TOOLS AND MATERIALS 
NEEDED FOR THIS PROJECT

Wood: 
     3/4" Basswood blank 5" wide x 15" long

Tools:
     Carving Tool Set that includes a v-gouge, round gouge, chisels, and veining tool
     Basic Bench Knife
     Scroll Saw or Band Saw
     Fine Grit Sand Paper
     Sharpening stones and strop

Acrylic Craft Paints:
     Ultramarine Blue
     Titanium White
     Black
     Cadmium Red
     Yellow Ochre
     Burnt Umber
     Cadmium Orange

Assorted Brushes for the dry brushing technique

Polyurethane Spray Sealer

Click on the Country Snowman for a Close Up.

BASIC ROUND OVER CARVING

Use a pencil to mark the level's number to each section of your Snowman.  Level #1 is the highest and includes his carrot nose, the center of the hat brim, the fuzzy hat ball, and the bottom section of his scarf.  Level #4 is the deepest part of the carving and includes the top of his hat where it touches the fuzzy ball and his body.

Use your bench knife to stop cut each section then go to your round gouges and chisels to rough out each area. Once each area's level is established round over the edges of carving.  Because we will be dry brush painting this project you do not need to be extremely smooth in your rough out carving work.  

Once the levels have been established and rounded over start creating lots of texturing strokes to your Snowman.  For his hat I used my largest round gouge to create deep ridges. A smaller round gouge was used for his scarf and my veining tool (a very fine round gouge) was used to texture his body and the fuzzy ball.  His carrot nose, heart cheeks, and stars were left smooth.  The more texturing you create in your carving  the more color you will get when you dry brush him with paint.

Once the carving is completed turn your Country Snowman over so that you can work on the back.  You will want to create a hanging hole in the top center of his hat.  Use a large round gouge, hold the gouge at a 90 degree angel to the wood and roll the tool with your fingers.  This will score a nice round circle into the wood.  Continue scoring until the circle is about 1/8" deep.  Use a small gouge to remove the wood from the circle area.  Repeat this until your hole is about 1/4" deep.  Next, using the same large round gouge place your tool inside the hole, slice into the upper section of the hole to cut free a small section of wood.  This will create a small lip or shelf that reaches into the wood above the hole.  Your Snowman can now be placed over a hanging screw and the head of the screw will catch the lip enough to secure him to your wall.

As I want my Snowman as a hanger I carved a deep trough through the back of his scarf using my largest round gouge.  This trough will hold a ribbon or wire from my pine swag yet let my Country Snowman lie flat against the wall.

Please click on the images below
for a close up.

We have several in depth tutorials on our site that will take you step-by-step through the process of basic carving techniques.  If you are brand new to wood carving read through these projects for detailed instructions on making basic carving cuts, then return to this project. 

Please see these tutorials for more basic carving information: 
Sailboat, Basic Carving Techniques Tutorial
The Basics to Landscape Relief Wood Carving
Simplifying a Pattern into Basic Areas, Relief Wood Carving

Please see these tutorial for more basic painting information:
Dry Brushing With Acrylic Paints over Oil Stains
Working With Watercolors Wood Carving and Wood Burning

Pleases see these pattern packages for more great Holiday designs:
Christmas Calicos 
Christmas Cookies 
Christmas Capers 
Christmas Kringles 
Christmas Classics 
3-D Santas
3-D Christmas 

Once you have completed the carving work you are ready to go onto the painting stage!!!