Spoon Carving Workshop

SPOON CARVING WORKSHOP An Introduction

Spoon carving is an ancient craft which is happily having a renaissance in the U.K. as we begin to re-discover the beauty of the handmade. The use of simple hand tools gives you the freedom to carve in the woods or in the sitting room and at the same time, using these simple but efficient tools, gives you the unique pleasure of making something elegant and useful with your hands. But be warned the therapeutic pleasure of spoon carving can become highly addictive!

Phil has been working with green wood for many years but has something of an obsession with the unlimited possibilities of these mini sculptures which we call spoons and enjoys sharing the craft with others.

• Learn how to find the type of spoon you are looking for within a branch or tree sustainably.
• Learn how to cleave a section of tree, to read the grain direction and understand the properties of wood
• Learn the fundamental holds & techniques for the sloyd axe, sloyd knife and crook knife traditionally used in spoon carving.
• Using these acquired skills, loose yourself in turning a section of tree into a hand crafted, useful item.
• Tools and materials provided. Take home your carved spoon/s and spare wood to continue carving at home
• Try different carving tools and devices
• Refresher notes, supplier list and further reading provided
• Tool sales and advice
• Maximum group size of 8
• No previous experience required

The Maker 

Phil Brown – I N   T H E  W O O D

Instagram – @inthewoodspoons

After many years working with green wood while working as a woodland and estate manager and carving spoons as a hobby, I started carving spoons on a full time basis in 2015.

Based in Shepton Mallet, Somerset I have an outdoor workshop in my local woodland where I carve and hold carving workshops. I collect ‘green’ wood from wind blown trees or from trees coppiced as part of the management plan. I carve the wood ‘green’, before it has dried out, when it is easier to work with simple hand tools.

‘I have heard it said that our hands are where our minds meet the world.

But its with simple tools that the relationship between a craftsperson and the natural world can flourish.

We sign our motifs on the tree

And the tree forever leaves its mark on us’

Jeff Donne