwoods.
Tools Needed: Various carving gouges (different sweeps and widths), carving mallet, pencil for pattern transfer, sandpaper for final smoothing, desired finish
Tutorial: Carving a Christmas Candle
Schaaf Tools Recommendation: The 12pc Beginner Set provides the range of gouge profiles needed for this project. You'll use different sweeps for the curved holly leaves, the cylindrical candle shape, and the rounded berries. Our 15oz Precision Wood Carving Mallet provides the controlled force needed for working with mahogany.
Project 5: Relief Carving of a Christmas Stocking
Skill Level: Intermediate | Time: 4 to 5 hours
This charming relief carving features a Christmas stocking filled with a teddy bear, candy cane, and gift box - a more complex project that will significantly advance your relief carving skills. Master carver Mary May's recorded livestream walks you through every step of the carving process (after roughing out the initial shape), showing exactly which tools to use at each stage, and you'll learn how to carve multiple overlapping elements, create texture, and develop realistic depth in your work. What makes this tutorial especially valuable is Mary's explanation of her tool choices and techniques throughout the process - you're not just copying a design, you're learning the thinking behind each decision. Create personalized stockings for family members (consider adding names), commemorate a child's first Christmas, or create a beautiful decorative piece that becomes part of your holiday traditions. Watch the full tutorial before starting to understand the sequence of steps, and don't worry if your carving doesn't look exactly like Mary's - focus on understanding the techniques.
Tools Needed: Various carving gouges (you'll use multiple profiles), carving mallet, pencil for pattern transfer, V-tool for adding fine details and texture
Tutorial: Relief Carving of a Christmas Stocking
Schaaf Tools Recommendation: This project will utilize many tools from your 12pc Beginner Set. As you advance, you might find that adding the 7pc Expansion Set gives you additional profile options for creating specific details on the teddy bear fur or stocking texture. 15oz Precision Wood Carving Mallet for mallet work.
Project 6: Whimsical Fairy House from Cottonwood Bark
Skill Level: Intermediate | Time: 4 to 6 hours
Step into a world of enchantment with this delightful fairy house carved from cottonwood bark, combining three-dimensional sculpture with the unique texture of natural bark to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces. Cottonwood bark is a magical material - its natural curves, texture, and character guide your creative choices, and Joshua Walters from Windy Cape Studios demonstrates how to work with the bark's natural form, creating negative space, curves, and architectural details that bring fantasy homes to life. These fairy houses make enchanting garden decorations, shelf displays, or gifts for fantasy enthusiasts, and the whimsical nature of the project encourages creativity and personal expression - no two fairy houses will ever look alike. Study your piece of bark before carving and let its natural shape suggest design elements, don't feel pressured to make your fairy house look like anyone else's, and consider adding small found objects like pebbles, moss, or twigs as embellishments. Many carvers leave cottonwood bark natural to preserve its organic character, though you can add a light coat of wax or oil for protection or subtle paint accents to architectural features.
Tools Needed: Various carving gouges, whittling knives for fine work, optional pen chisels for tiny details, cottonwood bark (often available from tree services or naturally fallen trees)
Tutorial: Fairy House from Cottonwood Bark
Schaaf Tools Recommendation: You'll benefit from having both our 12pc Beginner Set for the main shaping work and a knife from our 3pc Whittling Knife Set for detailed features. For tiny architectural details like windows and doors, our 12pc Pen Chisel Set provides excellent control.
Project 7: Santa Wood Spirit
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced | Time: 4 to 6 + hours
Wood spirits - faces carved into wood that seem to emerge from the tree itself - have captivated carvers for generations, and this Santa-themed wood spirit combines traditional techniques with holiday cheer. Carver Doug Linker condenses four hours of detailed carving work into a fun video, showing how he "finds Santa Claus inside a basswood log." Wood spirit carving teaches you to see and create three-dimensional faces, an essential skill that transfers to countless other carving projects. These pieces make striking decorative items for the mantle, meaningful gifts for carving enthusiasts and Christmas lovers, or special additions to your own holiday décor. Traditional wood spirits often combine natural wood tones with painted accents, so for a Santa spirit, consider painting the hat red, adding color to the face, and perhaps highlighting the beard with white or leaving it natural for contrast.
Tools Needed: Various carving gouges, carving mallet, paint for adding color to Santa's features, basswood log, large piece of cottonwood bark, or thick blank
Tutorial: Santa Wood Spirit Carving
Schaaf Tools Recommendation: This project requires the full range of tools from your 12pc Beginner Set. Consider additional profiles from the 7pc Expansion Set. Don't forget your 15oz Precision Wood Carving Mallet for efficient stock removal.
Project 8: Santa Wood Spirit with Rotary Tool
Skill Level: Intermediate beginner (with rotary tool experience) | Time: 3 to 4 hours
This alternative approach to creating a Santa wood spirit uses rotary tools (like a Dremel) instead of traditional gouges, offering a faster path to impressive results while introducing power carving techniques. Jordy Johnson from Carving Fusion demonstrates a "straight to the point" approach with excellent visuals, showing how rotary tools can efficiently shape a wood spirit from cottonwood bark - perfect for carvers who are comfortable with power tools or want to learn this increasingly popular technique. Rotary tools remove wood quickly, which speeds up the process but requires careful control, and you'll need to prioritize safety with glasses, dust mask, and proper ventilation. Always wear safety glasses to protect from flying wood chips, use a dust mask or respirator since power carving creates fine dust, and practice on scrap cottonwood bark before starting your final piece. Use different carving bits for different tasks - rough carbide bits for removing material, finer bits for details - and power tools work especially well on cottonwood bark's soft, punky texture.
Tools Needed: Rotary tool (Dremel or similar) with carving bits, cottonwood bark (softer and easier to shape than solid wood), paint for finishing, safety glasses (essential for power carving), dust mask or respirator
Tutorial: Santa Wood Spirit Dremel Carving
Schaaf Tools Note: While this project primarily uses power tools, you might still want hand tools for final details and refinement. Many carvers combine power tools for rough shaping with hand tools for finishing touches.
Project 9: Chainsaw Santa Carving
Skill Level: Advanced (requires chainsaw experience) | Time: Full day (6+ hours)
Ready to think big? This impressive chainsaw carving project transforms a log or large piece of wood into an impressive Santa Claus sculpture - a show-stopping piece that demonstrates the power and artistry of chainsaw carving. Ryan Cook demonstrates how chainsaw carving artists work on a completely different scale, using powerful tools to create stunning yard decorations, porch greeters, or commercial displays. Important Safety Note: Chainsaw carving is an advanced technique that requires proper training, experience, and comprehensive safety equipment including chainsaw safety chaps or pants, steel-toed boots, safety glasses or face shield, hearing protection, gloves designed for chainsaw work, and a hard hat. If you're new to chainsaw use, please seek in-person instruction before attempting this type of project. The chainsaw establishes the basic form while rotary tools refine details and create smoother surfaces, and large outdoor carvings require weather-resistant paint and sealers to protect them from the elements.
Tools Needed: Chainsaw (properly maintained and sharpened), rotary tool for detail work, paint for final coloring, complete safety gear, large log
Tutorial: Chainsaw Santa Carving
Project 10: Natural Materials Fairy House
Skill Level: Beginner | Time: 3 to 5 hours
I'm a bit partial to this project, because I made this tutorial myself! This is a fairly easy beginner project in which I use only natural materials to create a whimsical fairy house - perfect for carvers who love combining woodworking with natural found objects and sustainable crafting. Unlike other projects that focus on a single piece of wood, this approach teaches you to work with various natural materials - bark, twigs, moss, acorns - combining carving skills with assemblage and creative design, and it's perfect for those who enjoy nature walks and finding treasures to incorporate into their work. These fairy houses work beautifully as garden decorations that blend naturally with landscaping, as indoor shelf displays that bring nature inside, or as gifts for nature lovers, gardeners, or fantasy enthusiasts. Part of the magic of this project is the treasure hunt for perfect materials - a walk through the woods might yield bark with interesting texture, twisted twigs for architectural details, or small stones for pathways and chimneys. Collect materials before starting your carving, let the natural shapes guide design decisions, and use non-toxic glues if the piece might be displayed outdoors where wildlife could investigate.
Tools Needed: Pen chisels for small, detailed work, whittling knives for shaping, gouges (optional, for larger shaping), natural materials (bark, twigs, small branches, stones, moss, seed pods), non-toxic glue for assembly
Tutorial: How to Make a Fairy House - Fun Beginner Wood Carving Projects
Schaaf Tools Recommendation: Our 12pc Pen Chisel Set is perfect for the detailed work required in creating tiny doors, windows, and architectural elements. Combine this with a knife from our 3pc Whittling Knife Set for versatility.
Have Fun Wood Carving This Holiday Season!
My hop is that whether you're carving your first simple snowflake or tackling an ambitious Santa wood spirit, hopefully this article with give you some wood carving inspiration to create something awesome. Giving yourself the time and space to do something creative during this busy, often stressful time, is a gift in and of itself.
So, ready to start your holiday carving adventure?
Which project will you carve first? Share your plans and finished projects with us on Instagram using #Schaaftools - we can't wait to see what you create!
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